Tag Archives: saison

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Czech Republic, Farmhouse Saison, Hibernata

Hibernata Festuca

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Brewery: Hibernata
Country: Czech Republic
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Farmhouse Saison

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Czech) Festuca je pivo, které do prostého pláštíku schovává bohatství jemných odstínů chutí a barev tvořících dohromady malý svátek. Farmhouse ale dozrávaný bezmála rok v dubovém sudu s divokými kvasnicemi perlí na suchém obilném těle svěží hořkostí květin a citrusů, aby mohl utišovat žízeň už navždy. Podobně jako když v teplém dni na voňavé suché louce pootevře bránu do bezčasi pohled na travinu tak prostou, jako je kostřava. So much for pathos, na zdraví!

(translated to English) Festuca is a beer that hides a wealth of subtle shades of flavors and colors in a simple shell that together form a small holiday. Farmhouse, however, matured for almost a year in an oak barrel with wild yeast, pearls on a dry grain body with the fresh bitterness of flowers and citrus, so that it can quench your thirst forever. Similar to when on a warm day in a fragrant dry meadow the gate to timelessness is partially opened by the sight of grass as simple as fescue. So much for pathos, cheers!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of December 2024. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a big three finger white head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Juicy, funky, lemon, honey, floral, lemon zest, citrus rind, with light tropical mango notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, funky, and a touch bitter. Lemon, citrus zest, grapefruit rind, honey, a touch peppery, and a dash of wood.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Light easy drinking thirst quenching farmhouse ale with good aromas and flavours.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Cerveza Granizo x The Rare Barrel, Chile, Farmhouse Saison

Granizo x The Rare Barrel Noble Alerce

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Brewery: Cerveza Granizo x The Rare Barrel
Country: Chile
ABV: 7%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Collaboration with The Rare Barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Spanish) El noble Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) es uno de los árboles más longevos del mundo, llegando a vivir sobre los 3.000 años, trascendiendo nuestra concepción del tiempo y espacio. Noble Alerce es una cerveza de fermentación mixta, elaborada en conjunto con The Rare Barrel (USA), y que maduró por pacientes 8 meses en barricas de Alerce de más de 100 años, que previamente fermentaron chicha de manzana y, anterior a eso, cerveza del sur de Chile. Más noble imposible!

(translated to English) The noble Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) is one of the longest-lived trees in the world, living for over 3,000 years, transcending our conception of time and space. Noble Alerce is a mixed fermentation beer, brewed in collaboration with The Rare Barrel (USA), that matured for eight months in Alerce barrels over 100 years old, which previously fermented apple chicha and, prior to that, beer from southern Chile. More noble impossible!

My rating: 3-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.65
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 375ml bottle, with a best before date of June 2030. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet and tart, fresh cut apple, funk, with some citrus zesty notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, apple, citrusy, with some woody notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good look and aroma, but the flavours didn’t quite match up.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery, USA

Hill Farmstead Table Dorothy Wine Barrel Aged

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Farmstead Table Pale Ale aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Our low-abv Farmstead® table pale ale – crafted from American malted barley, malted wheat, New Zealand and American hops, our distinctive yeast blend, and water from our well – was conditioned in wine barrels and then dry-hopped before packaging and bottle conditioning. Nine months in wine barrels and then dry-hopped with Citra®, Mosaic®, and Simcoe® before packaging and bottle conditioning.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottle conditioned since November 24, 2020. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a very nice one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical and citrus fruit mix. Mango, peach, lemon zest, calamansi, yuzu, oak, light funky notes, and a touch vinous.
Taste: Lightly sour, citrusy, calamansi, yuzu, lemon zest, oak, yellow stone fruit notes, white wine vinous, a touch funky, and a touch bitter.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Really enjoyable and easy to drink with great flavours and complexity. I could just keep drinking this again and again and again.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery, USA

Hill Farmstead Nonconformist 03

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: A farmstead ale aged in oak barrels. Hops – Cascade. Adjunct – Buckwheat and Vermont Buckwheat Honey. Time in oak – 1 year

Brewer Description: (from website) This is the third entry in our novel exploration of blended beers, aging techniques, and often unexplored ingredient combinations. In the summer of 2018, we brewed a beer with a base composition of 20% Vermont buckwheat honey, 48% organic buckwheat, 32% malted barley, and cascade hops. After a year of respite in wine barrels, the beer rested in the bottle, moving through its own hopeful arc towards achievement over the course of nearly three years. The result is a delicate, floral expression, displaying differing facets of this ancient grain within the context of our Farmstead® ale framework. Once again, the label features the imaginative artwork of our creative collaborator, a close friend, who has inspired and supported the Hill Farmstead journey since the very beginning, Alex Peltz of Peltz Creative.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled on August 16, 2019. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark orange colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Zesty, mandarin, funky, wine barrel, oak, vanilla-ish.
Taste: Tart, sweet, apricot, grapefruit, oak, pineapple, and a touch vinous.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking and balanced. Needed some time, but I think it got better after a while.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery, USA

Hill Farmstead Anna

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Farmstead ale brewed with honey

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Anna (1902-1993) was Edward’s sister; Hill Farmstead Brewery rest upon the land that was once home to her and her 13 siblings. In her honor, this honey Farmstead® ale is crafted from organic American malted barley, European and American hops, Vermont wildflower honey, our distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from our well. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Anna.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 8th December 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy straw golden yellow colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, fruity, funky, apricot, lemon, tea, honey, and a touch floral.
Taste: Lightly sour and a touch tart, lemon, lime zest, apple peel, tea, honey, floral, damp hay, funk.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Well balanced, good aroma and flavours, just makes this really easy to drink, and super refreshing.