Stateside Saison - Chardonnay Barrel Aged
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hazy light yellow body with a light white head. Farmhouse notes on the nose with some fruits and Belgian esters. The barrels add some sweetness, oakiness, and smooth out the body. There is some light grape that carries through. So much flavor and so well balanced. This beer was definitely a home run.

 

 

 

 

33cl bottle - $8.99 at Mink's Package Store in Marietta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a heavily clouded, dark golden body with a modestly-sized, white head that settles quickly.

Smell: Fresh flowery notes, bright citrus, orchard fruits, with a slight spiciness amongst the modest-scented base of pilsner and wheat maltiness given a big sip of white wine (touching on oak barrel a bit) while all the while there is a noted acetic edge to it.

Taste: Pilsner malt base, slight honeyed sweetness paired with a pleasant, buttery chardonnay. Light floral tones, lightly citric citrus fruits. Amply bitter. Sweetish pears, fresh apple. Yeast character is charmingly spicy, the brett character, well, it was surprisingly more restrained than I had anticipated. Some sweet hints of sugar and honey come forth, as does a perky acidity, but the crisp suds help keep the finish easy-breezy and relatively dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Sharp, curt, yet oddly subtle carbonation.

Overall: Quite enjoyable. I can safely say I bear no ill will toward the barrel-aged Stateside Saison.

 

 

 

 

 

P: An enormous eruption once the cap was popped. Luckily I had a glass close by. Beautiful cloudy orange gold body with a huge tower of white frothy head that reversed to a thin bubbly wake. Wet lacing along the edges leaving behind chunky yeast particles.

S: Chardonnay, brett sourness, earthy yeast and oak shine at the forefront. Lemon zest, lime, grains of paradise, white grapes and a bouquet of peppery spices. Aroma is very similar to a sparkling white wine.

T/M: Earthy yeast, providing a palate covering must, with pears, green apple peels, and white grapes. Aroma is funkier than the palate but much earthier and a lingering spicy profile that warms the back of your throat. Body is acidic, light and vivaciously carbonated. Finishes boozy and dry with bitter apple peels sprinkled with lemon juice. Creates a feel of being in a dusty attic. Faint cardboard in the background.

O: I gotta say I'm loving Stillwater so far. This is a great saison that really exploded with wine aroma and Brett funk. The taste was much more faint than the nose but still worked well. I would have liked more Brett funk flavor but all in all a success. Cheers!

 

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: medium yellow bodied beer thats a little bit hazy. Big 2 fingers of white head. Drops down to a ring around the glass.

Smell: This one smells like its all about a saison. Lots of hay/straw notes. Really earthy. Hint of grapes and fruitiness. White pepper notes.

Taste: The saison is dominate and the chardonnay is subtle. Big hay and wheat notes with a touch of sweetness that I cant quite put my finger on. A touch of white pepper and lots of earthiness. Citrusy oranges and lemons. In the finish, you get a nice hint of white wine and oak.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Nice and crisp saison. Easy drinking and well made beer! The beer has a really dry finish.

Overall: I enjoyed this saison quite a bit. It my first Stillwater beer. They do a nice job with this style of beer. Beware its a foaming bomb out of the bottle. Have a glass ready to pour as soon as you crank the cap off this beer. You wouldnt want to waste any of this beer!

Poured into a stemmed tulip: This one's a gusher! Pop the cap & a stream of foam trickles out the top, but doesn't cause much problem for pouring. Solid orange body that's a little hazy with two fingers of fluffy, glistening, soft head that drops to a finger & leaves swaths of lacing.

Funky, tart smell of lemon, pepper, a little plastic/band-aid, something kind of sharp, like rotting orange, a little paper/cardboard, green apple.

Dry, dry citrus comes through in the taste, like angostura bitters, with some dry lemony tartness, just a little twist of sweetness like tea, then moving back into a strong boozy character, almost solvent. Some pretty complex stuff going on, but challenging, too. Green apple comes through again, but subtle. Man, that flat, dry character almost makes this like vodka.

Medium-full-bodied, effervescent, like a dry champagne. Really works over the palate, almost overwhelming.

This is a different kind of animal, like no saison nor like any wild ale I've had, really. Surprised by how alcoholic & medicinal it comes off, but each sip is different. Interesting, complex, challenging, don't know that I'd make this a regular but I'm glad I got to try it.

 

 

 

11.2oz bottle poured into large tulip - 2011 vintage

Pours a pale, hazy straw yellow with some golden hues. Fluffy white head bubbles up and retains nicely, coating the top of the beer and leaving some patchy lacing on the glass.

Spritzy and funky in the nose with touches of green apple and pear. Hints of chardonnay and white grape skin with yeast and light tartness. White wine and faint warmth.

Splash of pear and green apple with a hint of juicy citrus. White wine and white grapes with a touch of sweetness. Funky and yeasty with some biscuity malts. Oak and light tartness which lingers on the back end, kissed with a notion of citrus zest. Soft warmth in the finish.

