Jester Zinne
Brasserie de la Senne

 

a barrel aged saison done with jester king, fermented with yeasts from both breweries, one of the beers i was most looking forward to getting into on jester king day. this is real tasty, but pretty old now, way under carbonated, and just a little bit underwhelming i thought, not as robustly wild and interesting as anticipated, and seemingly not as well refined either. a lightly sedimented muted honey color to this, a nose of wet oak, salty driftwood, green grapes that have been in the fridge too long, a little cardboard oxidation, a little bretty funk, rustic cider, and some vinous tang. the flavor is a little more malt forward than anticipated, slightly rich to me, even longer boiled and concentrated, earthy and agricultural too, and the ferment is somewhat subtle, yes its funky, sure there is some tartness, but i expected more weirdness and nuance from the combination. some bittering hops emerging later on too, more expressive at temperature, and there is a lot going on here, light citrus, wet paper, light vanilla, starchy malt, and developing acidity. the lack of carbonation hurts it a little for me, and overall i am wondering if i missed the prime on this one, 2016 vintage, probably should have popped it a couple years ago. i had higher hopes for this joint effort from two of my favorite breweries...

 

Appearance is a bit darker than your usual saison, displaying a glowing orange-amber with a short off-white head fizzling down to a thin chain.

This one tastes incredibly like white wine, with faint hints of Fall spices and gala apple. The refreshingly bright white wine character is uncanny--I really wasn't sure what to expect, but am incredibly impressed by what was achieved here. Then, upon reading the brewery description of this beer, (and apparently I'm having this a year PAST it's Best-By date), they actually mention farm cider and holy cow...it may be the power of suggestion but it hits me that's exactly what it's like. It's like a mix between saison, white wine, and cider.

The medium softly crisp body finishes just bone dry, going down immensely easily. Obviously its effervescence separates it from wine or cider, and in that sense it at times tastes like champagne, but it does become woodier after the second pour, further adding notes of wild honey as it warms.

I had high expectations for a beer brewed with a brewery whose beer Taras Boulba was a major inspiration for my favorite brewery's origins in Jester King, and they were easily met.

1 PT 9.4 FL OZ bottle
Served in a tulip glass
Bottled 07AUG17

This beer pours amber with a golden highlights and a slight haze. It is topped with a couple inches of beige head that leaves decent lacing.

Aromas of stone fruits are the first to hit my nose. It has a spicy pear, peach thing going.

The taste is tropical fruit off the bat. I get some sourness and a little funk.

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel not effervescent as a lot of saisons are

This is a nice beer to enjoy on a cool summer evening. It is fruity and tart as opposed to effervescent and lemony as some saisons some across.

 

Really hazy, but a good, pillowy head. Brett forward aroma with big, tropical flavors. Very nice.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to whoever shared this at Sam's.

A mildly hazy yellow with beer is dominated by a grassy and mineraly funky nose. Earth, barrel, honey, a little white wine and a moderate grassy note are present. A little gritty on the palate, this beer is moderately funky with damp hay being the most noticeable note. A little rough around the edges, this beer isn't quite as good as i was hoping. Solid.