El Cedro
Jester King Brewery

El CedroEl Cedro
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From:
Jester King Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Saison
Ranked #306
ABV:
8%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,467
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 10.32%
Reviews:
101
Ratings:
650
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Jan 11, 2013
Wants:
  61
Gots:
  132
Farmhouse ale hopped with piney, citrusy American hops, aged on Spanish Cedar spirals, and bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces yeast. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and naturally conditioned.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by st9647v3:
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Rated by st9647v3 from New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Feb 26, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Mar 03, 2024
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.49/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
(750 ml bottle; batch #13 November 2021, alc/vol 7.8%; purchased off shelf at Bobkat yesterday... decanted into my Trillium fat tulip)

L: light amber liquid with a slight haze; 85% of initial pour was an explosive billow of foam... the foam seems like it wants to stick more, but most of it slides down, though a thick cap persists... booming build of foam with every pour down to the bottom of the bottle; gets stickier and more messy as it goes; a beaut!

S: apple skin, champagne, diaper, airplane seat armrest material... hint of peachy hard candy... no real indication of alcoholic strength... about halfway through, the cedar character is finally humming at a volume I thought ar first perceptable on the palate, but I'm thinking now its emanating up through the backs of my nostrils... bright, floral flourishes awaken the senses... a sense of hollowness in the middle, but invigorating in a way

T: surprising intensity and concentration of doughy malt and dried fruit, again with a dried apple (ring) color to it... mild-moderate almost cinnamon spice in the aftertaste, stinging and stunning the roof of the palate... the phenolic(?) aromatics from the nose carry over to the palate, hanging between the spice atop and malt below, blooming in the second sip, along with a vaguely hazelnut-ty accent from the yeast(?)... grain nectar, overgrown and/or fallow farmland... the spice is more subdued in the home stretch... if it wasn't for their description, I may have easily glossed over the rather obvious pine needle concerto

F: silky, nectary, inflating the palate while acidic singes tingle the backs of the front teeth, phenolics and ethanol smoking and stoking every corner of the mouth... the aft is dry and warm on the floor, but slimy stickiness slithers between the teeth and inner mouth folds... thankfully, the funk and booze provide a needed contrast to the sludge

O: I don't know what y'all aren't tasting, but this was fantastic for a saison-like brew; the abv arguably plays a large role in enhancing the sensations... I've had a few cedar-aged beers and its character is certainly present here, just more subtle with all the brett funk making its noise... I want another bottle; probably worth gifting to the right drinker (2251)
Dec 16, 2023
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Dirty orange body, semi-opaque, big white head, with a slow fade. Cap and extensive lacing.

S - Strong funk, barnyard and mild bandaid, limestone and earthy spice notes.

T - Follows the nose, mild lemon fruit and barnyard earthiness, with a dry finish where the cedar comes forward.

M - Decent carbonation and moderate weight. Soft finish.

O - A tasty Saison with decent hopping and big Brett.
Jul 29, 2023
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

4.12/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance - The beer had a tremendous head, which took a while to dissipate. The color was golden with visible carbonation.

Smell - Cedar was very evident in the nose, amid the farmhouse funk.

Taste - The nose was initially hay and farmhouse funk. Lightly piney, with the cedar giving it a medicinal quality. The profile lingered with floral qualities.

Mouthfeel - Based on the head, the beer might have been over-carbonated. The carbonation was aggressive.

Overall - The taste was a bit strange, but I liked it.
Mar 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by NickThePyro from Washington

Feb 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.6 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Sep 23, 2022
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Reviewed by Thankin_Hank from Texas

3.94/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
Hazy orange color with big billowing white head. Smells terrific and slightly sour. The up front taste is sour and bitter. Somewhat off putting but rounds out in the end. Mouthfeel is good and overall I like trying the Mad Scientists of Jester King beers but this is not one of my faves.
Sep 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

May 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by 10Crumra from Texas

Apr 02, 2022
 
Rated: 3.82 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Oct 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.15 by o29 from Texas

Jul 18, 2021
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. Batch #12. November 2020. 7% ABV.
A: Pours a clear golden yellow hue with very active carbonation jets fueling a 2 inch frothy white head with excellent retention.
S: Apples, pears, cedar, honeyed melon, white pepper, lemon, lime, and bready yeast. Very nice!
T: Pine, cedar, bitter lemon, earthy pepper, Brett funk, dry minerals, tart tropical fruit, lime, and a hint of bready yeast. Quite complex!
M: Light body. Very dry (cedar wood tannins) and moderately bitter (hops) throughout. Effervescent with light fruit sweetness.
D: What an interesting brew! The piney hops and cedar wood really play off each other. Great summer sipper.
May 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.21 by smithj4 from New York

May 22, 2021
Photo of KomodoDragon
Reviewed by KomodoDragon from Virginia

4.17/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Even a modest pour yielded a huge soft white head. Little lacing. Cloudy gold

Strong complex smell. Corn, bread, maybe vanilla, some toasted wood.

Taste Started to follow the nose, toasted biscuit malt, but than hit some banana and citrus tone - maybe mango, grapefruit. Very crisp.

Heavy carbonation hid too much of the finish, tart more than bitterness in the finish. Lingering sweetness.

Complex, unique,, but very easy drinking farmhouse. Enjoyable.
Jan 03, 2021
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Huge, fluffy snow white head, with impressive retention to match. Nice lacing. Golden straw color to the body. The head suggests Brett, or a similar wild yeast.

The nose features funky, dusty Brett, bright hops, cedar, lemon, and honey, not entirely unlike lemon honey tea. Also a bit catty, which I attribute to the hops. Very complex, with something new from each sniff. Mushrooms, leather, cheese, oak.

The amount of hops tends to dominate, at least up front, before the musty Brett builds and takes over. Lemon, pine, and honey are fairly consistent tones, as are rustic and earthy notes of mushroom and aged cheese, accented by cedar at all times. Funky, not sour.

Drinks semi-dry, despite the high ABV, with a relatively short finish.

A fabulously complex and rewarding beer. Not the easiest or most approachable beer, but well worth your time.
Nov 08, 2020
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Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
This initially gushed out despite very little agitation. Straw yellow in color with a hazy complexion. There’s an inch of densely packed frothy off white on top. It quickly dissipated, but covers most of the top. Moderate lacing. The aroma is of cedar and lightly fruity and earthy yeast. I’m tasting cedar, wheat, and lightly tart lactobacillius. The mouth is bone dry and moderately carbonated.
Oct 31, 2020
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

4.09/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle -clear medium gold color with foamy white head leaving significant foamy lacing. Nose is mildly sour with hints of fruit. Taste follows , not sure how old this is as the bottle shop I got this from had lots of 4 year old bottles on the shelf,this happened to be in the cooler. A reasonable saison even if it's quite old. I like the style. Would like to try more from JK.
Jul 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4.13 by Mikemcgrath4 from North Carolina

Jun 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Jun 01, 2020
El Cedro from Jester King Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 650 ratings