Bruclear Rye Saison
Sly Fox Brewing Company

 

 

Undated bottle of 2013 vintage at 45 degrees into snifter
Aroma initially of fruit, slight alcohol presence
Head – none
Lacing – none
Body golden, chill haze which dissipates
Flavor of brandy, slightly sweet, slight alcohol presence, lacks rye spiciness but still finishes dry. No hops, no diacetyl
Palate medium, creamy, soft carbonation

Appearance 3, Aroma 3, Flavor 4, Palate 4, Overall 3.5.

Thanks to Mbo108 for this extra: it seems that word of my rye obsession has spread to the four corners of the Earth, I'm getting them in almost every box. 750ML bomber split with my wife (who sometimes tires of my wild-eyed rye love).

Poured leaving potential sediment & several ounces in the bottle, this one does indeed come out clear with a mixture of orange & yellow on the oil palette. Minimal carbonation would be pushing the definition of minimal: closer to none. Light pear & a crushing rye grist shakes the nose to its roots: wow. Rye blitzkrieg.

Bruclear Rye Saison is like staring into the eyes of a rye abyss. Spicy rye lights up the palate (note the use of the two different words, my barely literate fellow travelers) like a vintage game of 8 Ball Deluxe. The mid-palate is no less interesting. Spritz of riesling, lemon rind, pepper that might be the rye again. Finish unveils an unexpected sweetness that borders on honey & makes me want to gulp whatever's left in the glass. A goose of carbonation would be very welcome.

I've been wishing for a long time that brewers would make more of this style - the strengths of rye & saison seem to complement one another. That said, there ain't much saison in this here beer. That's OK though, because it's really good.

750ml into Duvel glass.

Zero pop on cork but very tough to get out. Pours with a short, white, tight-bubbled head over an extremely clear, deep golden body. Lots of carbonation flowing up. Touch of lacing.

Aromas are soft. Just a faint hint of spice, over lots of green apple skins.

Mouthfeel is also timid/soft for the style. Flavors continue the green apple, with some cinnamon, sweet citrus, and light hop bitterness. Carbonation is low, but finish is fairly dry.

This might be a nice gateway beer, for the non-initiated Saison drinker. A really easy drinking Saison - quite a bit sweeter than most, without the zest of the rye that I was hoping to get tangled up with.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle from the NHC
Pours a relatively clear dark straw color with a huge fluffy white head that persists forever. The aroma is quite spicy with the tart rye malt mixing it up with the peppery yeast esters. Light sweet honey malts provide a hint of backbone with a few fleeting whiffs of orange and citrus fruits. The flavor is lightly sweet honey and sugary malts up front with a bit of and orange and lemon zest thing going on. Peppered rye bread comes in next and dominates the palette before a long lingering sweet and tart finish. Medium body with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a bubbly mouthfeel. Pretty nice saison, I actually think its improved a bit since I had it at the NHC, the rye was quite assertive then and now it seems to made mingled quite nicely.

 

750 mL bottle poured into a nonic. Giveaway as part of 2013 National Homebrewers Convention.

A careful pour yields a clear, dark yellow color, with a huge pillow of foam that doesn't dissipate. Looks beautiful. Huge carbonation with a rush of bubbles flowing to the surface. Aroma is full of spicy, phenolic notes.

From the spicy flavor from the Rye, and the phenols from the yeast, to the fizzy, carbonated mouthfeel, this is one tongue tingling beer. Finishes dry, with a hint of astringency / aspirin taste.

All in all, a pretty tasty beer. I'm not the hugest fan of saisons, but I did enjoy this one.

 

 

Brewed in conjunction with Bruclear Homebrew club, for the National Homebrewers Convention in Philadelphia, PA this year- the style of choice is a highly effervescent Farmhouse Ale with heightened earthy spiciness from rye grain addition. With so much agreement in the yeast phenolic complexes and the husky rye- why haven't we seen more of this combination?

Upon the pour, the bright hazy-straw beer pushes racing streams of carbonation upwards to fuel a stark-white head of fluffy texture. Its an authentic look that seems to come straight out of Belgium.

Fruit, spice, and earth rise to greet the nose with the backing of tart wine-like scents. Mild honey and biscuit play lightly on the nose while under-ripened oranges, apples, and lemon steer towards fresh cracked peppercorns, light clove and straw. Its a delicate scent that tilts a bit more to sweet scents and fruit than spice. So far, any rye additions can easily be chalked up to grain or yeast character.

To taste, the sweeter-than-expected honey and cracker medley weaves in the apple, orange, and lemon ester for a tangy-sharp early palate. A pang of spicy bitterness also strikes early on in the earthy, husky way that only rye can. But its taste is restrained as it allows the other yeast spices of the beer to balance against the sweet fruitiness without much interruption, but in conjunction to. But a finish of pepper, dried fruit, and white wine acidity ensures refreshment, character, and drinkability.

The slight off-weighted texture may be a tad rich, but the zesty carbonation provides a champagne-like sprite character and pushes the beer off the tongue and toward a quick finish with relative ease. Semi-dry in finish, its final memories are prickling, warm and spicy.

The Rye Saison could have pushed a bit further- both with dryness and with rye character. Its spice and earthy taste is sparsely recognized beyond the attributes that are common to Saisons. But its a firm Saison otherwise and a bit more authentic in dryness, spice and effervescence than most Belgian-style ales made in America.