Hibernal Dichotomous (2016)
Jester King Brewery
- From:
- Jester King Brewery
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Saison
- ABV:
- 5.9%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.98 | pDev: 8.04%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 8
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 16, 2019
- Added:
- May 12, 2016
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 9
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Our motivation for 2016 Hibernal Dichotomous was to continue to experiment with the technique of bière de coupage while working with preserved goods at our brewery during a time in which fresh ingredients are less plentiful. In this case, we chose dried Genmaicha tea, which we had been experimenting with in test batches for quite some time. We also used some winter rosemary from our neighbor Pure Luck Farms in Dripping Springs. Lastly, we returned once again to the technique of bière de coupage, which involves blending mature, barrel-aged beer with young fresh beer. Bière de coupage was a method first used long ago by brewers as a way to influence the fermentation of the young beer with the microorganisms in the mature beer. It remains one of our favorite methods of creating unique flavors and aromas through fermentation.
The young beer in 2016 Hibernal Dichotomous was brewed with Hill Country well water, malted barley, raw wheat, oats, hops, rosemary, and Genmaicha tea. It was fermented with our mixed culture of brewers yeast and native yeast and bacteria harvested from the land and air around Jester King. The mature, barrel-aged beer came from our stock of Funk Metal. The blend was 100% naturally refermented in bottles, kegs, and casks. At the time of packaging, 2016 Hibernal Dichotomous was 5.9% alcohol by volume, 1.003 specific gravity, 22 IBU, and 3.2 pH.
The young beer in 2016 Hibernal Dichotomous was brewed with Hill Country well water, malted barley, raw wheat, oats, hops, rosemary, and Genmaicha tea. It was fermented with our mixed culture of brewers yeast and native yeast and bacteria harvested from the land and air around Jester King. The mature, barrel-aged beer came from our stock of Funk Metal. The blend was 100% naturally refermented in bottles, kegs, and casks. At the time of packaging, 2016 Hibernal Dichotomous was 5.9% alcohol by volume, 1.003 specific gravity, 22 IBU, and 3.2 pH.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ILMbeer from North Carolina
4.09/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Quick: Light on the nose, not overpowering. Gentle spon fermentation? Clean mouthfeel, a touch of dryness. Multiple organisms doing the souring here. Pretty, almost champagne carbonation. Label hints at some chilis in the recipe, but not getting any vegetative or heat notes like I expected. Very balanced.
Mar 18, 2018
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 2/11/2016. Pours slightly hazy very dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, plum, peach, pear, cherry, green apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, rosemary, mint, tea, hay, straw, oak, caramel, toasted brown bread, and cocoa; with lighter notes of coffee, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, spices, roast/bready malt, and oak barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, plum, peach, pear, cherry, green apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, rosemary, mint, tea, hay, straw, oak, caramel, toasted brown bread, and cocoa; with lighter notes of coffee, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate yeast spiciness and light lactic tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, plum, peach, pear, cherry, green apple, melon, white wine, peppercorn, rosemary, mint, tea, hay, straw, oak, caramel, brown bread, cocoa, leathery funk, light vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, spices, roast/bready malt, and oak barrel flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from tart/spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, fairly crisp, and lightly acidic/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero alcohol warming as expected of 6.1%. Overall this is a great dark saison! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, spices, roast/bready malt, and oak barrel flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the balanced tart/spicy finish. Classic Jester King house funk with great balance of malt and barrel flavors. A very enjoyable offering.
Jun 10, 2017
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas
4/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy darker brownish color with tan colored head. Yeast, funk, rosemary and tea with a tartness on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with tartness, funk, and some malt.
Jan 08, 2017
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pouring red to coffee brown, it darkens as the glass is filled to black and purple with a two finger beige foamy head leaving some light sheeting.
On the nose are Smarties, lemon-lime candy, a hint of funk, green grapes, and a hint of roastiness. I didn't realize Funk Metal was gracing me with its presence but it's a nice surprise.
Taste is roasted malt, toasted sesame seeds, grape and lemon-lime sodas, chardonnay, and mint. Wow! Seriously?
Feel is a little fluid, sometimes fluffy, and not as dry as other Jester King brews. 2016 Hibernal is oddly stout like, yet refreshingly light and almost gose-like at the same time, I don't think there was ever a more appropriate beer worthy of the moniker Dichotomous than this one!
It's amazing to me how the added ingredients transformed here. Where is the tea, the rosemary? Perhaps the tea added or turned into the lemon lime and mint, as I find matcha can be quite bright. But with rosemary usually being such an overpowering force in the food world, I can't imagine where it ran off too.
Sep 23, 2016On the nose are Smarties, lemon-lime candy, a hint of funk, green grapes, and a hint of roastiness. I didn't realize Funk Metal was gracing me with its presence but it's a nice surprise.
Taste is roasted malt, toasted sesame seeds, grape and lemon-lime sodas, chardonnay, and mint. Wow! Seriously?
Feel is a little fluid, sometimes fluffy, and not as dry as other Jester King brews. 2016 Hibernal is oddly stout like, yet refreshingly light and almost gose-like at the same time, I don't think there was ever a more appropriate beer worthy of the moniker Dichotomous than this one!
