Hibernal Dichotomous (2015)
Jester King Brewery

Hibernal Dichotomous (2015)Hibernal Dichotomous (2015)
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From:
Jester King Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.9 | pDev: 11.28%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
155
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 05, 2022
Added:
Mar 23, 2015
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  36
2015 Hibernal Dichotomous was brewed in late December of 2015 with Hill Country well water, malted barley, flaked oats, beets, hops, orange juice, orange zest, and thyme. It is a different recipe from 2014 Hibernal, which was a blend of pressed watermelon juice, young farmhouse ale, and mature barrel-aged beer brewed with rosemary, lavender, and spearmint. For this winter’s beer, we wanted the ingredients to reflect the flavors of winter in Texas using quintessential Texas winter produce. Peeled and grated raw beets from Johnson’s Backyard Garden were added to the mash, and orange juice and zest from G and S Groves and fresh thyme from Pure Luck Farm were added to the whirlpool. It was then fermented in stainless steel with our unique mixed culture of microorganisms consisting of brewers yeast and native yeast and bacteria harvested from the air and wildflowers around our brewery in the Texas Hill Country. About six weeks into the fermentation, we added more peeled and grated raw beets, orange juice, and orange zest. Finally, the beer was naturally carbonated by refermentation in bottles, kegs, and casks. Mixed culture fermentation is a very slow and patient process, so while Hibernal Dichotomous is evocative of the winter, its release comes in the spring.

Hibernal Dichotomous is 4.9% alcohol by volume, 29 IBU, has a finishing gravity of 1.002, and was 3.5 pH at the time of bottling.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ttylicki:
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Rated by ttylicki from Ohio

3.77/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Apr 28, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jan 05, 2022
Photo of SpeedwayJim
Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York

4.01/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750ml capped bottle into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter.

Orange color. Foamy white head that dissipates quickly. Nose is orange, straw, mild vinegar, and a touch of wood. Nicely aromatic. Good combination of flavors. Beer opens herbal. I get notes of dried orange rind, mint, and clementines. Tart oakiness mixed with a fruity, odd sweetness in the middle. Some apricot at the finish with more orange and toothpaste at the finish. Oddly, this works for me. Body is light with ample carbonation. Shocking how carbonated this is given the age. Spritzy on the palate and goes down sparkling with a clean finish. Super drinkable.

I'm a pretty big fan of this. Age might have mellowed this one a touch but I think that's a benefit given how it is now. Pretty delicious.
Dec 27, 2020
 
Rated: 3.66 by Chilmer from Iowa

Aug 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by emottram from Massachusetts

Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.14 by Kurmaraja from California

Jul 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.97 by vfgccp from New York

Nov 01, 2017
Photo of VeganUndead
Reviewed by VeganUndead from Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A lot of complexity and so much going on, but maybe a bit too much because the base saison is so solid. Overall enjoyable, different flavors come through as it warms
Jul 05, 2017
Photo of cosmicevan
Reviewed by cosmicevan from New York

4.12/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Not sure when ornhow.I got this, my best guess is this was a trade extra from a while back...nonetheless the time is nigh.

semi transparent orange yellow. fizzy head. nose has a floral Brett vibe to it, not all that fruity. taste is actually quite nice. Brett dominates the taste with some subtle fruitiness in the background. actually very nice. thyme is present as well. good refreshing beverage.
Jun 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by xtonytx from Connecticut

May 06, 2017
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.07/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Hazy gold-orange with a bubbly champagne head. It has a little pinker hue when closer to bottling and also when poured a little more vigorously, emptying the bottle, (or, as I hear, it is a much darker red at its youngest).

I smell orange, lemon, and earth. As it warms, and when freshest out of the bottle, beet becomes more prominent, with that hint of dirt and earth softened by a nice, natural sweetness. Aroma of thyme is faint, but there's a bitterness in the smell

Tastes like a tart, slightly peppery, clean champagne. I don't get a lot of the citrus in taste, considering they used zest that's a surprise, but I'm not missing it here. This is a unique and tasty beer. Thyme brings a bit of a herbal funk that maybe is a little soapy? Hay, earth, and cheese make their mark as the bottle ages, at times combining with the beet to hint at V8 juice.

Full and frothy but crisp and semi-dry. The nose provides the nuance, and the taste just wraps it up as a refreshing, tart, crisp, playful thing.
Aug 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Best_Enjoyed_In_Texas from Texas

Aug 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by Stinger80OH from Ohio

Jul 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by ConradKenney from Maryland

May 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4.1 by BarrelAgedG from California

May 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

May 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by CraftEyeDoc from North Carolina

Apr 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by kbuzz from North Carolina

Apr 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by adamdescott from Texas

Apr 15, 2016
Hibernal Dichotomous (2015) from Jester King Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 155 ratings