Dark Heather Saison
New Belgium Brewing Company

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From:
New Belgium Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 9.38%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
34
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 19, 2016
Added:
Jan 30, 2010
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BWH999:
Photo of BWH999
Rated by BWH999 from California

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

Dec 12, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by wethorseblanket from California

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by afsdan from Colorado

Apr 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Rosiex7 from Missouri

May 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Plastikdust from Texas

Oct 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by gregmoscetti from California

Nov 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ste5venla from California

Aug 17, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by ccozzi from Colorado

Jun 10, 2012
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
New Belgium’s Heather Saison is the taste of the Rocky Mountains, sampled in the middle of a summer where I’ve finally learned to fall in love with the geology to my immediate West, and embrace the smells of the forest and the sweat of a good hike. New Belgium’s Dark Heather Saison is earthy and planty, eschewing hops in favor of scents like dry pine needles, a shade of heather, and most prominently (and deliciously) black pepper. I even detect some hickory smoke, which together with the black pepper conjure images of decadent cuts of meat casting plumes of smoke into the Rocky Mountain air as they cook. The flavor inherits all of these toothsome flavors, adding a subtle sweet note most similar to overripe blueberries, or even caramelized carrots. The flavor is awash with these deep earth flavors; this beer is dark but not brooding, and caters to a drinker looking for refreshment but deep, straightforward flavors that one might find around a campsite.
Aug 25, 2011
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 ounce pour - $6.00 at Trappeze in Athens, Georgia.

Appearance: Served up a clear, very dark brown body with garnet-hinted edges and capped with a dusky, ivory-head head.

Smell: There's a lively dark fruitiness and spicy-scented cardamom aroma in the fore with lesser, servile notes of dark bread, milk chocolate, and heather honey in the background.

Taste: Introduction of sweet dark malts with tastes of pumpernickel, dark caramel, and chocolate which turns largely fruity, with a gulp of plum juice, but there's also a bit of banana and tart berries in there as well. Jutting insertion of spicy cardamom and herbal, floral tones from the heather tips. For me, cardamom is one of those 'less is more' spices, though, sadly, I find it less than subtle in this brew. A skosh more chocolate. Finishes dry, spicy, and a bit heavy.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel, loitering on the palate.

Drinkability: Well, it's definitely not your everday saison, I'm sure we can all amiably agree on that. Personally, I'm just not diggin' it and I couldn't find the cohesion between the beer and its smothering spice additions.
Nov 29, 2010
Photo of Tone
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, dark amber color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, spices, herbs, slight citrus, and a hint of hop. Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hint of ginger, slight other spices, hint of wheat, and slight hops. Overall, a great blend, good body, and good aroma.
Nov 07, 2010
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

3.97/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured from a growler to a pint glass. Had a ruby color and a clear consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A surprisingly fruity aroma - more so than other saisons. ALso had traces of malt and that typical funk.

T: Tasted of malt, light fruit, spices (pepper among them) and some esters. An interesting flavor that's not classically like a saison.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is kind of an oddball beer, but it's somehow quite drinkable.
Nov 01, 2010
Photo of atsprings
Reviewed by atsprings from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at Flying Saucer served in a tulip glass a dark stout like black with a thin diminishing khaki head. Aroma is toasted malts with spices such as clove and pepper. The taste is slightly roasted malts with a smooth amount of clove and heather. The beer is very smooth and crisp for one so dark. A very unique and enjoyable beer, one I'd love to have again.
Aug 31, 2010
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - A very dark brown saison, very dark. Fluffy white head.

S - Lots of spice and a bit more malt that I was expecting from a saison. Truth was, I didn't know this was a saison until later. Floral notes and some heather does come through. Smells pretty solid.

T - On a night of bad beers this ended up being one of the better ones I had. Spice, sweetness, earthy tones, all blend together fairly well, but this is definately an unusual saison, particularly with a lasting sweetness versus a grassy one for more normal ones.

