La Provence Saison
5 Seasons Westside

Appearance: Served up an ever so slightly hazed, light golden body with a small, white head.

Smell: Delicate, dainty maltiness with a light waft of cloves, a bit of lemon zest, and, of course, the recognizable scent of lavender.

Taste: A portion of powdered sugar overtop the light maltiness, then the full floral, faintly herbaceous lavender tones. Small hint of lemon, like a splash of Crystal Light. Soft, low bitterness. Tiny pinch of ground cloves. Twinge of tartness and a bit more of the lavender for the drying, soft finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-light carbonation. Fairly smooth, soft mouthfeel.

Overall: It's enjoyable and the lavender inclusion is just right. Also, I've been digging the more recent of Westside's less-heavy saisons.

The beer appeared a clear light golden color with no head. There was some remnants of it left around the outside of the glass, but I squarely blame this on the bar tender, as during the beer, it was apparent that the beer had good carbonation, but I can't really give it a rating of anything above average as it looked the same as the Golden Number Ale that was brought to my wife.

The aroma was lighter and more fruity than expected with less spice to it.

The taste pretty well followed the nose. It had a lighter saison/Belgian malt to it, which made it citrus sweet. The beer did have an interesting aftertaste, in that there was a distinct floral hop and a slight lavender hint to it. Very enjoyable.

The beer was on the lighter side, but was crisp, smooth and easy to drink with good carbonation.

Overall, an average Saison at best, nowhere close to Hennepin, which I hold to be the standard (at least until I try better). I probably would not try this one again.

On-tap at the brewpub.

Pours an opaque light gold color with a two-finger bright white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of large amounts of spices - white pepper with hints of coriander - along with big hits of lavender. Also present are moderate amounts of floral hop aromas.

Tastes very good. Light malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by white pepper and hints of indistinct light fruits. Mdiway through the sip the flavor profile softens with the addition of refreshing floral and lavender flavors. Near the end of the sip light citrus hops work their way into things, fading out into a crisp and mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass very quickly and could easily have a few more of these.

Overall I was a big fan of this beer, though I've learned to have relatively high expectations for saisons made by 5S. A perfect beer for drinking in warmer weather and one I could have a lot of. Very well worth a shot.