Tag Archives: saison

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Evil Twin Ryan And The Beaster Bunny

Thursday, 15 October 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed by Evil Twin Brewing at Two Roads Brewing Company.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In Denmark we have a lovely tradition for seasonal beer, and what you have here is certainly no exception. This is a never before seen collaboration between Ryan and the Beaster Bunny. A fluffy and precious Saison originally conceived of on the beautiful island of Fano on the west coast of Denmark. It may sound like a true fairytale, but don’t be fooled by it’s cute appearance.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.66
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a date code of 056:15 meaning that it was bottled on 25th February 2015. It was poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy orange colour with a one finger creamy white head that dissipated fairly quickly to thin layer of foam leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Belgian yeastiness with honey, coriander, pear, lemon zest and a hint of peppery spice.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, it tastes of Belgian yeast, honey, banana, brown sugar, coriander, pear, sour apple, dry biscuit with a hint of citrus lemon zest and pepper spice.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with high lively carbonation.
Overall: This was a solid saison, but usually I prefer more sour and less bitter.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, USA

Stillwater Stateside Saison

Tuesday, 1 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed at Two Roads Brewing Company, CT, USA.

Brewer Description: (from website) Pays homage to old world tradition while celebrating new world innovation. Naturally brewed with the finest European malts & fresh aromatic hops from the United States & New Zealand. It’s then fermented using a classic farmhouse ale yeast and bottle conditioned to enhance stability. The outcome is a beer of unique design and exquisite taste, showcasing some of the best attributes of modern-day craft brewing.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.52
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle that has a bottling date code of 364:14 aka 30th December 2014 and was poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy orange tinted golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly.
Aroma: Bready malts, quite yeasty, hint of coriander, honey and then some fruity banana, pineapple, apple and lemon to end.
Taste: Starts sweeter than expected but ends with a lasting bitterness. Honey and bubblegum upfront, followed by mild or even weak apple juice, and hints of banana, spicy pepper and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: I prefer my saison’s sour whereas this one is hoppy. Having said that, it’s still very refreshing and easy to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Saison – Mandarin Oranges and Peppercorns

Saturday, 11 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 24 IBUs. Specialty Ovila series brewed in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) An homage to the monks’ noble work, this unique farmhouse ale is incredibly complex with notes of lemon, pepper, straw and herbs balanced by the tang of Mandarin oranges and a spicy kick of pepper. The Mandarin oranges used to make this beer were locally grown, including a portion grown on the grounds of the Abbey of New Clairvaux and picked by hand by the community of monks living there. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz corked and caged bottle packaged on 5th February 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear orangey copper colour with a one finger white head that slowly dissipates resulting in a thin soapy layer and stringy lacing.
Aroma: Orange and honey aromas, some Belgian yeasty notes and ginger.
Taste: Sweeter than I expected but not too sweet which is good. I get citrus orange and lemon upfront followed by honey and caramel. There is some spice in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium to high carbonation, dryness.
Overall: Of the SN Ovila series that I’ve tried before (the other two being the Tripel and Quad w/ plums), this was the best one. Its unlike the other saisons that I’ve tried, but still a solid beer.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Crooked Stave Surette Provision Saison

Wednesday, 1 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Saison
Other Notes: Aged in oak barrels.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Surette is a provision Saison with a tart and vinous character from extended barrel aging.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.53
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 375ml bottle from 2014/batch 15 poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: Poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a thin head that dissipates quickly but leaves nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong barnyard funk, slight tropical fruit pineapple, maybe mango and slight citrus tangy tangerine.
Taste: Excellent tart and sour tastes. Light lemon citrus along with some even lighter tropical mango and yeasty notes to balance.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was excellent, a definite must buy for me. Loved the upfront tart and sourness in the beer. Up to par with its Belgian counterparts for this style in my opinion, but probably harder to find in Hong Kong. I want more!

1 - Poor (never again), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Bacchanale

Saturday, 16 May 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 6%
Style: Saison
Other Notes: Brewed for Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij in Belgium.

Brewer Description: (from website) I first came across good beer working at a bar chain called The Bishop’s Arms. Last year we were asked to make a celebratory beer for their 20th anniversary. Bacchanale is a sparkling farmhouse ale brewed with Saaz, Galaxy and brett.

My rating: 1
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.1

Intro: Corked and caged 375ml bottle with unfortunately no bottled or best before date. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a very hazy burnt orange colour with quite a bit of yeast sediment with a half finger white head. Normally I’m ok with sediment but for some reason, this time it didn’t look too good.
Aroma: Given its appearance, its aromas became more important to me in determining whether something was wrong. But actually it smelled quite good. A strong whiff of citrus sour lemon mixed with some barnyard brett.
Taste: However its taste left something to be desired as it was mainly acidic sour citrus lime, lemon, orange and bitter pine. It started out ok but the aftertaste was not.
Mouthfeel: Thin to medium bodied, but well carbonated almost like soda water. Also left a dry finish.
Overall: I normally enjoy saisons, but I just did not get this at all. I wish there was at least a bottled or best before date on the bottle to indicate its freshness, but there was none. I also saw no indication of anything wrong with it and its aroma seemed fine, so I can only say that tastewise this particular brew from Omnipollo was just not for me.

words of another dreamy traveller