Black Farmhouse Ale
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

Pour is black with a tight tan head. Nose is faint, hints of smoke and dark malt with a touch of lemon and faint hint of farmhouse yeast. Taste is similar, very subtle. Some dark malt up front with a hint of caramel and toffee. Faint farmhouse note mid palate with a roasted malt coming in at the back. Finish is short, body is soft and carb is light.

 

 

 

A - A tad bit more than two finger's worth of crisp and slightly dense khaki colored froth with a couple of big chunky bubbles mixed in... Excellent retention... Once this one settles there is a thing splotchy veil of lacing in the center of a glass and a moderately thick collar... The color is a mostly opaque flat inky aubergine... A moderate bit of micro-bubbled moderate-to-quick paced carbonation, mostly towards the top of the glass... This is a very nice looking brew...

S - A very mild nose... Some red wine tannins... A hint of woody oak... Some very light roasted malt scents... Some light fruity notes... Some light earthy notes linger beneath the surface... Not too much in terms of traditional Saison scents (that's not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation)... Subdued, but still rather pleasant...

T - The red wine notes are the highlights throughout, but the never over power... Also mixed in are some light wood notes... Some black berries and currents... Faint lightly roasted malt ads a mild charred character... Some light grassy notes linger beneath the surface as well... There's a lot going on here and everything works together well and compliments each other nicely...

M - On the lighter side of medium bodied... Crisp... Loaded with slightly dull carbonation... Even and consistent... Perhaps ever so slightly on the thin side...

D - A very interesting brew... I'm having a hard time judging this one as a Saison since it pushes the style guidelines in all directions... Forgetting style guidelines and considering this one in terms of beer, it's a lovely offering that showcases the nuances that creative brewer's (both Pizza Boy and Voodoo) can bring to the table... Highly enjoyable and the growler won't last too long... If you ever get the chance and enjoy creative brewing expressions, this one may be for you...

 

 

 

 

On tap at Pizza Boy.

Solid black pour with a thin layer of whitish bubbles on top; minimal lacing. Aroma was bready, yeasty, grassy, fairly earthy, roasty with dark malts; I didn't really pick up any wine barrel in the nose. In the taste, light grassy funk, earth, tree bark, dark roasted malts, very subtle vinous notes, but the roast and earthiness were the dominant factors here. This brought back vague memories of Tired Hands' Black Lagoon. Medium body, moderately high carbonation, easily drinkable, with a pretty good balance of all the ingredients, though the wine factor was not very pronounced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a snifter from a growler purchased earlier this afternoon. The appearance is almost black with a two finger brownish tan head. The nose is a mild blend of saison yeast, wine, grapes and barrel. So much going on in this beer. It starts with a farmhouse funkiness and then goes to grapes, wine and wood. The barrel is definitely present but it isn't overwhelming. The wine brings a very dry feel to the beer throughout the palate but is especially apparent in the finish. So many interesting characteristics that I can't imagine how it worked. But it did.

 

Draft offering poured into a snifter. The brew appears black in color with a frothy mocha head that displays perfect retention. A swirl painte patches all over the glass.

The smells is fairly fruity with a yeasty touch before getting vinous from the barrel than earten and lightly peppery. There is a dryness to this that mingles between earthen grain and yeasty spice coupled with the tannins of the barrel treatment.

The taste is exceptionally vinous from the barrel aging that plays off the fruity quality of the yeast. Some hops are present adding a bitterness before getting dry and oaky. Lots of earthen feel to this with little to no malt inclusion. Other than the color there is hardly any roast picked up. In a blind tasting, you would be hard pressed to know this brew was this dark.

It is light bodied and modestly to almost effervescently carbonated. Overall a very nice brew that is bery easy drinking. It has a pretty big barrel influence but it works well. I am looking forward to drinking this again soon.