Sante Adairius Saison Bernice (16e)

Brewed by Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Style: Saison
Capitola, California USA

Serve in Tulip

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Thanks to Roger for hooking me up in celebration of the day when I turned from a strapping young ticker to an old, creepy, has-been ticker. In the interest of full disclosure, my granny is named Bernice so I might be biased. Thank you, granny, for allowing me to be brought into this world so that I might experience the great joy of ticking 3000+ beers. With that, here goes another tick. This beer looks attractive to me for reasons I don’t understand, sort of like the female alien in "Avatar" (I can’t blame Jake for hitting that - I would). It has just the right amount of haziness in its golden-orange color with a little bit of foam and lacing. It smells great, similar to the heavenly aroma you get from putting your nose to a goat or a horse or a wet pile of hay. Barnyard with plenty of blanket, yeasty and funky with Brett notes (the yeast, not a person of that name). The flavor also has Brett (the yeast), which lends a nice restrained tartness, along with sour green apple. The palate is reasonably crisp but it could use some more carbonation. Solid and enjoyable beer overall.

A - pours hazy light golden orange with very low white head. S - nice funky yeasty citrus aromas. Nice balance of all the right elements. Soft subtle funk, notes of sulfur and barnyard. Quiet bready yeasts. Prickly pineapple and fresh ripe oranges and very slight lemon rind. M - lively bright mf. Average carb. Very fruit forward, with a lingering lightly sweet almost tart end. T - very fruity up front, pineapple, fresh oranges and lemon zest. Fresh tart apples, mineral water and subtle funk. Yeasts, barnyard and bread on the palate. Dry, Fruity mineral water end. Very subtle cheese funk. O - an amazing subtle, complex very refreshing. 4.4 ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle at home, acquired via trade. Big thanks to Felipe for this one!! Pour is hazy orange with a big white head and great lacing. Sour grain, lemon peel, biscuit, somewhat funky, light urine, straw, dough, tangerines, and white pepper in the aroma. Taste is highly refreshing - citrus, sour fruit, biscuit, a touch pepper, straw, light grass, wheat, peaches, apricots, and lemon zest with a medium sour finish. Light body with high carbonation. Highly drinkable, tart and refreshing, but has spice notes and floral characterisrics. Really nice beer. These guys are something to watch out for.

Tap, Batch #3. Pours hazy golden amber with a small white head and good lacing. Aroma is Brett, funky, bit of horse blanket, fruity, lemon. Flavor is lightly sweet, medium tart, only light funk, with a semi dry finish. Light-plus body. Very easy to drink.

Bottle. Pours a hazy almost tan golden body topped by a medium sized eggshell white head that left no lacing. Nose is bright but lightly sweet citrus, some apple, dusty earth, yeast, and a touch of brett funk. Flavor has mild spice, tart lemon, some white wine notes, with dry malt underneath it all. Any sweetness fades and funk increases as it warms. Great acidity throughout leads to drying, mouthwatering finish. Palate is medium and carbonation is crisp. Balanced, complex and so, so good.

Notes from the book. Pours golden, slight white head. Fresh soury saisony aroma and taste. Clean and crisp. Nice.

Pale golden/apricot color slightly hazy with fine white foam. High effervescence, spritzy. Mild astringency. Beautiful aroma hay, citrus fruit oranges and touch of grapefruit - medium full. Acidic and sharp on the tongue, lightly sour. Mild white vinous notes. Second pour, buoyed yeast bodies, large. More barnyard aromas emerging as it warms, 51 degrees. Admittedly off-put by the dreadlock chunk of yeast that broke free from the bottom and moved into the glass, this beer is now becoming more and very charming. Citrus tang with a touch of phenol, clove, becoming more apparent as it warms 54 degrees. In a bright and good direction.

750mL bottle, courtesy of Tim at Sante. Thanks, Tim! I really enjoyed the Anaïs saison (sans Brett), and this was indicated to be the epitome of where Sante Adairius’ saison are headed. Let’s hope so, because this is damn good. Pours a slightly hazy, deep-golden color; creamy, well-formed fine-bubbled white head with excellent lacing and retention. Nicely developed tartness in the aroma, showing lemony citrus, just-ripe bananas, and a touch of salinity; juicy Brett character with firm, honey-laden notes underneath. Medium body; effervescent CO2; a sturdy acidity throughout. If I had to gloss over the details and explain this beer in a phrase, it would be "peppery saison crossed with a younger lambic." Juicy Brettiness plus mouthwatering acidity, some light funk and hay-like notes, plus the firmness of a honeyed, white-pepper-focused saison; not overly dried out (but dry), not overly acidic or tart (but both); not quite like any other Brett-influenced saison I’ve tried. The finish is ideal: toasty and dry, with just a hint of popcorn husks and Pils malt and pepper. Yes.

Aroma is a balanced blend of citrus and barnyard funk with a touch of goat. The citrus is very lemony. Little to no phenolics. Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a nice white head with good retention. Flavor is very lemony and refreshing with less Brett funk than the aroma had. Nice assertive bitterness and hard water make more a nice palate cleansing finish. Low phenolics in flavor as well. Mouthfeel is crisp and finishes dry. Not thin at all. Alcohol warmth is moderate but present without effecting aroma or flavor. No astringency. Moderately high carbonation. Overall this is a really nice saison and a great addition to the Sante Adairius portfolio. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On draft at the tasting room. It pours orange/golden with a small white head. The aroma has some sweet fruit candy, lemon, tropical notes, light hay and funk. The flavor has light lemon, pineapple, a little brett phenolics and pepper near the finish. There’s also some cracker like maltiness in the middle. Not very spicy or peppery. Refreshing.