Zennegash
Brasserie de la Senne

 

 

This gives me insight into why collabs should be done.
When two top Belgian micros entangle their talents, something good usually happens: it elevates everyone's game.
However, Zennegash doesn't start that promising; kind of a soapy Looker (I assume the Brett suppresses the foam.) But the yeast's power shows itself aromatically mostly with farmhouse funk. That continues in the attack and mid-palate, but mildly drying out the palate. And then in the finish, I get a burst of fruity salivation... call it lemon peel. Who knows how they do that ?

I'm not a fan of Brett. I took a bite of dinner along with the end of Zeenegash. It went to saison to finish dinner. But Zennegash is one of the better, more complex uses of Brett's tart and funk than I can remember in a long time.

I've had 37 uniques from this two micros combined (although obviously repeat Allagash more often, based on proximity and price.) And I would prefer to have had the keg rendition without the Brett. But making a Brett Beer that I'll have again: that's an achievement that only two masters collaborating can achieve. A Votre Sante ' !

 

 

The 330 ml bottle says "Dry-hopped wheat beer with Brett." I don't taste any spice, but it's certainly yeasty and even bitter from the hops.

Pours a nearly clear amber with a brief puff of suds. Aroma is light straw, herbal hops, and a whiff of the barnyard. Malty cereal taste to start. Mouthfeel is thickish with some faint prickles. The brettanomyces is not very strong, but certainly give this a different and distinctive flavor. Tastes of green grapes and tangy pear soda. Bitter herbal aftertaste. "Best By" date is 24 NOV 2025.

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear gold initial, then cloudy when yeast is poured in. Fluffy white head with good retention.

Aroma: Strong Brett aroma, smells like a band-aid. Barnyard.

Flavor: Follows aroma exactly. Low bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, drying, moderate length finish.

Overall: I am not a big fan of Brett yeast. Don't like the funky aroma and flavor. Not enjoyable to me. That said, for those who do like that, this is a dead ringer. And the hops and Brett are better balanced than some I've had. This is one of the better ones I've had. Nice beer.

one of my favorite breweries of all time, always a joy to find new ones from them out in the wild, im always looking. this is a collaboration with allagash, sweet! a simple farmy wheat beer with brett, so interesting and good for being kind of basic as these two operations go, simplicity is magic here though, the brett is mature and distinctive, and the texture of this is incredible, effervescent like champagne, bone dry, but carrying some pillowy body from the wheat, high funk yet low acid, wonderfully drinkable and old worldy, loved every drop! it looks like i want it to, sunny blonde in the glass, a light haze to it, and tons of bubbles holding a champagne type head, looks awesome. the aroma and flavor are fermentation driven, brett brux type to me, farmy and musty with the wet animal and hay loft thing, not at all bacterial, and with some saison esters swirling too, white pepper and cooked pear, but thats real mellow, and this ends up a total drinker despite the yeast complexity. the wheat is fresh to me even though the bottle has some maturity as well, the brett profile just rules, clean lemon late, interesting water, and more hops than anticipated, from dry citrus peel to mowed lawn and green melon, the whole thing is cohesive but nuanced, and its so obviously well refined for being as unique as it is too. i guess i just love their brett and its on display in a great way here. i could drink a dozen of these happily. somehow still so little fanfare around de la senne, but for my money, nobody does it better...

11.2oz bottle. Label is stamped with best by date of 'BBD:21NOV25'.
Unfiltered, straw colored body. One finger of off white head. Leaves behind a few scattered spots of lacing.
Aroma of yeast conditioning, with notes of pear, peach, and lemon.
Taste is wheat tanginess, fruity yeast flavors of lemon and pear, and spicy hops. Quick fade in the aftertaste.
More than medium mouth feel. Dry finish. Very good carbonation.
Good collaboration between de la Senne and Allagash, showing Belgian yeast and hops from both sides of the pond.

Not what one would expect from a witbier. Or is it a witbier?

The spice is weird- there is some funk, and the usual coriander sharp spicy quality of wit beers is missing.
The brewer refers to this beers as an “ blond craft beer”. Hmm… I tasted a lot of blond beers, and the effervescence, and carbonation are missing here.

What style is this? Not the usual witbier. Many witbiers I’ve tasted both from the US and Europe offer much more,

The BB is 11/25 so no issue there.

Bottled version.

 

On tap at Novare. Pale cloudy beige with lasting rocky head and lace. Weird spicy fruity aroma that's almost a little musty. Very light and refreshing fruity tangy sweetness. Spicy finish with maybe a touch too much coriander. Light and lively and refreshing.

Hazy-golden super active and rocky white head out of the bottle. Well rounded (and of course funky) nose with a taste that follows. The yeast drives the taste profile for sure with the funky/bubblegummy vibe and its rounded out nicely with citrusy notes from the hops.

Listing says wit but I would absolutely not call this a wit out of the bottle - definitely in the belgian blonde/single/brett beer category. Overall experience similar to a dry-hopped Orval.

Sorry for you guys that had this on tap - the brett is added for the bottle only obviously and it’s absolutely stellar (and probably deserves a separate listing).

Pours a hazy yellow with fluffy head.

Smell is funky and fruity with notes of brett, horseblanket, citrus, peach and pepper. Slightly yeasty.

Taste is funky and crisp with a nice bite of peppery brett. Notes of citrus, horseblanket, peach and hay. Moderate bitterness with a hint of mustard seed.

Mouthfeel is medium with frothy carbonation.

Overall, a very nice bretted witbier, drinkable and full of flavor.

 

Pours an utmost cloudy pale golden color with a massive and stable white head atop.

Aromas on this lead with wet garden flowers, skunky weed and lime pulp among lighter bee honey and orange zest, tied together by a present spicy herbal hoppiness.

Another Zinnebir iteration with a fantastic smooth and velvet mouthfeel, paired with a late lively effervescence and a light body, creating a wonderful drinking experience.

Tastes of lime sorbet, amped up by a pleasant, almost wooden herb spiciness, accompanying bread dough and toffee, together with a hint of barnyard funk. Its funkiness gets even more pronounced then with some dusty cardboard and fresh cut mushrooms among bright oranges and a mineralic quality, resulting from the well nuanced, lively carbonation. Finishes soft with maintaining spicy, cumarin and leafy hops, enriched by orange and lime, taken to a crisp and thirst quenching aftertaste revealing additional layers of yuzu, pomelo and flowery cloves.

This might by the most complex version of the Zinnebirs I‘ve had so far. It also features an awesome, creamy mouthfeel, which seems perfect, due to the beer‘s fantastic complexity, slowly unfolding on the palate.

I had this on draft 5/10/23 @ the Beer Temple.

Opaque orange appearance.

Nice off-white head; nice lace.

Soft wheat & faint honeydew melon notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Soft wheat & faint honeydew melon flavors up front; a hint of sea salt on the finish.

Balanced & drinkable...but kind of boring.