Medium body, slightly higher carbonation, bubbly and dry on the tongue. I'm a fan of the base beer and this really takes it to another level - delicious, yet expensive stuff.

 

Bottle (2011)

Thanks for the gift, DarthKostrizer!

Cloudy orange with a moderately sized near-white head that doesn't last for long. This leaves one initial ribbon of lace on the glass, then leaves it pretty clean, all things considered.

The aroma is really quite nice, with good amounts of white grape and oak, tart apple (though not in a bad way!), mild Brett presence, hay, and grass. It's really successful.

The flavor isn't nearly as successful as the aroma, though it's still most certainly very drinkable. The green apple and white grape flavors are most prominent, along with a hint of Brett and oak. It sounds better on paper written down than it actually tastes. While good, and certainly above average, the flavors simply aren't integrated as well as I like.

Medium bodied with high carbonation. Very drinkable.

Above average, interesting, complex saison.

 

 

11.2oz bottle

Pours a straw color with white head. Just so-so head retention. Exciting carbonation level. Lots of sediment.

Smell is the shining feature of this beer in my opinion. Yeast and brettanomyces are clean and enticing. Oak lend a pleasant aroma. Acidic to the nose from low Ph and high carbonation.

My first sip I notice the sour tang as it was completely unexpected. Strong bitterness in contrast to the rest of the beer. I can taste the oak but not so much the wine. Brett sourness really drowns out the wine character. But on the other hand, it's quite delicious. Incredibly dry mouthfeel. Aftertaste has oddness to it.

I almost wish I didn't know it was aged in wine barrels. I look for that particular flavor and just can't detect it. But this beer is delicious, and obviously took great experience, or stupendous luck.

Bottle at DBGB Kitchen & Bar, New York, NY

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has some hints of amber. It poured with a thin layer of bubbles on the surface that eventually completely faded away.
S: There are strong aromas of chardonnay in the nose along with some hints of sourness and funkiness.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and is dominated by flavors of chardonnay; hints of sourness are also noticeable.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation and lots of dryness.
O: The barrel aging of this beer definitely yields an interesting saison.

Served in a bottle at DBGB Kitchen & Bar in New York, NY

A: Pours a lightly hazy yellow in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a thin fizzy white head that reduces to a patchy thin film. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Sour and slightly funky with some significant influence from the aging in the chardonnay barrels. There is a light amount of spices with a hint of buttery-ness from the chardonnay, some light amounts of grape, and some earthiness. This beer is very enticing to a saison lover.

T: The flavor very much follows the smell. Light amounts of lemon citrus, some spices, grape, buttery chardonnay, and the oak from the barrel. Sour and lightly funky with some hints of brett.

M: Light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Quite dry.

O: I really enjoyed this "bonus beer" at the tasting dinner. I found the flavor of this beer to be quite delicious and would love to get some more of it. I would really enjoy having more than one of these but it is a little strong for a session beer.

pour is a very hazed golden yellow with a creamy white head and a fair bit of bubbles. The nose is very minnerally with some golden grapes an light chard barrel. The flavor is more salty with some bright golden fruits. The barrel is light with a touch of mineral. The body is light and very carbonated. It is a touch messy, not super tight.

$8.99 for a 12oz. bottle from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee.

A: amber colored, slight haze, a gusher when opened at cellar temperature, eventually gives way to a veil
S: deep, full nose, slight amount of brett, earthy, yeast, fruity
T: well-made, traditional saison, a bit lacking in character compared to Dupont and others, clean, gritty finish
M: very mellow, well-balanced

Enjoyed on 3/20/2012, reviewed from notes.

Has a light golden color with plenty of active bubbles. Poured in to a 25cl tulip glass which didn't yield too much of a head, but that's mainly because the bartender topped off the glass. The little bit of head that was formed was bone white and fluffy, and dissipated pretty fast. There was enough to leave some nice lacing on the glass.

The aroma was light and sweet. Tart grapes, citrus, and light oak came out as the beer warmed (it was served a little too cold for my liking). Semi-yeasty finish.

Refreshingly funky. Tart yeast is pretty dominant, but there is a very nice base sweetness with subtle oak.

Very crisp and fairly carbonated. Light body and and very drinkable.

I was expecting a bit more wine and oak characteristics, but this is one of the best saisons that I've had in a very long time.

 

Pours a very crisp golden yellow with 2 fingers of bubbly bright white head. Decent retention... Eventually fades to a semi thin film.

The aroma is very invitingly and has a very tart finish on it. White grapes, pears, apple skin, lemon zest and a very welcoming champagne like yeasty quality to round it off.

The taste follows the nose but without the sharp tart note on the end. The Chardonnay barrels really smooth the taste of this saison out and it is amazing!

Light to medium in body with the perfect amount of carbonation. Slightly drying aftertaste, which is perfect. It makes me want to take another sip as soon as I finish the last.

Overall, this was an amazing saison. I really liked how the Chardonnay barrels smoothed this beer out and gave it a little bit of sweetness. I highly recommend this if you have a chance to pick one up