Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3
Had this at the brewhouse in Melvern. There it was rated at 7%. Rather clear and pale yellow for a saison. Has a very mild sweet aroma, that’s about it for the olfactory. Thin teafroth head. Has quite a hop bite for a saison, I’m a little startled. I could say this is more like an IPA or a very strong APA. Good tingly carbonation. I find it hard to beleive this is a saison, did the bartender mix up my sample? I don’t think so, I saw him pour it. As I drink more, I do find out it has a little of that farmhouse feel to it. Farmy, yet strong willed on the hop side. Way to bitter for this lager lover. Strongest ABV in the pub and it leaves a typical IPA linger associated with bitter medicine.
cheap (9607) reviewed McKenzie Light Lager from McKenzie Brew House 17 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
Slight haze to an interestingly hay yellow appearance. Looks almost like a wheat beer. Taste is very light and friendly. Not much offensive character in there at all. Not much carbonation but enough to be satisfying. Finish is gentle and easy to get along with. Does have a very slight hop bitter bite in the finish that lingers for a while, almost like a mild pale ale.
Clarkvv (16760) reviewed McKenzie Abbey 8 from McKenzie Brew House 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Draught at Kennett Square Fest, October 2006
Dark, milk-chocolate brown colored body is quite hazy, only showinga medium-low clarity. Deep beige/butter colored head is medium-sized and is retained at cover, leaving light lacing.
Very well-executed nose is reserved in fruitiness and ester/phenols, but still manages to integrate them in to the ample chocolate-caramel maltiness. Dry brown bread and light biscuits are contrasted with sweet chocolate-caramel notes, with a bit of honey-vanilla cream (pale/aromatic malts) behind it. Banana esters are soft and sweet, while more vanilla notes, light prunes and raisins all help to minimize the phenolic side. It turns out only a bit of clove, which comes off more allspice-like, sweeter and less intrusive in to the aroma. Little/no pepperiness. The malts really shine the most, though. Being very fresh and crisp, despite the choco-caramel sweetness, you can smell the barley-grain, almost, beneath the sugars. Just a nice wholesome edge to the aroma. Moderate esters and more raisin-prune notes trail off, with a pleasant, fresh yeastiness and a dollop of toffee. Elegant stuff, no alcohol noted, medium-high strength of aroma.
With all of the malt apparency in the nose, it’s no surprise when, in the flavor, the malt makes a big splash. Caramel/chocolate covered raisins, with very light plumskin dryness immediately create a balanced flavor. Buttertoffee and vanilla creep in on the edges, mixing with light banana and other fruit esters (cherries, strawberries, etc.) to add complexity and Belgian distinction. Light roasted notes and minor phenolics keep the balance on the finish. On the sweet side (though I never once thought too sweet), but the extra maltiness creates a tremendously soft, supple mouthfeel. Add to this a lightly brisk carbonation and fresh yeast. Vinousness increases as it warms. No alcohol noted. Lovely.
Clarkvv (16760) reviewed McKenzie VuuVe XXxXX from McKenzie Brew House 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draught at Kennett Square Fest October 2005
Brilliantly foamy, rocky, dense white/off-white head creates a mess of lacing and sticks atop the softly hazy, golden-straw body. Light carbonation in the liquid.
Brett spiciness, not so much tartness, but just spiciness...White pepper, coriander and tons of golding-hops at the start which slowly give way to a light citric quality backed by full pils maltiness. Sourish fruitiness (golden apples, nectarines, peaches) emerges with warming. Sticky, strong honey and strong spiciness sticking to the nose as it progresses. Everything seems to be going pretty well until towards the middle-end, a strong doughy, bready, moderately acidic blandness hits. It’s like extremely muted brett acid-meets-doughy, thick, Belgian yeast. The light, dainty hoppiness and spiciness up front just got lost, for me, by the end. Light notes of vanilla and some citrusy and spicy hops surface. Alcohol is well-controlled.
Again, same thing in the flavor. It starts out great. Crisp, fairly dry and with hop and brett juiciness/fruitiness, lots of herbal spiciness and no sign of its abv/heft. Honey emerges quietly, but then is banished by a juiciness, akin to apples, that is lightly acidic/sour. It melds in to the malts and creates a strong meaty/breadiness, which in turn seems to combine with lots of bland dough. Fantastic carbonation, though, really tight and engaging. No alcohol noted either, and the hops don’t kill you with bitterness. The delicate flavors at the start just get muddled/ruined by the strong yeastiness on the finish. Malt flavor is a bit lacking and the beer seems too "heavy" for what its trying to portray.
Strange, I’m usually one of the higher raters for his beers, but I just couldnt get in to this one.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
2003 bottle shared by egajdzis at RBSG Montreal Summer ’05
Very dark brown beer has deep auburn-ruby highlights and sports a beige-tan head that quickly fades to partial cover/ring, leaving light film behind. Clarity is medium.
All sorts of English notes in the nose. Toffee, nuttiness, playful fruitiness and lightly bready caramel. Definitely oxidized and showing it, but while there is some papery/cardboardy oxidation, I think the sherry notes and rich nuttiness far outshine the unfavorable oxidation. A light oiliness from the darker malts produces some acid that clings to the breadiness and mixes with vanilla to create almost more of a bock-like note. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma with no flaws and no alcohol apparency. Vinousness is certainly apparent as well, but mostly controlled.
Medium-dry caramel and toffee gain some saltiness in the flavor, with some raisins and figs. Rich vanilla and sherry notes burst forth, but with the age and oxidation, are immediately dried and rendered somewhat bready. Carbonation is very low, texture is a bit slippery at times, though the sweet malts give it a moderate chewiness. No alcohol noted. Lots of light vinousness and nuttiness lingering. Definitely past its prime, even taking in to account the pleasant oxidation notes, but you can tell this was a fabulously well-brewed beer with lots of richness and depth, tons of interesting fruitiness. I still highly enjoyed it even at this point.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A black beer with a brown shine under a brown head. The aroma is sweet malty with strong notes of chocolate, and a light roastd note. The flavor is sweet roasted and very malty with notes of chocolate, leading to a very dry roasted end. A bit thin for the style, but OK.
Ungstrup (52239) reviewed McKenzie Kölsch from McKenzie Brew House 19 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A yellow beer with no head. The aroma is sweet malty with a light citrusy note, a very delicate aroma. The flavor is sweet with a light citrusy note and a light body, which makes it very refreshing, but it is not the characterfull.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A pale nut-brown beer with no head. The aroma is sweet malty with notes of nuts, while the flavor is sweet malty with a dry note of nuts, leading to a slightly metallic end. A bit weird.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A dark yellow beer with a rim of white head. The aroma is sweet grassy combined with some notes of citrus. The flavor is sweet malty with quite a lot of caramel, but also quite a lot of hops. Nice without being fantastic.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A dark yellow beer with a thin off-white head. The aroma is sweet with light spicy notes. The flavor is sweet and lovly spicy and fruity, and towards the end it gets quite hoppy, from a nice blend, which both lends it a good deal of citrus, but also gives it a dry bitter end. Definately more hoppy than your standard Saison - a nice exploitation of the style.