Blacklight
Oxbow Brewing Company

RB transfer

Had this beer from tap at Churchkey. Poured into a tall snifter. Dark brown color with nice white head and great curtain lacing. Earthy dark malt and taste. Fruity and a hint of spice. Hoping for something a bit more funky it a good beer.

It pours almost like a porter - maybe not quite as dark, more cola colored. The head is khaki and tall, falling to a uniform 1/8 or so inch cap that lasts to the very end, some great cling to the glass.

The smell opens with dark malts, earthiness and maybe a slight acidic tang. Almost burnt wheat toast, a little black pepper, a sweetness like honey or maybe light molasses, and a green grassy tea-like contribution. Mild, vague spice.

The taste carries this through and adds a layer or two. Not sure I can unravel all of it. Definite toasty wheat up front, almost a rye like tang, some fruit notes like plum and raisins, a little bit of a cocoa taste. Very mild citrus I do not smell. Nutty flavors late in the taste, and what starts as peppery ends as a licorice or fennel aromatic taste. It's earthy in the umami sense of the word. Touch of sweetness like toffee. A green grassy flavor right at the end - green tea?

The feel is more full-bodied than your typical saison, with smoothness I associate with oats. Mildly carbonated, dry finish. It gets close to the "char" borderline for me...almost but not quite unpleasant.

Overall, a pleasant beer. Well made, lots going on. A different saison experience.

Canned 11/15/22

The few time I’ve had Oxbow beers I always think that I should get more but rarely do. I’m very happy I found this dRk Saison from them, a seldom seen Saison subset. I’ve had maybe 5 or so before which were all pretty damn good, so I’m always down to try more. Let’s crack it open and see what it has to offer

Pours a very dark brown with 2 fingers of creamt light tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose displays a wonderful balance of dark malty notes, earthy notes, and acidity. I’m picking up on aromas of dark toast, black pepper, molasses, earthy hops, wet hay, green tea, lemon zest, wildflower honey, and light wheat

It really carries that balance into the taste and has a wonderful snap to it that elevates it even further. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting dark bread, rye spice, black tea, plum, wet hay, earthy wheat, peppery hops, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of cocoa powder, dark bread, raisin, black tea, earthy hops, roasted nuts, wet hay, light plum, and toffee

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes dry and balanced

This one is damn good. I need more dark Saisons in my life please!

 

 

 

Two unique qualities here.
1) Looks, this may be the darkest of the 354 saisons I've reviewed on BA. I like unique.
2) Smells, not so surprising... instead of early Autumn light tree fruit (apples), Blacklight gives me dark fruits like plums and dates... albeit a bit slight.

Uniqueness aside, Blacklight shows craft. Tastes are balanced well by sweet malts and appropriate spicing. Pepper from the yeast is not as complex as in the better pales, but suitable for the saison which, after all, is a table ale and is better when it makes food better. (And Blacklight did with an average batch of my ratatouille.)
The oats are quite smooth and the little bubbles help clean the palate for dinner. ( Earlier, a red sauce on pasta.)

While I will keep my second can from Beer Drop for November, I intend to buy more Oxbow before then. This is to compensate for being slight to them; given that some of my early saisons with them had Brett or were otherwise a touch on the too tart side. But, I am figuring Oxbow out and will enjoy them more.

8/16/22 Had again with ratatouille as noted above. Edited above, re-rated a bit upwards and counting @ Untappd.

 

On tap at the Oxbow Beer Garden on May 27, 2022.

The color is dark brown to black with a light tan head that fades to a rim.

Inviting aroma of dark roasted malt, wheat, bread, biscuit and earth. Slight spice.

Light-medium mouthfeel.

Sweet dark roasted malt flavor with notable wheat biscuity aspects. Mildly tart but more about the malts. Enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

12oz can poured into a tulip

A- pours black in color with a one finger foamy off white head that reduces to a ring around the edge

S- roasted barley, char, chocolate, dried hay, cracked pepper, some barnyard yeast aromas

T- light char, coffee and chocolate notes up front, followed by some peppery and earthy yeast that adds notes of dried hay, wheat and lemon. The finish gives some rustic barnyard notes, as well as some char and chocolate.

M-medium body with medium carbonation leads to a bubble mouthfeel that continues into the finish

O- drinks like a mix between a saison and an Irish dry stout, good stuff

Can from The Beermongers. Canned Feb 2021.

A very dark brown with a brown head with good retention and lacing this looks great. The nose is lovely dark saison. Roast, grain, raw wheat, toast, cocoa, light chicory, a lovely spice note, a blend of grains of paradise and toasted cumin. The palate opens light and crisp with a blend of wheat, a little straw, lots of dark roast character with cocoa, earth, dark honey. This is followed by the spice notes of yeast, fragrant grains of paradise, and a toasted black mustard/cumin combination. Drying, tart, and with a mild grainy acidity that's unique to the dark saison style, this beer is light in body, crisply carbonated and finishes long and cracker sharp. Great stuff.

Can from MrBarleywine, thanks for the hookup.
Dark brown with hints of garnet on the edge and a creamy off white head that persists.
Rich toasty bready caramel with earthy spice to counter.