Hibernal Dichotomous (2019)
Jester King Brewery

definitely one of the weirder and more fun bottles of jester king beer from our epic tasting. this is a funky and now tart saison type done with cardamon and roasted beets and carrots, how unique! pretty amber color to this, bronze shine to it and clear through the top half or so of the bottle. then a little haze sets in, but this never gets heavy. with these ingredients and flavors, i almost expected this to also be strong and sweet, but its oddly delicate and dry, unexpected, and even though its got some sturdy almost english bready maltiness to it, its not heavy beer to me at all, and the light caramelized grain richness enhances the added ingredients and the ferment alike, which really are what define this brew. the nose and taste show familiar jester king funk, well aged now in the bottle, more bretty than sour which is nice, but a good little pucker there as it warms. the roasted beets and carrots add a ton to this, a little more carrot to me, that almost sweet honey milk character good organic carrots have when juiced, and the roast is subtle enough to allow the roots themselves to stand out, not seeming too cooked or charred or anything. amazing complexity to this, deeply earthy lightly metallic on the malt side and i think its flattering, nice funk to finish, somehow cleaner than it seems possible for it to be. i love that the beets and carrots stand out, the cardamom isnt too much, and this doesnt present as asian cuisine or anything, its not that spiced. light white wine and saison esters with the funk on the swallow, very complex beer ad super well refined. probably my favorite of this seasonal series that i have gotten to try!

Bottled in March 2019, opened on April 2020.

L- Pours a two finger frothy and clear white head. The color has a natural reddish gold and peach tint that's dyed by the carrot and beet in the beer. One of the most interesting colored beers I've seen. Slightly carbonated. Looks incredible.
S- The smell is immediately sweet and tart. Herbal spice, sweetness from the carrot, and earthiness from the beat. The whole aroma mixes together very well. Funkiness in the end.
T- The taste follows the nose. Good bit of sweetness from carrot, earthy and vegetable bite from the beat, and herbal spiciness. Sour funkiness throughout.
F- Dry finish, light mouthfeel. I'm enjoying the light carbonation as well.
O- Another score for Jester King. Absolutely delicious farmhouse that's aged incredibly well and was flavorful, light, earthy and funky. I feel like this beer is rare so, if this is my only chance to have it, I feel pretty lucky.

Hazy burnt amber, nearing brown, with a tall head that requires quite the slow pour, building an off-white eggshell meringue foam that retains permanently, leaving chunky lace all over the glass.

Overall spicy and woody, that classic, inoffensively mild and unique JK brett comes with relatively clean oak that's a little dusty and nutty, accented by faintly tart citrus peel. A slight hint of generic earthiness adds substance and character to the background, with the faintest touch of roast or char to it, but it's not really specifically exhibiting beet or carrot, which is a little disappointing.

Mouthfeel is softly medium, as the light tingly carbonation froths up before a just semi-dry finish.

This version is a quality saison no matter which way you slice it--no surprise there--and I love JK saisons to begin with. I just was hoping for more root veg character this time around, if not for any other reason than to just see what it would be like.

Pours a translucent ruby-pink with two fingers of dense, pink-white foam. Head retention is fair. Aroma is a smattering of wild and vegetable characteristics, with cellar stone, lemongrass, carrots, pears, dark fruits and beets. It carries a little earthy overtone with a kiss of sweetness at the front.. Flavor profile is carrots, pears, apricot, dark fruits, plum, lemongrass, beets and a little cellar stone right at the finish. It doesn't come off with any hearty sour qualities, instead forming a more vegetable medley. Balance is struck really well here, carrying just a little tartness that gets balanced out by a touch of sweetness. Mouth feel has a soft effervescence that remains all the way through until a lightly prickly finish. Thickness is medium-thin. Overall, a very unique, but well balanced and executed, wild ale with a hodgepodge of vegetable and fruit characteristics.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 750mL bottle.

 

Hibernal Dichotomous 2019 (batch #5) is a Sour/Saison/Wild Ale from Jester King, ABV 5.80%. It is another unique Jester King creation, and different from previous Hibernal Dichotomous, which I guess is why it has it's own entry. It is brewed with cardamom pods and refermented with roasted beets and carrots. My wife, daughter and dog all took a sip and they all liked it (when I let my dog take a sip I drink from the other side of the glass).

Look: murky red with a very thick white head

Aroma: beets, cardamom

Taste: The flavor is a little bit tart and sweet almost like berries, maybe raspberries, but you can also taste the beets and the carrots.

Body/Overall: light body

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Pinkish orange color, clear, with a very nice white head and great lacing. Fruity smell, strawberry and raspberry. These are also flavors in the taste. Very refreshing and bright taste. Very nice summer beer.