Saison
Brasserie Ellezelloise

SaisonSaison
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From:
Brasserie Ellezelloise
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 9.02%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
42
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 04, 2015
Added:
Sep 10, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DaggerEyes:
Photo of DaggerEyes
Reviewed by DaggerEyes from New York

3.55/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Swing Top bottle opened with a crack and foam instantly started to slowly ooze over the top of the bottle and down the side. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass with a thick 2 finger head of slightly off white foam. Head had decent retention. Moderate lacing present. Head settled into half a finger of foamy suds. Color was a hazy caramel or dried apricot brownish orange.

Fruity nose, hardly any hint of funk which I found a bit odd, but the nose is pleasant none the less. Notes of Apricot and Apple and caramel. Very very slight earthy must smell. The taste is pretty in line with the nose, also a bit spicy, a bit peppery, some citric notes....but unfortunatly nothing really jumps out and grabs you, it's a fairly subdued palette, the malt is the strongest characteristic in the taste profile

Mouthfeel is thin a little watery but strangely round in the center of you mouth. A weird mouthfeel, a bit of a dry finish, but very wet on the pallete with very subdued mellow carbonation.

While this was a good beer, it was a bit disappointing for the style. I usually expect a lot more depth out of a saison and this was kind of monochromatic. I was excited to try this beer but disappointed by it, perhaps it's be aging to long and has mellowed out a bit too much?
Nov 08, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by afsdan from Colorado

Aug 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by KAF from Iowa

Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by tbeq00 from California

Dec 12, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 26, 2011
Photo of colforbin73
Reviewed by colforbin73 from California

3.17/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
i love saison style beers for their crisp fresh flavors. i do not need to be bowled over by hops but it should leave a nice full spike on the palate, a little tingle of freshness.

this obscure brew pours a murky amber brown color with little to no head. that being said carbonation level is acceptable and the mouthfeel is pleasing and rich enough.

the smell is mild and there is almost no hop aroma or presence in this beer. the taste is dominated by the malt character which is OK, pleasant and sweet, but nothing to sink your teeth into. glad i got to try this beer but i would not buy it again. there is no bottling date on the label, i have to wonder if it is just plain past the "drink by" date. i do not believe saisons are a style of beer that you want to age.
Mar 07, 2011
Photo of merlin48
Reviewed by merlin48 from Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Flip-top 13.2 ounce bottle pours a murky orange/brown body with a small offwhite head that deposits some patchy lace. Lots of sediment and "floaties" present in the body.

Aroma is malty caramel, green apples, floral and herbal hops, and nutmeg.

Medium body has a subdued carbonation and slight syrupiness.

Taste has way too much sweetness for my preference in a saison. Herbal hop bitterness struggles to balance. Dark fruits like dried figs contribute even more sweetness. Somewhat yeasty, with a hint of lemon in the finish.

I'll concede that saisons can be a lot of things, but they should at least be crafted to be refreshing. I find this one cloying and possibly a bit oxidized. Might have had a rough trip across the ocean.
Jan 01, 2011
Photo of Shakujin
Reviewed by Shakujin from Japan

3.82/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Glass: GDB Cervoise glass

Appearance: Brownish orange, murky. Poured a substantial in size, but weak head

Aroma: Lemon, candy sugar, orange, slight spicy notes

Taste: More mellow than I was anticipating, but basically follows the aroma, of candied oranges balanced out my a lemon like tartness, with a little spice in the background. Good but I feel like the candy sugar was a bit unnecessary, and not great for the style. Nice lingering lemon acidity and hop bitterness. Overall very nice

Mouthfeel: Fairly light body, med carbonation

Drinkability: If it were not for the sugar the drink ability of this would be a point higher but I cant help but feel that doing the "belgian thing" and making is sweet kinda limited the potential of this beer.

Pairing: Paired with Camembert cheese. Carbonation was good for the fat on the cheese and the lemon/ spices played a bit with the funk on the cheese.
Sep 13, 2010
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber color with a lot of yeast in suspension; the modest head does manage to leave a few traces

Smell: Herbacious pear, with a hint of acetone

Taste: Spicy pear, up front, with a developing clove and chalk character; the herbaciousness noted in the aroma also develops after the swallow; a bit of lemon in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I didn't care for the flavor profile very much; the fruity elements were nice, but there was none of the barnyard complexity I seek in a Saison
Jul 20, 2010
Photo of Tone
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a cloudy, dark maize. 1/5 inch head of an off-white color. Suspended sediment present. Slight retention and decent lacing. Smells of slight hops, dark citrus (raisin), slight pale malt, and slight metallic. Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp with an average carbonation level. Tastes of pale malt, yeast, pale hops, slight raisin, and slight tart malt. Overall, weak appearance and aroma.
May 12, 2010
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Nice "cute" flip top small bottle. Pops really loud upon opening.
Complex yeasty aroma. Kinda' sweet. Dull, flat pale malt aroma. Mild fruitiness, mostly of the unripened kind.
Very white head. Reasonable clear on golden amber.
Unfortunately this tastes a little old and now that I'm looking at the bottle it's past it's best buy dating. Probably unfair to review so I encourage all to take this with a major grain of salt. Pleasant spiciness, but the malts are approaching an oxidized state.
Body is fine. Nicely carbonated, with a sprizty quality.
Too bad this is old than it should be. I beat it's pretty good fresh.

