Autumnal
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

From bottle at Rattle n Hum, NYC. Very pleasant surprise. Slightly hazy ruby/mohagony look. Foamy excitation on the crown with very little on the tongue. The sweet/tart of a light port, but less body.

The 25 fl oz bottle should get better as it warms.

 

12oz bottle - yet again, more hard to really identify with label imagery, which sure as shit doesn't engender shelf turnover, IMHO.

This beer pours a clear, dark orange-brick amber colour, with a veritably teeming tower of puffy, finely foamy, and somewhat bubbly ecru head, which leaves a bit of streaky and chunky low-lying cloud form lace around the glass as it slowly but surely subsides.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, muddled black berry and stone fruity notes, musty Belgian yeast, a mild mixed peppercorn spiciness, and some very tame leafy, herbal, and estery floral green hop bitters. The taste is gritty and grainy caramel malt, muddled bruised pome fruit, some faintly phenolic Low Countries yeastiness, further indistinct grainy notes, and more weak earthy, musty, and herbal verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is fairly active in its palate-taunting frothiness, the body an adequate medium weight, and not particularly smooth, as both the yeast and tart fruitiness make hay where it really isn't required. It finishes trending dry, the malt sort of bottoming out, the fruitiness humming 'la la la', and that elevated ABV seeming to be planning its first move.

Overall, this is one of the better kitchen sink offerings that I've had from this brewer - it's essentially a maltier version of a base saison, with some noble hops tossed into the mire. Not bad, in the sense that I can kind of appreciate what the hell they're going for, for once.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark walnut brown with a one finger light khaki head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of grainy malt, saison yeast; lightly earthy. Flavor is grainy malt with little hint of caramel at the start, dates, light grassy hops, saison yeast and a touch of spicy funk. Finishes with grains and light hops. Medium bodied with light creaminess. An interesting take on a saison; quite a bit darker than traditional and with the interesting light caramel in the start, although mostly traditionally grainy and medium dry. There is a light earthiness that really does make this reminiscent of an autumn evening with dry leaves. I've always enjoyed Stillwater's saisons and this one is also very nice. This may have been the first Stillwater I ever tried, but for some reason never reviewed it until now.

A: Dark ruby-red color with a small but consistent head.
S: Sweet, slightly musty malt aroma, hints of dark fruits. No hop scent I can detect.
T: More bitterness than I was expecting, offsetting the sweetness, though hop flavor is fairly low. Very fruity yeast character, and complex malt flavor. Bitterness carries over to the dry finish. I would probably have identified this as a dubbel in a blind tasting.
M: Full-bodied, soft, slightly low carbonation mouthfeel.
O: Decent Belgian dark, not really what I'm looking for in a Saison.

 

 

 

12 oz brown bottle - bottled on 8/3/15 [215: 2015]

Stillwater Artisanal Autumnal Ale poured a dark amber hue producing a 2-finger off-white foamy head that held well and formed chunks of lacing. The aroma is of dark fruit toasted bread and just a little sweetness. The taste begins with toasted bread, then dark fruit [dates and figs come to mind] and finishes with a hint of sweet caramel. Mouth feel is medium with a moderate carbonation.

Overall, not my favorite Saison/Farmhouse Ale - enjoyable nonetheless. Sure worth a try if you like the style.

From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This nice amber pours a murky brown color with a light off white head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring with light lacing. Nose of dark berries, dark sugars, light esters, and mild yeasty funk. Flavors exceed the nose with blackberries and medium dark brown sugar notes on the front and sides, dark breaded malts hit the middle with a light bittering hop note on the rear with a touch of toffee. Decent mouth feel, low carbonation, and a dry finish.

Cheers

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

A real great looker of a brew. Deep chestnut red, looking like a real nice Marzen but with a classic Belgian middle column of carbonation rising through the center of the glass. Frothy and big bubble-bath foam on creation, with a solid easy four finger head, clingy and with moderate retention as it settles with soft foamy peaks and valleys. Great looking brew.

Real nice toasty malts of brown bread, with a mild sensing funk and brett. Chewy sourdough but with a darker grain bready quality that really shines. Slight herbal hop punch as well that comes out nicely, it's like a marzen saison or something, real neat.

Taste brings the goods. Malt bread basket filled with excellent brown bread flavors in the mid palate. Slight clove warmth finish on the phenol action but more brett makes it really linger. Lots of interesting bread angles, dry rye, pumpernickel, banana bread like ester with a good funky mix of farmhouse flavors. Drinks lightly for easy consumption with a supportive neutral mouthfeel that lets the flavors take turns. A mix of green earth and herb hop also pops nicely on the finish with a good farmhouse accent.

Reminds me of a real good solid bretted marzen, the best of both and works nicely. Fun and tasty brew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Amber, head fades to a thin rim. Sweet malts in the nose. Nice effervescence, sweet malts followed by yeast and bitter hops. Not the typical saison, but very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: A nearly brilliant deep amber to light brown pour under a stiff 3” frothy and clingy cream colored foam collar. S: Dark malt, traces of maple, fruit, barnyard. T: Rich dark malt flavors, traces of maple but not overly sweet, no burnt or harsh roast flavors. F: Very effervescent producing a creamy mouthfeel and giving the fairly light body more substance. O: A great beer for early October with a big pot roast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle, poured into a goblet

Appearance: Pours a beautiful, deep, dark, mahogany color with a quarter of a finger of white-colored head that quickly dissolved into a halo of foam that gripped the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Not very aromatic at all, but I do get some notes of toasted malt, a touch of nuttiness, some brown sugar and a touch of barnyard-y hay, straw and wet blanket

Taste: Very nice flavors of toasted malt up front, imparting notes of biscuits or crackers, flowed by some dried stone fruit, such as resins, apricots, or dates, some brown sugar-like sweetness, a touch of Belgian yeast which imparted some earthy notes of leather and tobacco, finished with a touch of sour cherry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with some good carbonation to tickle the taste buds. With an ABV of 7.2%, there is no alcohol on the palate.

Overall: Wow! This is another great beer by Stillwater. I’m really, really impressed with this brewer!