May Brew Review Thread - Saison

[Alastair70]

Thanks to everyone who got involved this time round.
Post your thoughts the beers you received and if they’ve influenced your recipe ideas for future brews.

Cheers all

 

[Broken Toe]

@Oneflewover
This was gone in minutes! So incredibly refreshing. Massive floral coriander seed and other summery esters. It didn't explode when I opened it so my guess is undercarbed...

I hope this wasn't too strong as I would happily sink a tray of these without a seconds thought.

Cheers

 

[Oneflewover]

Glad you liked it mate. It's about 7 % or thereabouts, hence why it's packaged in 330ml bottles. I'll post the recipe here when others I sent to have had theirs

 

[Agentgonzo]

@FirebladeAdam . This is a delicious pint. Straight on the nose, there is a burst of wildflower aromas with a nice gentle aroma of orange. Carbonation was perfect and it poured with a lovely head.

I'm the mouth, you get a wonderful world sparkle as it foams off your tongue. It's both amazingly fresh, with occasional pops of citrus, but also has this lovely lasting flavour of "saison character" (I'm not a beer judge and struggle to enunciate senses!) that lingers in the mouth for at least a minute (as I type this). It goes amazingly with the strawberries, and can even fight off the chocolate cake my family served it with.

This has been an honour to drink, and way better than the one I sent you! .

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Sounds like we've got some very good saisons on the go here!

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Agentgonzo; thank you for those kind words. I'm really pleased you liked it, and was genuinely dreading it being so awful you had to pour it away! It's a little more bitter than a Saison should perhaps be, but I like it that way. I'll post the recipe if anyone would like to see it.
I haven't received your beer yet, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome. I'm going to open both yours and @Alastair70's at the same time, now there's a great friday night.
Thanks for a great review... You've made my month!

 

[Pennine]

Agentgonzo; thank you for those kind words. I'm really pleased you liked it, and was genuinely dreading it being so awful you had to pour it away! It's a little more bitter than a Saison should perhaps be, but I like it that way. I'll post the recipe if anyone would like to see it.
I haven't received your beer yet, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome. I'm going to open both yours and @Alastair70's at the same time, now there's a great friday night.
Thanks for a great review... You've made my month!

I am curious what were the ibus?

 

[Agentgonzo]

It's a little more bitter than a Saison should perhaps be, but I like it that way. I'll post the recipe if anyone would like to see it.

I don't think there are any 'rules' as to how bitter a Saison should or shouldn't be. It's a really broad ranging style (probably because of it's history of being 'whatever the farmer/industrial worker chose to brew') and in my opinion, the only person who gets to say whether it's too bitter or not is you (as its creator). I'm don't have a high threshold for bitterness, and it certainly wasn't too bitter for me!

I enjoy experiencing things 'blind' for the first time, rather than let the method prejudice my experience of it. I would suggest holding off on recipe postings until after others have sampled the beers, in case it deprives someone else of their experience. I'd certainly enjoy looking at the recipe of it though once enjoyed the brews!

 

[jceg316]

I'm enjoying @Mash Monster's saison.

The appearance is very clear with a pale golden colour. The head seems to dissipate quickly.

The aroma is that typical saison "farmhouse" aroma with some sweet malt coming through.

Flavour starts quite tart, leading onto malts then a balanced bitterness which is quite subtle. The finish has that herb/spice flavour typical of saisons with a hint of "barnyard". Over time more of the malts come through with a but of a nutty flavour, and the yeast starts to become more prominent, along with that nutmeg flavour.

Mouthfeel is on the thinner side with high carbonation. I believe this is accurate to style but either way it's very nice.

On the whole it's a really enjoyable beer. I can't detect any off flavours for the style and it's going down a bit too easy! Thanks for sending it over, and I'm also enjoying the artwork.

 

[Mash Monster]

Glad you liked it even though it’s only a ‘Table Saison’ Thanks for your kind words
Cheers

 

[Broken Toe]

@SMP Brewery S. Ace saison, bloomin great. A great choice of hop for a saison, it's like it was made for it. Floral and spicy with a new menthol like twang to it. A rich leathery dynamic came from the malt and yeast doing what they do.

A real trip for the senses. Get in!

