La Sirène Serendipite
La Sirène Brewing

Look: It pours burnt orange with an off white head. Head retention is good.

Smell: It has a musty aroma with some sourness, floral notes, and a bit of spice. There is very low lemon with a hint of wood.

Taste: Its sourness is on the strong side with some spicy notes. It is a bit musty with hints of floral a lemon. There is very low wood with hints of earth.

Feel: It has a moderate body with a moderately strong sour finish.

Overall, It was a bit more sour than I like, but the flavors were good.

 

 

Two milestones I might note.
First, this is my 100th saison; comfortably the second largest style I've rated and certainly the style I've written the most reviews for. Also, the saison style has the most repeats (although I don't have BA to keep track of that.)

Second, this is the second Aussie Belgian I've had in consecutive nights. Both are better Belgians than I can remember having had during my month Down Under. (Serendipity in a bottle.) Both are courtesy of Shelton Bros. I guess I can conclude that those Bros know how to shop and find.

A good Looking saison with just enough foam to invite me in. (Great Art Nouveau-inspired looking label, too.)
A nice Smelling wild with just enough funk to say what is coming.
And then put the two together as a decent Tasting wild saison with its tartness replacing the role of stimulating hops. As a session, the Feel is average (mostly too tart for me); but with a lemony pesto sauce (Genovese) Serendipite met its match.

An Overall pleasure to find Serendipity. And this wild saison could grow on me, I think I'll try next some of Sirene's more classical saisons. Go on their website: an interesting Urban Farmhouse Brewery in cosmopolitan Melbourne .

Pours a cloudy copper color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of bacterial funk, yeast, slight sweet malt, alcohol, fruit, hint of wood, and a hint of citrus hops. Fits the style of an American Wild Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also an elevated dryness and tartness. Tastes of bacterial funk, yeast, slight sweet malt, alcohol, fruit, hint of wood, and a hint of citrus hops. Overall, good appearance, aroma, blend, body, and complexity.

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 7/2016. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy deep orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, green apple, mango, melon, berry, red grape, peppercorn, orange peel, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of candi sugar, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, vanilla, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy/light acidic yeast, oak barrel, citrus hops, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, green apple, mango, melon, berry, red grape, peppercorn, orange peel, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of candi sugar, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, vanilla, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate yeast/oak spiciness and light lactic tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, green apple, mango, melon, berry, red grape, peppercorn, orange peel, toasted oak, hay, straw, herbal, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, leathery/musty funk, light vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy/light acidic yeast, oak barrel, citrus hops, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, bready/grainy, fairly sticky/tannic, and lightly acidic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6%. Overall this is an awesome wild saision! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy/light acidic yeast, oak barrel, citrus hops, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink, with the modestly spicy/tannic/drying finish. Really awesome Brett complexity with mild Lacto. Big oak presence and balanced malts, without being sweet/heavy feeling. A very enjoyable offering.