Barrel aged 'saison' by this interesting Utrecht craft brewery, 75 cl bottle from Gedeelde Vreugde shared at Loik's pre-Christmas tasting. Creamy, egg-white, quickly thinning but largely retaining head over a warm hazy peach blonde beer with orangey tinge. Aroma of fermenting pear and yellow plum compote, white grapes and dessert wine, lemon rind, banana, vanilla-scenting oak wood, sweat, moist white pepper, goat cheese, southernwood, dill. Estery onset, a pleasant mixture of sweet and sour with notes of peach, nectarine, green plums, red apples and gooseberries with the sourness remaining soft and gentle; medium carb, supple, lean bready malt body with cereally edges, covered in ongoing esters and leading to a dryish, mildly spicy finish with a soft, light tannic wood effect. Sweaty and phenolic accents add further complexity, while a buttery flavour lingers a bit in the mouth and a refreshing, weedy retronasal effect reminiscent of southernwood leaves rises up. Bitterishness develops in between the lingering sweet-and-tartness. Very accomplished and 'postmodern' farmhouse ale the Anglo-Saxon craft beer way, complex, refreshing and well in balance, this was way better than expected. Top notch 'saison', if this term must be applied at all.