Thanks Todd.
Apr 19, 2010
Photo of TheBurgundian
Reviewed by TheBurgundian from France

3.18/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I love Brasserie Ellezeloise - their Imperial Stout, Amber, and Blondes are my standard basement brews. Also, GREAT bottles to reuse for my homebrew.

This review is for the Saison 2000

A: Almost burnt orange, definitely darker than Saison's from other Hainut areas. Medium to light head.

S: Cloves in the nose, maybe subtle all-spice. Definitely floral, but which one is a mystery.

Taste/mouthfeel: No where near as refreshing as I expect from a saison. Good hops mixed with a strange grouping of spices. A little disjointed, as if they weren't sure if they were making a saison or an amber ale. I guess that's the beauty and thorn of a saison: no one can define the style. Good mouthfeel with excellent carbonation.

Drinkability: Not bad, but not warm-weather quenching.

Good beer, very forgettable. If you want a great saison, I recommend looking elsewhere.
Mar 14, 2010
Photo of weissbierdrinker
Reviewed by weissbierdrinker from Belgium

4.03/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a brown honey color with a white head that fades leaving a thick amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell is of clove?

Taste apple, bready, hops, clove, cinnamon, caramel.

Finish is dry and floral.

Great little beer. I could drink a lot of this without getting bored.
Jan 18, 2010
Photo of DerBayer
Reviewed by DerBayer from Germany

3.24/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
THis pours a nice cloudy amber with a brown tinge.

The smell is its best feature with grassy and bitter hops and sweet honey notes

The flavour does not live up to it however and just shows a strong hop presence but no complexity

The mouthfeel is full bodied but leaves a slight coating which deducts from the drinkability
Nov 28, 2009
Photo of Travlr
Reviewed by Travlr from District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
33 cl bottle.
Appearance was hazy orange/straw-colored with a large white head with a small amount of lacing.
Smell was orange peel and light spice.
Taste was orange and coriander flavor with some maltiness. Better than their amber, overall relatively drinkable session beer.
Nov 19, 2009
Photo of number1bum
Reviewed by number1bum from Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up at Julio's in Westborough MA about 2 months ago. 11.2oz swingtop bottle notched on the side with a 5 and a 9; I'm guessing that means best by May 09, which is precisely when I'm drinking it, but I'm not positive.

Pours a dark amber, almost brown color, very murky, with a fizzy two plus inches of beige head. Head fizzles down to a mostly full lace and leaves a few splashes of stick on the sides.

Smell is quite fruity but also somewhat acidic. I get apples and pears in the aroma, some slightly sweet candied fruit, plus some lemon which seems to be what is slightly acidic. It's bready as well, with some black pepper and musty spices. The acidic, somewhat vinegary aroma does seem to fade a bit, but it does persist in the background and is not all that pleasant, which brings an otherwise decent nose down a peg.

Taste is also quite bready and fruity but without any of the offputting acidic qualities that were in the smell. I get some lemon zest and some apple. It's very yeasty and musty, with some black pepper and earthy spice. Small amount of residual sweetness. The must persists into the finish along with some subtle spicing; not sharp and peppery but I'm not sure exactly what it is. Has some nice flavor but it tastes a bit thin and is not all that complex.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample carbonation, but it feels lighter in the mouth owing to the somewhat thin flavor.

If the notching on the side was indeed a best by date then I can't imagine this getting any better. It's within the date right now but I'm not sure I'd let it sit much longer if you have any left hanging around. Decent, but probably not something I'd come back to, even if it were still being brewed.
May 14, 2009
Photo of philipquarles
Reviewed by philipquarles from Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
33cL bottle of Saison 2000 with a best by date of 11/2007. I'm guessing that puts this bottle at just over 2 years old at the time of tasting.

Pours a muddy, murky brown with a two-finger eggshell head. The foam recedes gradually to leave a film on top and nice lacing. Smells spicy and sweet, with a mostly malty character. A slight tartness comes through underneath all of that. The taste is again on the malty side, with nice roasted, almost chocolate notes coming through. Some honey comes through as well, along with some stone-like earthiness. Light floral hops are there with some bitterness at the end. Well balanced and unique among saisons. Glad I have a few bottles left to put some more age on.
Jan 04, 2009
Photo of d0ggnate
Reviewed by d0ggnate from California

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Grabbed this at the Pizza Port bottle shop a few weeks ago. I think the small swingtop bottle is what attracted me to it. Either way, I ended up with it and took this as an opportunity to review it here.

A: The cap popped off with force and this beer poured into my belgian glass with an extreme head layer. It was about 4 fingers thick and very pillow-like. It has taken about 5 minutes for it to fade to a normal level. Beer in glass is an orange-yellow with noticeable effervescence and a little sediment.
S: Aromas familiar to the saison style are what I notice first, but this one has more sweetness to it. Hay/straw notes present, but subtle. My nose is dominated with this candied sugar smell.
T: Continued sweetness. Sugary. A slight bitterness. Lacking the dry earthiness of other saisons.
M: Nothing really noteworthy here. I can't say this stands out in this category. It also isn't below average. I would like it a bit drier, but that may be my personal preference in this style.
D: A good beer, that before today, I didn't know anything about. I wouldn't actively seek this beer again, but I've marked the notch on my belt and move on.
Dec 22, 2008
Saison from Brasserie Ellezelloise
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 42 ratings