Will O' The Wisp
Mystic Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Mystic Brewery
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
7%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 9.92%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
34
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 20, 2019
Added:
Aug 26, 2013
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Rye saison
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by kaelingirl:
Photo of kaelingirl
Rated by kaelingirl from Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

Feb 24, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of SABERG
Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a batch 1 750ml bottle into the test glass
A - Red cedar color, active carbonation feeds an off white frothy cap. During the experience loose lacing hangs on the glass interior.
S - Spicy rye, cherry skin, black pepper, brown sugar cookies. earthy autumn grass.
T - Red wheat, rye and toast malt, earthy hops, brown bread toast, caramel, raisin, a kiss of molasses, some dark cherry skin, and cracked pepper.
M - Medium in body, sweet start then waves of spicy grains, weave in and out. Carbonation is a bit prickly and welcome. The finish is drying with some sweetness hanging on.
O - A very good autumn ale, spicy, effervescent, with enough depth to keep your interest.
Oct 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by Kgoldsbe from Colorado

Apr 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Dicers from California

Mar 01, 2015
Photo of oceanman907
Reviewed by oceanman907 from Texas

3.79/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A-Dark Brown, muddled and murky, rotten leaves, opaque; off color cream head.
S-Sweet Cherry, toasty oak and rye dominate the palate, spicy apple, wet hay
T-Cherry and apple falling off to intense amounts of spicy slightly sweet brown sugar and a bit of a tart aftertaste.
M- medium body with a surprising amount of effervescence, really nice for a bottle conditioned ale
O-Very rye forward saison with plenty of caramel and fruit notes with peppery aftertastes. Just not enough acidity for the style and the yeast character is not as [resent as I would like it to be for year old beer. also a little too rye forward, but good for a unique rye forward fall saison.
Nov 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jwchestnut from Massachusetts

Mar 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by ScottStache from Massachusetts

Mar 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by halo913 from Connecticut

Mar 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mbmbmb from Massachusetts

Jan 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jwps214 from Massachusetts

Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Screper from Massachusetts

Jan 25, 2014
Photo of hagbergl
Reviewed by hagbergl from Maryland

4.12/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Everything that I have tried from Mystic Brewery has been really high-quality and complex; I expect the same from their fall seasonal saison, Will O' The Wisp. It comes highly recommended from beer geeks at Craft Beer Cellar Newton. Let's go.

Appearance (4/5): Poured into my Firestone Walker snifter. Dark brown body, slightly off-white head. The color contrast between body and head is pretty cool. The head sticks around for close to the entire drink, in the fashion of many of the better Belgian, bottle-conditioned beers. I'm impressed.

Smell (3.75/5): Lightly hoppy, some spice from the malted rye, but I cannot really detect the brown sugar. You can definitely tell that this a dark saison, though, since you get some light roasty, nutty, and spicy notes that aren't present in this beer's paler cousins. I'm liking it; it's subtle and complex, though not outstanding.

Taste (4.25/5): The rye and brown sugar are much more evident in the taste. The brown sugar in particular adds a great dimension to the beer, giving it a subtle molasses-like sweetness that you don't get in a traditional saison. The yeast lends a dryness and spiciness, which also plays nicely off the rye malt. The hop profile is grassy and lightly spicy–less citric and bright than your typical saison–but the hops stay in the background for the most part. I also get a considerable amount of dark bread–pumpernickel and wheat–as well as a nutty character. Really cool, dynamic flavors going on here that in some ways remind me of an English brown ale or Belgian dubbel.

Mouthfeel (4.25/5): Dry finish, amazingly creamy mouthfeel from the bottle conditioning. It's a relatively easy drinker compared with other dark ales you'll be drinking this winter.

Overall (4.25/5): Another excellent and unique saison by Mystic Brewery of Chelsea, MA. It incorporates some of the flavor profile of dark Belgian and English ales while maintaining its saison "core," so to speak. To the grassy, spicy hop character and dry yeastiness of a traditional saison are added a sweetness from brown sugar and a robust, spicy and bready character from the use of rye malt. Really good. If you see it, buy a couple bottles and check it out for yourself.
Jan 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by bleeps from Massachusetts

Jan 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by WanderingFool from Massachusetts

Dec 14, 2013
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

4.06/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottle from Winooski Beverage Warehouse.

A - Good carbonation and bright. Mahogany colour with two fingers of fluffy off white head. Really nice spatterings of thick lace and a solid half finger of retention throughout.

S - Red ale aroma. A bit of caramel. Some mild hops. Not a ton going on.

T - Again, very similar to a red ale. Toffee sorta flavour. Definite rye present, but not aggressively spicy. You can pick up the sugar there too. Dark fruit. Drinks more like a Belgian Dubbel as the yeast is added. There is a pleasant sweetness present too. What didn't seem like a very complex or interesting beer, certainly takes on some newer elements with the addition of the yeast, and some warming.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, dry and sweet finish with some spiciness.

O/ D- I enjoyed this. Some good complexity and the rye didn't take it over. Well done.
Dec 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Nov 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by maxk from Massachusetts

Nov 28, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Janeinma from Massachusetts

Nov 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by msondel from Massachusetts

Nov 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by PatGreer from Massachusetts

Nov 12, 2013
Will O' The Wisp from Mystic Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 34 ratings