-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Saison Station 55
Hopfenstark
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by fourstringer:
Reviewed by fourstringer from Maryland
3.75/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured moderately aggressively into a Brewer's Art 12oz goblet. Nice hiss on popping the top. My last Hopfenstark was a bit flat, so I am pumped.
A: Golden yellow to light amber with rather clean, white head. Approximately 2 fingers. Lingered. Nice lacing.
S: Arguably the high point and somewhat distinct from the taste. Sweet with marked fruit notes. Slightly more subdued herbal notes.
T: Best described as herbal and dry. Floral. Reminded me a bit of Ommegang's Fleur de Houblon. Surprised me a bit given the smell. The hops are relatively present for a saison and reading prior reviews, a saison/IPA is an appropriate description. Little to no funk. Overall, not a stereotypical saison flavor profile. Drank lightly for a 7% (my bottle was not 6.5% as noted above in the header). No perceivable burn/warmth.
M: This was nice. Moderate carbonation. Certainly looks and feels like a saison.
O: I enjoyed this. While not exactly what I think of when I envision a saison, it drinks quite nicely. I feel it is well represented by a "saison/IPA (or BPA)" classification. The herbal component is unique, but not unwelcome. Interesting beer. Would drink again.
Sep 27, 2013A: Golden yellow to light amber with rather clean, white head. Approximately 2 fingers. Lingered. Nice lacing.
S: Arguably the high point and somewhat distinct from the taste. Sweet with marked fruit notes. Slightly more subdued herbal notes.
T: Best described as herbal and dry. Floral. Reminded me a bit of Ommegang's Fleur de Houblon. Surprised me a bit given the smell. The hops are relatively present for a saison and reading prior reviews, a saison/IPA is an appropriate description. Little to no funk. Overall, not a stereotypical saison flavor profile. Drank lightly for a 7% (my bottle was not 6.5% as noted above in the header). No perceivable burn/warmth.
M: This was nice. Moderate carbonation. Certainly looks and feels like a saison.
O: I enjoyed this. While not exactly what I think of when I envision a saison, it drinks quite nicely. I feel it is well represented by a "saison/IPA (or BPA)" classification. The herbal component is unique, but not unwelcome. Interesting beer. Would drink again.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
3.64/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
3.64/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Nearly clear yellow brew with plenty of foam in the Hopleaf snifter. It's actually fairly sweet, more like a Tripel. Wheaty with some pear and passionfruit. Massively yeasty with a long, long nose of Belgian funk. It gets a little on the bitter side after some sipping, the yeast is always with you.
Quite rich and intensely flavored. This is a blueprint for the bigger style of Saison. It's really quite tasty, just a meaty Belgian bomb. I would recommend it, though, just for the educational value. Woof! From the 16 oz can.
Jun 11, 2019Quite rich and intensely flavored. This is a blueprint for the bigger style of Saison. It's really quite tasty, just a meaty Belgian bomb. I would recommend it, though, just for the educational value. Woof! From the 16 oz can.
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
4.2/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Hopfenstark "Saison Station 55"
1 Pint can, production coded but without freshness dating
$4.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: So let's start with these tidbits, it's listed on the can as "7% by Vol.", and it's contract brewed by Dorchester BrewingCompany, Boston, MA. This is a Twelve Percent Imports beer so the contract brew has got to be good, Brian wouldn't accept anything less, but I've also tasted the Hopfenstark beers at Station Ho.st in Montreal, QC so I know that the base beer is good. Moving forward... it pours a very hazy deep golden body I kind of remember the Saisons being clearer at Station Ho.st, but OK, cloudy beers are in right now. The aroma is fruity with apricot, a hint of sweetened lemon, a bit spicy with white and/or black pepper, and mildly yeasty. The flavor follows with some pleasant sweetish, bready and grainy malt at its base, and perhaps some citrusy hops in the background. It's quite dry in the finish though with the bitterness and the spiciness of the yeast working together towards that goal. Looking back the head has faded but held up fairly well, and the lacing initially left some very nice stuff behind. In the mouth it's medium bodied, and it has a fine-bubbled, seemingly natural carbonation that's initially crisp, but then gently crisp and then smooth once it warms a bit; which is perfect as it doesn't add any carbonic bite to the already spicy and bitter finish. Overall it's quite nice.
