Wasteland
Elysian Brewing Company

WastelandWasteland
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Elysian Brewing Company
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 10.08%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
33
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 18, 2015
Added:
Jun 26, 2012
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
Elderflower Saison (Apocalypse Series No. 6).

June may be the cruelest month after all. The nuclear winter makes even the summer solstice the longest night of the year, and there’s no growing season to speak of. Still, we’ve managed to forage some delicious ingredients for this beer--elderflowers and a French saison yeast for a fragrant and delicious provision.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Nov 18, 2015
Photo of jellikit
Reviewed by jellikit from Washington

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
Bottle.
Appearance: Orange. Clear. Fizzy. Thick, foamy head.
Smell: faint Saison/Belgian yeast characteristics.
Taste: a floral Saison. Low on esters. Low on Belgian yeast.
Mouthfeel: high carbonation. Medium body. Dry.
Overall: decent saison. Different. Floral for sure. Not spectacular, but drinkable.
Oct 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaydoc from Kansas

Nov 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by imperialking from Illinois

Mar 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Gonzoillini from Illinois

Feb 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by hannaho from Washington

Jan 06, 2013
Photo of RJLarse
Reviewed by RJLarse from Washington

4.12/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
After looking back at my 12 Beers of the Apocalypse experience I realized I had missed #6. Knowing they didn't sell very well, I went back to the Swamp Tavern to get #6. Oddly enough this one was purchased for me by a guy who knows an Elysian executive. Poured in to a tulip glass.

Pours a rich gold color, with a chill haze, and a foamy white head.

Smell is sweet and sugary, with a citrus lemon blossom aroma.

Taste is like the smell, a sweet sugary mild citrus flavor

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and clean with a dry mildly biter aftertaste.

Overall a good beer. I'm not much on the style, but a tasty brew that I wish I had tasted in the heat of the summer.
Jan 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by NickThePyro from Washington

Dec 24, 2012
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 beers of the apockalypse series, sort of fun. Served in a snifter. Beer is yellow and hazy with a nice big white head of small bubbles, minimal lacing and some carbonation.

Aroma is floral and yeasty, smells nice.

Beer is medium in body and pretty bitter on the finish, vegetal and floral in the midpalate, pretty earthy, sweet too. I like it but I think one was enough.
Nov 06, 2012
Photo of DavoleBomb
Reviewed by DavoleBomb from Pennsylvania

3.49/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a tulip.

2.5 A: Clear medium orange color. Two and a half fingers of fizzy, off-white head that falls quickly and leaves no lacing.

3.5 S: Quite impressed with the use of the elderflower in this. It comes through quite well and ends up in a perfect proportion with the rest of the beer. A nice floral/herbal vibe from it. Light caramel, light toastiness, and a mild earthiness. Not very funky and super clean. Moderate peppery yeastiness. It's a pleasant nose, but overall it doesn't do much to challenge the nose with complexity. Smells more like a Biere de Garde, but whatever.

3.5 T: Taste is like the nose. Simple, elegant, and tasty. Floral/herbal elderflower. Caramel, toast, earth, and peppery spiciness. Again, super clean.

4.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation with a light spritziness to it and a mild creaminess. Good here.

3.5 D: Not incredibly interesting, but the drinkibility is superb.
Nov 06, 2012
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to 5000 for sending me this bottle.

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma has some Belgian yeast notes, as well as some floral and biscuit malt notes. The flavor is different. I get some tart lemon notes, as well as some floral character. I also get some yeast and biscuit malt notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Oct 21, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jnoelani from Washington

Oct 17, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by mhaugo from California

Sep 01, 2012
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle poured into a snifter

Pours orangey amber with a medium head and a lot of fast carbonation. slightly cloudy, mostly due to sediment at the bottom getting poured into the glass. Smell is funky, flowery, and spicy.

Taste is tart with a strong bite, some flowery flavor that reminds me of jasmine tea, some sweetness.

Mouthfeel is a little still, thin, with a hint of metallicness. Overall, this is pretty good. Not digging the metallic thing, though.
Aug 31, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by RoryOMoore from New Jersey

Aug 27, 2012
 
Photo of HuskyinPDX
Reviewed by HuskyinPDX from Washington

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle opened on 8.14.12.
Number 6 in the series.

A - Pours a golden, clear copper with a large fluffy, light tan head that fades pretty quickly.

S - Sweet and very floral.

T - Very floral and bubble gum.

D - Great carbonation, light body, on the sweet side, finishes sweet.

O - Floral and bubblegum, solid-maybe the best of the series so far.
Aug 18, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by djre4orm from Virginia

Aug 06, 2012
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip. This is #6 in Elysian's Beers of the Apocalypse series.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a robust effervescence and two fingers of pillowy ivory foam. Quite decent.

Smell: biscuity malt with a light saison funk. There is a floral/soapy character which I assume is the elderflower. Interesting, but it doesn't come together terribly well in the aroma.

Taste: biscuity flavor with, again, a light saison funk. Floral factor is a bit lower in the flavor, which works well. However, the malt component of this beer just doesn't please my palate greatly. Not bad, but not my favorite saison.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a huge carbonation and a mammoth, mouth-filling creaminess. Ba dow! This is what I like to see.

Overall: this is a decent beer. It doesn't fit my favorite flavor profile, but I think it is well-crafted and I think the key ingredient, elderflower, is used to an interesting and beneficial effect. I applaud Elysian for experimenting like this.
Aug 04, 2012
Photo of Docer
Reviewed by Docer from Washington

2.92/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: (2.5)

- Pours a clear copper with a quick fizzling off-white head. Light white ring sitting with scattered dust over the brew. This just doesn't look like a Saison, or a wasteland for that matter.... but a brew that tried to hit the style with a house yeast. Don't mean to slam it, but it is what it is.

Smell: (3.0)

- Nice clean herbal aroma. Floral, grassy, and rather bready with the clove-like yeast of a Belgian. Though a Saison is a French strain... the smell isn't even close to what I have come to expect from the style. Odd...

Taste: (3.0)

- Lovely herbal and floral flavors with a nice grassy and earthy hop touch. A light touch. But it isn't a Saison by any means. To me this is an herb infused floral American Amber with some American hops, and some stuff thrown in. It tasted very good, and is crisp and lemon-like... but why call it a Saison?

Mouth Feel: (3.5)

- Bubble typical British Ale yeast-like pale... it's a tad cloying, and even has hints of chewiness... but the flavors leave a little film over the palate. Quite drinkable, and goes down well... but the flavors make it a nurser.

Overall: (2.5)

- Seems the series has continually gone downhill. I might even get disrespect for being so critical, but in that I find a grassroots beer-blog is most beneficial. If one is to call a beer a Saison... make it a Saison! Simple. This beer is an amber-forward Pale Ale infused with herbs and floral essences.. and I am not impressed. Perhaps thrown in just to make the numbers? Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Elysian, and have been drinking their beers as long as it has been distributed to Portland.. but for the series.. this has hit the bottom. Not a Saison.
Aug 04, 2012
Wasteland from Elysian Brewing Company
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 33 ratings