Zarabanda
Deschutes Brewery

ZarabandaZarabanda
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From:
Deschutes Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.1%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 10.13%
Reviews:
45
Ratings:
236
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 03, 2019
Added:
Jun 03, 2014
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  49
Ale brewed with lemon verbena, pink peppercorn, sumac and dried lime.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by geryeb624:
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Rated by geryeb624 from Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Feb 20, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.7 by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

May 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by Kurmaraja from California

Dec 03, 2018
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle to tulip.
The appearance was a bright golden copper to orange color with a finger's worth of white to off white foamy head that dissipated at a moderate pace. Slight messy lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of herbal to floral sweetness, light mint, some sweet wheat, some sweet graininess, Belgian yeasty to bready malts, light peppercorn and ended with a little bit of earthiness.
The flavor was a moderate blend between the sweet Belgian yeasty/breadiness rolling over the rest of those aromas somewhat sweetly with a touch of earthiness and a quick hint of spice. Aftertaste was mostly the Belgian yeastiness with some of that herbal to floral qualities coming about to rub with the mint.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt as projected. Spicy harshness was quite controlled.
Overall, pretty nice saison for the most part, not sure where that mintiness came from but I didn't mind. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but hey I'd have this again.
Jul 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Oct 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.49 by carlso_aw from Indiana

May 14, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.08/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Bottle from Albertsons. Avoided, then finally took the plunge. Nothing special here, ordinary Saison. Added spices and herbs aren’t present in enough quantities to make a difference
Apr 27, 2016
Photo of Libeertarian
Reviewed by Libeertarian from Montana

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From notes taken 04/14/16:

First pour looks like a cider. Very clear, bright golden orange. Very fine suspended network of flecks, not really distracting from the clarity. Each pour, in this smaller chalice, is successively hazier, but not by much. Head is white, thin, and fizzy. Lower retention until you get to the last layer, which is just barely maintained by the bubbles rising from the bottom. All of this is disrupted with each sip. Smells like cider as well, with some interesting metallic and syrupy suggestions. Again, cider-like to the taste, but a extra dry cider, at least. Also approaching a dry white wine. This all works quite well with the surprisingly high levels of booze I am detecting. What apple-like tartness is here can be at least partially attributed to the lemon verbena, sumac, and dried lime, as listed in the ingredients, but I suspect the microbes just as much. Some light peppercorn spiciness (pink peppercorn in the ingredients, yeast) and rind character (again, possibly the dried lime) in and around the finish. Medium-bodied. Effervescent carbonation creates a thickness to it that makes the body seem light by comparison. It also helps clean the palate and ready it for the next sip. Mouthfeel is just right for the style and the flavors.
Apr 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by VABA from Virginia

Apr 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by informaticsDoc from Pennsylvania

Apr 05, 2016
Photo of GLHunt
Reviewed by GLHunt from Idaho

4.09/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Deschutes Brewery

Tastes like a saison, mildly sweet, very yeasty (just the way I like it), grainy toasty malts, herbal hops notes, citrus zest, hint peppercorn, and peppery phenols. Finish dry and fair bitter, earthy spicy chewy.

Pleasant mouth feel, mildly carbonated.
Mar 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by TheNakedStiletto from Pennsylvania

Mar 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by AMZB from Canada (ON)

Feb 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.35 by MichialTanner1 from Texas

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.81 by BDeibs from Colorado

Dec 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Nov 29, 2015
Photo of Emersonio
Reviewed by Emersonio from District of Columbia

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pour: Bomber bottle into a tulip glass. Appearance: Clear and amber in color. Effervescent. Big white head which reduces after settling. Light lacing present on the sides of the glass. Aroma: Zesty citrus notes. Belgian esters. Yeasty and malty aromas present. Taste: Very similar to the nose. Can pick up the zesty citrus notes and there is a slight bite on the sip. Aftertaste: Finishes clean. However, a second wave is present which reveals a sharp lemony bite. Very interesting. Overall: Wait for the back end and you will be rewarded with an interesting reveal. Good. 3.28 out of 5.
Nov 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by mklisz from New Hampshire

Nov 22, 2015
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.54/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Picked up in Portland, shared with rudzud.

Decent fizzy foamy head fades at a med pace, very little lacing, slight hazy mostly clear apricot orange color.

Nose lime zest and lime leaf, lemony citrus, grassy leafy herbal thing, sweet toasty malt, big citrus peel, little peppery phenol thing, grassy hop note, saison malt and esters.

Taste basic saison, mild sweetness, wheat, very yeasty, grainy husky toasty malts, grassy herbal spicy hops, citrus zest, hint peppercorn, and peppery phenols, esters, etc. Finish dry and fair bitter, earthy spicy chewy.

Mouth is med bod, decent carb, little sticky fell, nice carb.

Overall lame, missing all the good characters I hoped for.
Oct 31, 2015
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

3.42/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to JLindros for sharing this beer.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a crystal clear honey hue with a thin white head that fades to leave thin wisps and light lacing.

S - Aromas of yeast, Belgian esters, light lemons, very light peppercorns, little bit of lime leaf. Some herbal notes.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, loads of yeast and esters. Light peppercorns light herbal notes, really really yeasty. Biter finish too.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, little fluffy.

O - Overall this beer was way too yeasty. Completely detracted from the beer.

Serving type: bottle
Oct 29, 2015
Zarabanda from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 236 ratings