Feb 21, 20181 Pint can, production coded but without freshness dating
$4.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: So let's start with these tidbits, it's listed on the can as "7% by Vol.", and it's contract brewed by Dorchester BrewingCompany, Boston, MA. This is a Twelve Percent Imports beer so the contract brew has got to be good, Brian wouldn't accept anything less, but I've also tasted the Hopfenstark beers at Station Ho.st in Montreal, QC so I know that the base beer is good. Moving forward... it pours a very hazy deep golden body I kind of remember the Saisons being clearer at Station Ho.st, but OK, cloudy beers are in right now. The aroma is fruity with apricot, a hint of sweetened lemon, a bit spicy with white and/or black pepper, and mildly yeasty. The flavor follows with some pleasant sweetish, bready and grainy malt at its base, and perhaps some citrusy hops in the background. It's quite dry in the finish though with the bitterness and the spiciness of the yeast working together towards that goal. Looking back the head has faded but held up fairly well, and the lacing initially left some very nice stuff behind. In the mouth it's medium bodied, and it has a fine-bubbled, seemingly natural carbonation that's initially crisp, but then gently crisp and then smooth once it warms a bit; which is perfect as it doesn't add any carbonic bite to the already spicy and bitter finish. Overall it's quite nice.
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
3.85/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a decent hazy orange color with a one and a half finger white foamy head that dissipated in about a minute. Once it dissipated, wow, what a nice looking thick foamy spider web lacing to this one. The smell had some light sweet fruit - light cherry to apple to some faint pears. There was a light grassy funk with a nice light spice. The taste took those fruits and added a light spice in a somewhat grassy context of sorts. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a slight sessionable quality about it. Overall, good saison more than worthy of coming back to.
Jun 16, 2017Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin
2.85/5 rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
2.85/5 rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
A bit sweet for a saison. Appearance is a smallish head and a dirty medium amber color. Aroma is honey yeast, apricots, malt. Flavor's similar to nose, thankfully there's some carbonation to cut the sweetness Some bittersweet in the finish.. Body is ok. Wish they would've put as much effort into the beer as they did the label. I'll not get this again.
Nov 29, 2015Reviewed by infinitebruner from Arkansas
3.74/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.74/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
July 30, 2015
22 oz bomber, tulip
A – Deep gold and orange, with a moderate haziness. You cannot see through it. An inch of white foam made of large bubbles.
S – Highly fruity, with mango and papaya notes and a lot of lemon-lime, along with nectarine and tamarind. Peppery as well. Crackery, graham-honey malt aroma.
T – Fruity, again nectarine and mango are most prominent. Moderate white pepper spice. Very high hop bitterness, with pale malt and graham cracker flavor. The bitterness overwhelms the finish.
M – Fairly thin-bodied with only light-moderate carbonation, which I expected to be higher based on the pour and the style. Quick hit of sweetness up front and then obliterating hop bitterness, in line with a stronger IPA.
O – I like the look and aroma of this beer, but the bitterness is very high, and overwhelms the positives.
Aug 03, 201522 oz bomber, tulip
A – Deep gold and orange, with a moderate haziness. You cannot see through it. An inch of white foam made of large bubbles.
S – Highly fruity, with mango and papaya notes and a lot of lemon-lime, along with nectarine and tamarind. Peppery as well. Crackery, graham-honey malt aroma.
T – Fruity, again nectarine and mango are most prominent. Moderate white pepper spice. Very high hop bitterness, with pale malt and graham cracker flavor. The bitterness overwhelms the finish.
M – Fairly thin-bodied with only light-moderate carbonation, which I expected to be higher based on the pour and the style. Quick hit of sweetness up front and then obliterating hop bitterness, in line with a stronger IPA.
O – I like the look and aroma of this beer, but the bitterness is very high, and overwhelms the positives.
Reviewed by ScheissPott
4.3/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This recipe must have changed and I think for the better. It's now 7% and the bottle form and label changed. Very tasty (not bitter) despite the "hopfenstark"
Apr 25, 2015
Saison Station 55 from Hopfenstark
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
83 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!