Farmhouse IPA
Magic Rock Brewing

It would seem this beer has been entered twice: once as a saison by Lervig, and again as an American IPA by Magic Rock. It is in fact a collaboration, not just between the two breweries, but of the two styles. If you bought this expecting a traditional saison you'd be disappointed, and you'd probably be even more disappointed if you wanted a typical IPA.

The beer appears a cloudy orange, with fairly little head. There's lots of sour fruit aromas with a whiff of hops. Flavour is spicy, with a spiky sourness and a bitter finish. As with the aroma there's a taste of sour fruit. The mouthfeel is fairly crisp, although perhaps a little thin.

What's interesting is that nothing is overwhelming: this manages to have a nice balance of what can potentially be intense flavours. The sourness from the yeast is there, as is the bitterness from the hops, yet neither overshadows ther other.

Overall, not a type of beer I'd drink all the time but very good nonetheless. If hoppy saison/sour IPA sounds weird, just give this a try and see how surprisingly well this marriage of styles works.

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Feb 2015. Picked up a little while back from Trembling Madness in York. A collaborative brew between Magic Rock and Lervig (Norway), this is a Belgian IPA with brett added to the mix. Funky stuff indeed.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottle conditioned. A very hazy golden-amber hue with plentiful fine sediment and medium carbonation. Yields a decent head of creamy white foam that lasts for a couple of minutes before reducing to a patchy surface layer. Aroma of fruity hops and vaguely funky yeast, with hints of white grape, melon, lime, orange peel, citrus, subtle tropical fruit, cut grass, earthiness, saison yeast and mild spice. Very nice.

Tastes of fruity aromatic hops and Belgian yeast, with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of white grape, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus, mild melon, a hint of pine resin, grass/hay, fruity yeast esters, subtle spice, a twinge of farmyard funk and stewed hops. Highly attenuated, followed by a hop-driven bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with light carbonation and good body. Hop oils stimulate the palate, though the CO2 could be a touch livelier. Somewhat astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of fruity aromatic hops, funky, earthy yeast and a stewed-hop bitterness.

Tasty - a satisfying blend of styles. Looks good, if rather murky, while the aroma and flavour possess a combination of intensely fruity hops and earthy yeast with a hint of funkiness. Body is alright, though enhanced carbonation would improve the mouthfeel. Goes down a treat; I sometimes find that Belgian IPAs don't work well but this is great. Well worth sampling if you have the chance.

330ml bottle bought from The Vineyard, Belfast... this is a collaboration between Magic Rock and Lervig of Norway

Poured a light golden orange colour. White head poured fairly thick and fluffy then faded to light wispy covering... some sticky lacing...

A lot going on in the aroma... earthy yeast mixed with tart juicy fruits (pears, grapefruits, mangoes), piney hops, floral, talcum powder notes, light honey sweetness, some earthy farmyard traces, hay, some rubberiness, raw nuts - walnuts and pistachios, fresh bread...

Taste - Tart spicy fruits (pears, grapefruits, apples), pithy notes, piney and peppery hops, quite a lot of earthiness, floral honey sweetness, quite perfumed, light funk, grassy hops, chalky, faint coriander, peppery, some thyme herbalness, metallic notes... flavour develops well as the beer warms up...

M&D - Pretty sharp and dry... medium body... Extremely refreshing and dangerously drinkable at 6.0%...

Overall - A top class Saison / IPA hydrid... supremely well made and balanced and as good a beer as i've had for a while... highly recommended