Wadesda #9
Brasserie de la Senne

Beer #1000.

Pours a slightly cloudy, effervescent orange. Poured gently so as to separate the sediment, so no head on this bit. Smells pleasantly funky and dry. Maybe the tiniest bit of orange peel on the nose. At first sip - tastes like a boozy OJ? That was just with a tiny bit which was heavily aerated. A larger sip shows a gentle sweetness which gives way quickly to a sour funk that travels down the throat. Pleasantly heavy mouthfeel lightened by the crisp carbonation.

Good stuff. Good sipper.

From the 11.2 oz bottle in a snifter. This unique brew pours as a chill hazed
cross between straw and orange marmalade with a nice head of white foam
that settles to a thick ring, thin layer, and sports some excellent lacing. Nose of
subtle Belgian funk, light bubblegum, moderate acidity, subtle cracker, subtle
salinity, and light coriander. Flavors lightly surpass the nose with cracker, light
acidity (vinegar), subtle green apple, faint bubblegum, white pepper, and lemon
zest with pith. Mouth feel is medium light, medium zippy yet soft carbonation which
is very nice, and a tart dry finish.

Overall, great for the hybrid style it is, but not really my cup of ale.

Cheers

Thinking best to review it from a clear pint glass, an 11.2 fluid ounce brown bottle was emptied into one. It wasn't an easy pour, for at room temperature, there was plenty of stark white foam produced. The typical banana-like aroma of a solid Belgian is pronounced, with an added sweetness that brings a direct reference to bubblegum. Resting on top of a bright and light copper-amber colored liquid that's relatively translucent, the dense foam reduces quickly into a tightly knit head that recedes evenly and leaves some glass lacing. The sweetness to the aroma is misleading, as the taste has a nicely sharp, almost citrus rind bite. Not only fairly bitter, this carries a pronounced and mouth puckering sourness. Remarkably, this is accomplished by a soft, yet supple delivery by its body, making for one very good mouthfeel that cannot be denied, even by those that don't care for this style. Overall, this is a unique beer drinkers' experience, with a sweet aroma, sour taste and commendable mouthfeel. The style isn't for everyone, but this is a very good reason to expand one's taste boundaries for those not inclined and to confirm those that like this style.

 

 

Copenhagen 1/6 2024. 33 cl bottle from HKihoskh, Sønder Boulevard, Kbh. V. Black and white label with a strange sphere containing a hop flower and what looks like syringes. Looks bit like an advertisement for vaccines.

Pours unclear golden yellow with a mid-sized, creamy white head. Stable. Settles 0,3 cm thick layer of foam completely covering the surface of the beer. Clinging to the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is intense with a light sweet and malty odor soon overpowered by a tart fruity scent with a touch of fink. Some alcohol lurking in the background. Sweet pale malts. Tart gooseberries. Black pepper. Sour cheese. Hard edge of alcohol.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, almost flat texture.

Flavor is fairly intensewith a light sweetness followed by strong tart sourness. Aftertaste is sour with only a weak sweet undertone. Lingering. Finish is dry as a desert.

More Lambic than Saison.

 

 

Very glad I found this. My timing is great because next week I go to Brussels and can root around for more of this experimental series.

I suppose I can imagine some lambic blended into this, but #9 has the finesse that I associate with de la Senne. An experiment that worked because the brewers are masters.

#9 Looks good with a nice foam that lasts. It Smells complex with mostly malt, but enough farmhouse funk to tell me what is coming. And what is coming is balanced. The funk adds flavor, but the fine-ness is in the finish which is gently dry yet allows me to still salivate. More than edium in my mouth, full in its flavor. And about that 8%ABV ? You fooled me. I detect zero fumes.

De la Senne is more of a mystery to me than most micros. Most micros have simple motivations and, hence, take a decade or more to master their speciality in the larger craft. De la Senne is a mystery because they became masters so quickly and then left the masters in the dust by their ability to innovate. If I have time, I should study them in Brussels and, of course, savor their brewing. A votre Sante' !

3/7/25 I actually found my next copy at perhaps my last visit to The Beer Temple, Chicago. (I'm moving.) I really had to edit almost zero words above and keep my original rating. While I would not choose this saison to have with dinner, it worked well a few funky cheeses. A Sante'!

 

De la Senne and Cantillon mashup? Don't mind if I do. Bright orange with a finger of fluffy head that lingers. Straw, white peach, papaya, and a burst of lemon acidity. Good bottle conditioning, with a lasting effervescence that bubbles up in the back of the throat. Really enjoyable.

such an unassuming and amazing little beer, apparently a blend of one of their regular beers and some cantillon lambic, okay sure! didnt know that when i bought it, just saw a de la senne beer i didnt know, which is something i always buy when i find, rare as it has unfortunately become these days, this is still one of my favorite breweries in the world. a really special beer, epic for its fermentation profile, no surprise with these two breweries in the mix, but its actually the de la senne brett that stands out the most to me, a brett brux thing that is unmistakable, so dry, funky, bitter, and with that almost iodine note to it, but lots of round funk surrounding it, some tartness and oaken maturity, but it didnt strike me right away as lambic in here, well maybe the nose, just thought maybe an older expression of their yeast. lightly orange tinted, some haze but the bottle had been bouncing around in our cooler awhile and probably had well settled sediment at the bottom before that, high headed, airy and wispy and creamy and lasting, gorgeous carbonation, well conditioned in the bottle for sure. notes of peach and pear, belgian yeast to me in the mix, i think tripel and strong saison vibes from the base beer, apple and cider, autumnal, lightly spiced too, white pepper and toasted coriander to me, vinous, woody, and lemony, more tangy as it warms, i wish i knew there was lambic in it while i was having it, but it makes sense now, the maturity is amazing but also there are some fresh elements, this is quite hoppy on the back end, partially bitter, light citrus too which plays up the more classically belgian aspect of this, herbal and tea-like as it warms, and some sturdy grain, maybe sugars other than malt in this too, rock candy or something. farmy and rustic, but also really refined, which is their thing. enough oak to make it winey, fruity esters everywhere, and amazing funk from this brett and quite obviously now also the lambic aspect, although i have to think its not blended in equal parts, the de la senne beer is more prominent. lively and fizzy but with good malt structure too, slightly stronger feeling but still easy. a special fusion, so thankful to have found this, need to track down others from this series! these guys never disappoint!

edit: had this again with full knowledge of the blend in play this time, liked it every bit as much, clearer now that its not roused, sediment all in the bottom, high carbonation and great bottle conditioning, more bitter overall than i recall, super funky and mature even just months later, this is definitely actively evolving, nice maturity to it, only lightly tart, really complex on the fermentation side, elite overall quality, and insanely drinkable for its abv. do not overlook this!

 

Bottled in 330ml of dark brown glass to reveals an angry lemon jello clear body with huge white head
Aroma is hard acidic cider
Flavour is tart lemon acerbic apple tangy ultra saison

 

Bright golden orange, two fingers of foam, drippy lacing, lasting surface coverage.

Aroma is subdued, light herbal citrus elements. Yeast driven with mild hop character.

Juicy, fruity citrus flavors, lemon, orange, apricot. Very estery as a Tripel would be, with the light crispness of a saison, plus the herbaceous element in the background. Balanced and unique, easy drinking with a pleasant effervescence.


Overall it’s another successful one-off experiment from De La Senne.