M - Medium bodied and feels a bit more full than a typical saison.

D - Not bad, I enjoyed this beer, and wouldn't mind drinking it again to get a better handle on it.
Jun 26, 2010
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

4.27/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
"Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
Then she'll be a true love of mine" - Simon & Garfunkel

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a dark brown with a poofy white head, good retention, some heavy lace.

S: Flowers, heather, very herbal.

T: Some dark malt, but the flavour is dominated by the heather and herbal flavour. Saison-like with the yeast character, pepper, and earthy hops, but a very interesting take on the style. Dark saison isn't something you see everyday.

M: Creamy, light-bodied/thin overall, but quite smooth.

D: This has a great flavour and is really enjoyable. Any fan of Froach Heather Ale will enjoy this, the flavour profiles obviously are quite similar.
Jun 10, 2010
Photo of Domingo
Reviewed by Domingo from Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brought a growler of this home from NBB's brewery in Ft. Collins.
Pours a deep brown color that seems undercarbonated for an instant, but then forms a pretty respectable 1/2" head seemingly from nowhere. Looks like a brown ale at first glance.
The nose is where this one reveals itself. Peppery yeasts, sour citrus rinds, and spices come out right away. Not a huge nose, but definitely a revealing one.
The flavor profile is dark malty sweet up-front, but the spices and funkiness come out in the middle. Leather, pepper, and lemon peel are the main notes I get. The finish has a noble hop punch and a final hit of yeast that leaves me with a lingering corn flavor. Don't worry - I get that flavor from lots of Belgian yeast-based beers. This is one of those saisons that has a really bold flavor with lots of peppery yeasts that follows the Fantome model. The darker malts start each sip with a sweet flavor I enjoy, too. It's obscure, but the only comparison I can think of is the Van Diemen from Avery and Mountain Sun.
At 7.5% ABV, it's potent enough not to be something you'd down quickly, but it really doesn't show any boozy flavors. I find myself drinking it faster that I intend to with each glass.
Not bad at all. Unique, but still traditional in all of the right areas.
When NB sets out to do a Belgian style correctly, they almost always succeed. Hopefully this will continue.
May 25, 2010
Photo of wnh
Reviewed by wnh from Missouri

3.62/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at Farmers Gastropub in Springfield, MO. Served in a New Belgium snifter.

Pours a rich dark mahogany with a fleeting tan head.

Nose is interesting, herbal and spicy with a bit of caramelly maltiness underneath. I can only assume the herbal notes are heather, but never having smelled heather I can't say for sure. Spiciness comes across as cinnamon and clove, interesting but a bit strong, perhaps best set off by rich food. Follows suit on the palate.

Dry-ish, with mildly prickly carbonation. Interesting, though I can't say I'm a huge fan. Gets kind of heavy midway through the glass, so I'm glad it was a beer paired with food, since by itself it would probably be too much.
May 09, 2010
Photo of rye726
Reviewed by rye726 from Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs.

Pours a healthy brown with a tan head. Good lace. Nose has tropical fruits, wheat malts, cloves and peppery yeast. Taste follows suit, quite sweet. Body is a bit cloyig and not as crisp as I like to see.
Apr 05, 2010
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On-tap at Churchill's

A: The pour is a dark brown with a sticky, fluffy off-white head.

S: The nose is highly floral and herbal, exhibiting the heather and cardamom quite well. There is also some light tartness to the nose, likely from the herbal ingredients.

T: There are a lot of different things going on in this beer. I, of course, pick up the herbal and floral tones, along with a distinct earthy quality. There is a bit of "spiciness" as well, and some sweet/sour contrast.

M: The body is medium with a smooth carbonation. Overall, the beer is perhaps a bit "heavy" for a Saison.

D: This is another one of those "interesting" beers. I was intrigued to see what new flavors I could find with each sip, but I don't know how much of this I could drink at one time.
Mar 27, 2010
Dark Heather Saison from New Belgium Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 34 ratings