 

[Donegal john]

@Alastair70 bonus saison.
Lovely lovely lovely.
Aroma is bready marmalade and citrus.
Taste is so smooth and a bit phenolic with a subtle sweet aftertaste
Pours nicely carbonated with a constant stream of bubbles from the bottom replenishing a small white head.
This is the Greg Hughes saison and has a few malts in it and they all add to the complexity of the beer and give a very nice drinking experience.
Bloody nice beer. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Alastair70]

@Alastair70 bonus saison.
Lovely lovely lovely.
Aroma is bready marmalade and citrus.
Taste is so smooth and a bit phenolic with a subtle sweet aftertaste
Pours nicely carbonated with a constant stream of bubbles from the bottom replenishing a small white head.
This is the Greg Hughes saison and has a few malts in it and they all add to the complexity of the beer and give a very nice drinking experience.
Bloody nice beer. Thanks for sharing. View attachment 69343

Thanks for the kind words John. This is the first Belgian brew I’ve done, and I’m not overly familiar with the style, so GH seemed like the right place to start. I’m starting mine tomorrow night in the order I received them, and you’re in pole position.

 

[Donegal john]

Thanks for the kind words John. This is the first Belgian brew I’ve done, and I’m not overly familiar with the style, so GH seemed like the right place to start. I’m starting mine tomorrow night in the order I received them, and you’re in pole position.

Oh dear. At least the others will take away the taste of my offering
Grew Hughes book isn’t called the bible for nothing and I’ve never done a bad beer from it. (Apart from the ashtray rye ipa than scorched totally my fault)
I’m serisouly getting into Belgian beer as it is so complex and varied.
I enjoyed your beer immensely. Cheers.

 

[SMP Brewery]

@Broken Toe Wow I wasn’t expecting that as Ive never brewed one before and the only one I’ve had was a distant memory. The only problem is after these bottles had 3 more glasses and the keg is empty

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

It’s time to try a Saison, this one from @AJA as this was the first beer I received. I know nothing about this beer other than it’s a saison and it’s quite strong.

The beer is well carbonated and honey gold in colour. It’s not clear but a saison doesn’t have to be. The almost white head was formed of mostly medium and large bubbles which collapsed to a thin covering of small bubbles over the surface and then to a ring around the glass which stayed a while. Bubbles lazily drifted to the surface throughout.

The aroma is typically Belgian with a touch of tartness to it which I quite like in a saison. A background malt aroma and a hint of alcohol emerge as the beer warms a little.

The flavour is similarly Belgian in character with a bitter orange twist and a slightly sweet malty background. The alcohol is a little more apparent in the flavour and by my swimmy head! The bitterness is medium-high and the finish is fairly dry.

Thanks very much @AJA for setting the bar.

 

[Alastair70]

I’m trying the saisons in the order they arrived, and @FirebladeAdam was fastest in qualifying.
Bottle opens with a big hiss, I picked the wrong glass to pour it in! The aroma is a mix of yeasty phenols in front of a bready malt aroma. The taste is a perfect balance of malt sweetness, fruity esters and orange citrus with earthy spicy notes pulling everything together.
The flavour is long and the finish is dry taking you straight back for another swig.
Top brew Adam, thank you for sharing it!

 

[Alastair70]

@Donegal john next.
On pouring the clarity and carbonation is striking. The aroma is more citrusy than the previous beer. Bready malts are light and refreshing with a nice touch of wheat sweetness. The yeast flavours are a balance of stone fruit and spice. Everything is tied together with earthy lemony hops. Again the finish is crisp dry and refreshing. It’s a very well crafted beer. I’d happily work in the fields all day if there was a pint of this at the end. Cheers mate!

 

[Donegal john]

@Donegal john next.
On pouring the clarity and carbonation is striking. The aroma is more citrusy than the previous beer. Bready malts are light and refreshing with a nice touch of wheat sweetness. The yeast flavours are a balance of stone fruit and spice. Everything is tied together with earthy lemony hops. Again the finish is crisp dry and refreshing. It’s a very well crafted beer. I’d happily work in the fields all day if there was a pint of this at the end. Cheers mate!
View attachment 69426

Cheers Alastair. I liked that beer a lot and will brew it again as it’s refreshing. Thankfully I have a 5l mini keg of this for taking away in the caravan.
Thanks for the kind review.

 

[Donegal john]

@AJA saison now
It opened with a good hiss and poured well carbonated with a nice white head and that has stayed all the way down the glass.
Smells of bready malt and alcohol with a hint of spice.
Taste is Belgian funk and phenols in abundance with a distinct alcohol bite but in a good way.
I get the impression this is a young beer ? Possibly the alcohol needs to mellow a bit but it is an excellent beer as it is.
Cheers and thanks for sharing I enjoyed this.