Babbling Brook
Jackie O's Brewpub

 

1 pt .9 oz bottle, poured into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip at ~40 degrees F.

L: Pours a mildly hazy pale wheat gold, and forms a couple fingers of white head with okay retention.

S: Not unlike a sweet white wine, with musty pages and drying grass. A vague cider quality as well.

T: Opens mild, like a weak white wine, before a surge of tart fruits rolls forward - unripe green apple, sour white grapes. Damp basement mildew wafts along in the backdrop, along with a sour citrus tang that lingers in the aftertaste.

F: Light, and eminently drinkable.

O: That's a tasty saison.

L: Nice color.. It is golden. Nice carbonation stream. It's clear unless you agitate the bottle.

S: Tangy. Almost like apple juice.

T: Light mellow flavor. It definitely qualifies as a saison. It was fermented a long time, but not as long as a Belgian lambic. It has an element of sweetness that balances the sour notes. Quite lovely.

F: Dry and acidic as advertised. The residual tastes nice, don't be shy.

O: It has character. Hits hard too.

16.9 ounce bottle, 2017 vintage. Served in a Teku glass, the beer pours a light gold color with maybe an inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. I like the aroma, the brew smells like earthiness, white grapes/wine, lemon, hay and funk. I think the taste is pretty much like the aroma, but there's also some oak, kiwi and minerally flavors noticeable too. Nice amount of tartness. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. Wish I would have drank this one fresher, but it's still tasting good at this point. Certainly worth trying if you come across some.

another delicious offering from these guys in this format. this is a mixed fermentation delicate saison aged in vin santo casks, which i had to look up to learn is an italian dessert wine. this beer is impossibly pale, glowing the lightest golden shade under a high and airy white head, lacy and carefree looking. its shockingly earthy in aroma and flavor, almost like a mouthfull of fresh grass with the soil still clinging to the roots, really, its like all the minerals of the mud, the greenness of the grass, like the essence of early spring. im not sure what gives it that character, but it doesnt seem like a product of oak or of a fortified wine of any kind i know. that leads me to suspect the yeast. i get some citrusy tartness, a berliner type cleaner bacterial element, but then i also get the classic bretty funk i am used to from these guys, and even a possible high tone estery saison strain in the mix, although im not sure exactly how this is made. all of this is relatively familiar in jackie o beer of this kind, but this crazy intense earthiness, in the finish especially, remains a mystery. it could be something with one of the bretts, but its totally new to my palate. i really like it though, and with the light sweet note from the wine at the end its quite compelling. i dont get a lot of oak on it, but i get all the grapey and herbal fruitiness of the wine. remarkably soft in feel, effervescent but no body at all, like great champagne, and so distinct with this finishing flavor, i really have never had anything like it. big thanks to my neighbor for bringing this one over, its a real treat. not to be missed if you are lucky enough to find it for sale!

 

A very light color on the pour, clear and almost pink. The brew settles into the glass a very pale yellow hue; transparent. Head production and retention are OK for the style.

Aroma is a pleasantly sweet blend of grapes, bubblegum yeast, straw, hay, honey, vinegar, lemon, and light funk.

Flavor is a similar mix. Up front, it's immediately lightly sour, with vinegar and lemon. The wine comes along in the middle, with a slightly tart punch along with oak and grapes. The back third is slightly sweet and fruity, and the finish carries notes of oak and grapes.

Very lively and dry on the palate, quickly clearing the way for another sip.

500ml bottle. Poured out a bright, slightly hazy golden color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled of white grapes, kiwi and green apple. It tasted fruity and tart. Almost like an apple cider.

While the name suggests something calm, fluid and trickling with a natural musical whimsy, Jackie O's wine barrel aged, mixed fermentae saison screams to the beer world to take notice.

Babbling Brook pours a bright golden, somewhat canary yellow and with a medium weight haze. A billowing froth is light, fluffy and persistent as those bubbles pop with a funky, fruity and fauna filled scent. citrus, grape, leather, driftwood, sea brine and sourdough all greet the nose at once awaiting a tart and bready taste. A pep of honeysuckle with fresh bread bring a supple taste of pulled candy to a short lived early palate.

