Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Sheepherder Saison
Sawtooth Brewery

2017
Name: Pinot Noir BBA Sheepherder Saison
Brewery: Sawtooth Brewing
Location: Hailey, ID
Style: Saison
ABV: 5.9%
Date: 2020
I am drinking Sheepherder Saison using a tulip glass. I served it at 48 degrees. There is evidence of the bottle leaking, but I am unsure how, considering I store them upright and around 54 degrees. A lovely hiss emits as I pry the cap off. The pour created an airy, two-fingered, light tan head with average retention. The color is medium amber with copper hues, charting around 12. The beer is clear with some yeasty floaties. Some lacing was left on the sides of the glass as it slowly dissipated. The appearance is average for this style.
Swirling the glass a few times, I smell cherries, funky horse blankets, and oak. Nosing the glass again, I notice light-toasted malts, wine, acidic acid, and a slight earthiness—spicy floral esters, grassy, and soft fruity undertones. I do not smell any off-aromas.
This beer is unique: a slight sourness with a spicy hop profile. The barrel aging lends to some fruity undertones and oak. The wine flavor somewhat pierces the beer; I taste wine but can not distinguish the exact flavors. Sipping the beer again, I taste a grassy note, white pepper, light earthiness, cherries, slight barnyard funk, and a touch of acidic acid. I do not taste any of the flavors.
The mouthfeel is carbonated and finishes dry. The body is medium and full of carbonation.
The season is good; the barrel aging changed it too much for me. The dry finish and cracker-like malt make for a refreshing treat after a long day at work.

Bomber from Albertsons. Dark golden body, small lasting cap, just shy of fizzy. Light wine barrel notes in the aroma get much deeper in the taste. Grapes, floral, grassy. Definite wine overtones. Small tangy bitterness.

i thought this was quite good, and honestly a way more ambitious beer than i thought i would find in here. you rarely see barrel aged beer at such a modest abv, and i appreciate that immensely, tons of flavor here without the buzz. its malty looking for a saison and has picked up just a tad bit of a red shade from the wine in the barrel, i have not had the base beer before on its own, but its obvious the barrel treatment contributes a whole lot to this one. there is some serious wood on the nose, some vanilla and tannins there, some red berries from the wine too, and a bit of funk and tang, maybe some bacterial element at work here too. the flavor is a little more mild, with the wood and wine almost as flavorful as the base beer itself, but some cool yeasty esters in the mix, some dried red fruits from the wine, plum and raspberry come to mind, and then a little bit of building acidity as it warms at the end of each sip. the wood is robust and the whole thing is mellow and smooth for how complex it is. quite well refined too, something of quality here, unexpectedly good from a brewery who really hasnt done a whole lot of this sort of thing to my knowledge. carbonation is bright and the finish is dry and tart, some wheaty body extending the whole thing. overall an impressive beer in a tricky style, be sure to try this one while its around this summer, its one of my favorites from these guys so far!

500mL undated bottle poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 5.9% ABV 33 IBU per label. The beer pours slightly hazy rusty amber in color with off white head. Minimal lacing. The head recedes to a few bubbles and a pencil thin ring. The aroma is faint Belgian yeast, spice and tartness. The taste is very oaky with lots of phenol (almost plasticy) and a medium bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with just less than medium carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good. It all comes together well enough, just not my favorite profile.