Futures 10 Saison

Keg at the Kings Arms, 14/11/16. Clear golden with a decent off white head. Nose is funky melon, piss stained florals, faint orange, straw, funk. Taste comprises floral notes, cactus, straw, green berry must, light hop trace, on the turn melon, tangerine. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent enough saison.

Keg at the hanging bat. Pours golden orange, nose is herbal, yeasty, spiced, taste is dry, herbal, sweet.

Keg at hanging bat... Amber... Thin white lacing... Dry zezty fruits... Floral fruits... Juicy floral orange... Herbal fruit

Keg at the Kings Arms - London. Pours clear gold with a fluffy, white head. The nose holds saison yeast, melon, doughy wheat bread. Medium sweet flavour with notes of lemon meringue, more doughy wheat, white bread, straw. Medium bodied with fine to average carbonation. Sweet on the finish, with more white sugar, meringue, watermelon, lemon peel, wheat bread. Enjoyable, straightforward.

Draught at the brewery, 12/30/15.
Light caramel-colored body shows medium-high-to-high clarity with a light beige head atop that fades quickly.
Bay leaf pretty prominent in the nose, but it’s backed by lightly sweet, bready malts, an interesting minty character and some black and white pepper phenols that keep things dry. Belgian character is actually noted, through the herbs, adding light mustiness and a good deal of esters. No alcohol or flaws.
The flavor is certainly unique and even though I at first dismiss it to too much bay leaf/mint, the Belgian character seems to immediately meld with the bay leaf and you’re left with absolutely no astringency. Almost a fruity, medicinal, herbal character but better than that sounds. Intriguing, I suppose you could say. Malty texture, with appropriate sweetness to balance, showing light caramel-honey and lots of bread on the end. Ample, fairly tight carbonation and more esters and phenols on the finish. Surprisingly enjoyable given how much of a kitchen sink this seems to be (and that I usually detest spiced saisons).

Poured up on tap at the brewpub where it exhibits cool looking opaque gold and copper body that supports a white head. The aroma offers up banana, some spices, apricot cotton candy, pears and yeastiness. The taste delivers yeasty spices, some fruity pear and apricot. It picks up bay leaf spices to midway that really pulls this together and keeping it interesting. This would be really fun if it was under 6% and a lot drier.