Malt sweetness scampers away before hitting the middle palate. That's reserved for a bounty of fruit, spice and earth to play out in sequence. Lemon, under ripened orange and white grapefruit make their estery flavor marks before the barrel contributions bring a tone of white wine with its crabapple, white grape, gooseberry and kiwi character. Spicy with the oaken nuances of balsa, burlap and tannins, the finish is slight with bitterness but confident with brine, white pepper, cumin and wood spice.

Medium light for most farmhouse ale, the sourness continues to lighten the body and ensures a high rate of refreshment, cleanliness and palatability. Sprite effervescence highlights the fruit and spice while lifting the malt for a strong presence of sparkling white wine to close with a brief aftertaste of sourdough and sea air once more.

2017 edition poured into a tulip
A: Yellow/orange, slightly hazy with a 1/2-finger head that lingers
S: Light wheat, lemon, a bit of brett, white wine
T: Complex, the flavors match the aromas
M: Light-bodied, tart
O: A unique saison. I don't specifically taste Vin Santo but there is a wine component that complements the farmhouse style nicely

 

Appearance: Pours hazy and honey colored with a two finger head that splashes some lacing around

Smell: Lactic and funky, producing a stinky cheese aroma tinged with grass, lemon, oak and wine grape elements

Taste: Lactic lemon and cheesy funk both emerge, at the outset, with grassy, vinous tones developing; oaky, through the middle, with a somewhat tart finish with mineral water elements; a hint of caramel in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very complex mixed fermentation Saison; impressive

Thanks, Stefko, for the opportunity

 

 

 

 

16.9 oz bottle poured into a snifter glass.

A: Light yellow gold body with perfect clarity. lots of carbonation thick white tiny bubbled Head.

S: Light lemon, a little oak, and a Chardonnay wine smell. Definitely a grape mixed in with the lemon.

T: Rustic comes to mind lots of tart lemon and almost a rust like taste. The top of the tongue though you experience almost a bright grape flavor with almost a sweet tinge to it.

M: Lots of carbonation very effervescent.

O: It’s not bad you are always chasing that flavor you experience only on the top of your tongue, but it makes you want to drink more.

 

Extremely sparkling light gold body with a mildly present white foam settling to a persistent but thin blanket leaving some clinging peaks of lace.

A very lactic aroma comes off as it pours, exuding Colby and Brie. Getting closer, crisp, almost-champagne like notes develop. Lemon, green grape and grass become more prominent, with a slightly musty background.

Taste is tangy but cheesy with lemon-lime, grass and clean green grape. Very drinkable with a moderate-light body and crisp effervescence, finishing semi-dry.

 

 

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2017 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy pale golden straw color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, peach, pear, red apple, melon, green grape, white wine, hay, straw. grass, wood, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with light notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/light funky yeast, wine casks, and light-moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, peach, pear, red apple, melon, green grape, white wine, hay, straw. grass, wood, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with light notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light yeast/oak spiciness and wine tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of lightly tart lemon, peach, pear, red apple, melon, green grape, white wine, hay, straw. grass, wood, wheat, cracker, white bread, peppercorn, light leather/funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/light funky yeast, wine casks, and light-moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/tangy/spiciness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from yeast/oak spiciness and wine tang/tartness. Medium carbonation and light body; with a very smooth and moderately grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6%. Overall this is an excellent wild saison! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/light funky yeast, wine casks, and light-moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink; with the mellowly spicy/tart/tangy/drying finish. Nice significant Vin Santo cask influence, pretty unique character. Great well rounded fruity Brett complexity and solid malt backbone. Really well balanced between all flavors. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a 2017 16.9 oz bottle

It is a slightly cloudy/unfiltered looking pale gold to straw color. Didn’t produce a lot of head with a moderate to gentle pour to leave the sediment behind, but there is a bright white foam that settled into a solid ring.

It smells very wine like with a strong mineral water/limestone aroma. A light tartness and acidity with some green grapes and/or apple.

I think the flavors pop even more than the aroma. A very light tart bite up front with some sour green grape followed by a brine/salt water and strong stone filtered water. Not a Gose level of salt, but definitely there. A touch of funky yeast at the end with a light sweetness. Almost a hint of caramel or butter rum. I saw the mention of a subtle nutty flavor. I don’t get any of that though.

It is light and fairly dry with a soft salt water feel. I am not a wine expert, but it seems like a semi dry version of a Chantilly Lace that I have had. Just a little more sour than sweet.

A very smooth, easy drinking, balanced beer. Brad and his crew are really killing the saisons and this is another example.