It's amazing to me how the added ingredients transformed here. Where is the tea, the rosemary? Perhaps the tea added or turned into the lemon lime and mint, as I find matcha can be quite bright. But with rosemary usually being such an overpowering force in the food world, I can't imagine where it ran off too.
Reviewed by Myotus from Texas
4.17/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured at 45°F from a 750ml bottle (blend #3 - 11Feb16) into a tulip. Consumed on 21Aug16.
SMELL: Mild aromas of rosemary, oak, sweet chocolate, toast, green tea, and salty minerals commingle with subtle aromas of sour green apple, vanilla, banana, earthy yeast, and balsamic vinegar.
4 out of 5.
TASTE: A unique combination of mild rosemary and sweet chocolate flavors fused with subtle vanilla flavors first flow on to the palate. Mild oak and sour green apple flavors present some of the typical Jester King characteristics. The uniqueness of the brew is augmented as mild flavors of toast and herbal green tea immediately follow while the oak flavors grow slightly stronger. Mild flavors of balsamic vinegar and subtle flavors of salty mineral present more funk as flavors of toast grow slightly stronger. A subtle banana fruitiness joins lastly as balsamic vinegar and salty mineral flavors grow slightly stronger while all other flavors press on.
4.25 out of 5.
NOTE: Truly a one of a kind beer. One would think that the herbal aspects of rosemary and green tea would not play well with the sweetness of chocolate and the funkiness of balsamic vinegar and sour green apple, but Jester King made it happen. This was a true, multifarious spectacle of contrasting flavors that blended incredible well. I look forward to see what time will do with my other bottle.
Aug 27, 2016SMELL: Mild aromas of rosemary, oak, sweet chocolate, toast, green tea, and salty minerals commingle with subtle aromas of sour green apple, vanilla, banana, earthy yeast, and balsamic vinegar.
4 out of 5.
TASTE: A unique combination of mild rosemary and sweet chocolate flavors fused with subtle vanilla flavors first flow on to the palate. Mild oak and sour green apple flavors present some of the typical Jester King characteristics. The uniqueness of the brew is augmented as mild flavors of toast and herbal green tea immediately follow while the oak flavors grow slightly stronger. Mild flavors of balsamic vinegar and subtle flavors of salty mineral present more funk as flavors of toast grow slightly stronger. A subtle banana fruitiness joins lastly as balsamic vinegar and salty mineral flavors grow slightly stronger while all other flavors press on.
4.25 out of 5.
NOTE: Truly a one of a kind beer. One would think that the herbal aspects of rosemary and green tea would not play well with the sweetness of chocolate and the funkiness of balsamic vinegar and sour green apple, but Jester King made it happen. This was a true, multifarious spectacle of contrasting flavors that blended incredible well. I look forward to see what time will do with my other bottle.
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland
3.42/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.42/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Blend #3, bottled February 11th 2016.
Well that's a pretty dark looking brew. Comes out of the bottle like a flattened growler that sat too long. A dark walnut red body, with a clear top, no head to barely speak of. Does manage a faint tan collar, and has a bit of a soda dark cola appearance. Seems a bit thicker while settling.
A really unique if somewhat bizarre aroma. First whiff is a real big sense of dark bread grains (pumpernickel? Rye?), and a bit of tart sensing sour cherry quality. Very clean, a bit subtle as the beer settles. Kind of a neat contrast, I seem to be enjoying this crazy bouquet even if it is a bit subtle.
Boy is this tart on the palate on first sip. Sour purple grape slightly, but also a sense of wet kool aid like flavors seem to come through also. A bit of tasty dark breads in the finish as well as the mid palate. Tartness subsides after a bit of awhile which allows some more of the other less sour flavors to come through a bit more but just barely. Sour table wine. Cinnamon a little. A little bit of cherry.
This is quite an odd brew. Bottle mentions rosemary as well for an ingredient and I am not getting that anywhere. Strangely drawn to it, but not in a liking way.
Aug 11, 2016Well that's a pretty dark looking brew. Comes out of the bottle like a flattened growler that sat too long. A dark walnut red body, with a clear top, no head to barely speak of. Does manage a faint tan collar, and has a bit of a soda dark cola appearance. Seems a bit thicker while settling.
A really unique if somewhat bizarre aroma. First whiff is a real big sense of dark bread grains (pumpernickel? Rye?), and a bit of tart sensing sour cherry quality. Very clean, a bit subtle as the beer settles. Kind of a neat contrast, I seem to be enjoying this crazy bouquet even if it is a bit subtle.
Boy is this tart on the palate on first sip. Sour purple grape slightly, but also a sense of wet kool aid like flavors seem to come through also. A bit of tasty dark breads in the finish as well as the mid palate. Tartness subsides after a bit of awhile which allows some more of the other less sour flavors to come through a bit more but just barely. Sour table wine. Cinnamon a little. A little bit of cherry.
This is quite an odd brew. Bottle mentions rosemary as well for an ingredient and I am not getting that anywhere. Strangely drawn to it, but not in a liking way.
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