Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
[after a glass or two, especially if I allow it to warm, this opens up quite a bit - seems more like a spicy, semi-sweet, lightly funky saison - I actually like it quite a bit more than my initial impression - definitely not a wit, but quite an interesting belgian ale]] Growler from Bristol - lively pour - hazy body - short-lived head - fairly sweet aroma, with some yeastiness, flowers, limes, peppery character, a bit of earthy/baasement qualities - fairly sweet at first, with some strong lime and other citrus character to it - dries out through the middle, bringing a fair amount of acidity - some crisp maltiness - not a very wit-ish yeast character - tastes a bit funky, actually - becomes rather dry, almost flinty toward the end, with quite a bit of peppery flavor - medium bitter in the finish - a different take on the style, but not a completely successful experiment.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Sampled at the brewpub, now drinking from a growler - cloudy gold - lively pour - impressive, soapy head - aroma of tangy lime, pils malt, earthy wheat, grassy saaz hops, pepper, light earthiness/mustiness - full but soft carbonation - fairly dry, peppery, bitter, crisp - a bit tart through the middle, with fairly strong wheat malt presence - lime is strong, but not overpowering - very mild phenols - finishes tart, dy, and peppery - despite the non-traditional ingredients, this is the most traditional-tasting saison I tried from this brewer today.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Draft sample at the brewpub - after a couple misses here, I was pleasantly surprised by this one - turbid orange, with a thick, frothy head - earthy, musty, spicy aroma, with some tangy orange and toasted grains - lightly acidic, mildly funky, somewhat phenolic - semi-dry, tart, with a tasty finish - quite a bit of spiciness throughout, with some ginger and cardamom flavors present just enough to add additional depth - a very nice beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Draft sample at the brewery - this tastes like a mediocre pumpkin ale with a splash of saison mixed in - a lot of nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon - some vegetal pumpkin flavors - light tanginess and a bit of saison-ish spice and belgian yeast phenols - light body - watery texture - another miss.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Draft sample at the brewery - the description given at the brewery said this was a "hybrid" of a saison and an oktoberfest - apparently, this translates into, "it tastes like an infected oktoberfest" - very malt-forward (munich, mostly), but with some acidity, tartness, and metallic character behind it - some o-fest-ish esters floating around - a suppose I should applaud their attempt at doing something different, but this just didn’t work for me.
notalush (7339) reviewed Ete Saison from Black Fox Brewing Company 16 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Tap at Falling Rock - an interesting saison - musty, lightly sweaty aroma, with notes of white grapes - light, medium dry, but not quite as crisp as I like my saisons - quite a bit of white wine character, mild phenols, some rustic, grassy notes - finishes a touch dry, herbal, and floral - quite good.