Red-Headed Stranger
Brasserie Saint James

 

 

one of their more popular beers from what i gather, a delicious amber colored saison, interesting on the yeast, full of flavor, and real drinkable, i could have made an evening of this one happily. its got great clarity and a classically high rising white belgian head. smells a little funky, even a touch tangy, but clean to me, minerals and earthiness, an abbey type yeast thats real well developed in here, and a slightly vinous saison element as well, rather complex for how approachable and traditional it seems at the same time. there is a cool peppery note in the nose and taste, white wine too, and just a bit of sweetness from the grain, but it stays earthy and rather quite for how well refined it is. i really like this yeast, or mix of yeasts, and have admired it in other beers from these guys before, but i think it seems most well suited to this particular grain base, its awesome and distinctive. a dried berry note in the flavor, maybe faint raisin, a nutty kilned malt thing, but never heavy. great carbonation and frothy feel, and really drinkable overall. i was impressed with this, they do the belgian and funky styles so well! i dont think these guys get enough attention for their beers, this is enormously high quality stuff.

 

Unknown vintage; drank 7/5/16 @ the Yarchives.

See-through ruby red appearance; aggressive champagne bubbles throughout.

A rough pour yielded a big khaki head; thick frothy lace.

Apple cider, banana & mild clove notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel. Apple cider & banana flavors up front; mild clove notes on the finish.

Yep, saison vibes which are never my favorite, but this is well made & above average.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: Pours a slightly muddy copper red color, with a nice creamy head that dissipates quickly, no lacing left on the glass.

S: Caramel and toffee, some lemon and white pepper, notes fruit including a little apple and cherry, some toasted dark malt, a note of spicy hops.

T: Sweet caramel and toffee mixed with some stone fruit, clove and white pepper, toasted darker malt, ends with a note of spicy hops. Finishes a little sweet for a saison.

F: Mouthfeel feels slightly watery, and lower carbonation

O: This saison leans a little closer to an amber or red ale than a straight saison.

 

 

Type: 750-ml. bottle
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary tulip glass
From: Chad
Price: $12.99 (est.)
Purchased: N/A; Received July 26, 2016
Consumed: July 29, 2016
Reviewed as: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Misc.: No BOD on bottle; Bottle reads 6.6 pct. ABV

Thanks, Chad!

Received this from a Reno friend. Had stopped over there on my last visit and liked most of their beers. Thought I had tried this one before, but Untappd says I didn’t. Looking forward to having a good Saison.

Poured a copper, amber, cloudy color with 2-to-3 fingers of frothy, khaki head. Lots of bubble streams coming up from the bottom of the glass. Excellent thick, spiderweb, foamy lacing. World-class-to-almost perfect retention. This is a great looking beer. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled red apple, caramel malts, lactose (surprisingly), earthy cloves, white pepper and hints of grass. A bit maltier than I thought it would be. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste initially surprised me somewhat. Still kind of toasty and malty. Got red apple, caramel malts, hints of woody Nugget, toasty cloves, peppery spices, light toffee and earthy thick grass. (Taste - 3.75)

Light body. Creamy texture. Lively carbonation. Long finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was pretty good overall. I was back and forth on a bunch of the categories, but fine with my final decisions. (Overall - 4.00)

3.93 | 88 | B+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.6% ABV per the label.

Pours a murky reddish-orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Thick swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, apple juice, fruit, earth, yeast, and spice aromas. Taste is much the same with toast, earth, spice, yeast, and fruit flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with solid aromas and flavors for an American take on the style.

Serving type: bottle.

Red and mahogany colors, almost no head. Aroma was more like a red ale than a saison.

Taste was again more akin to an amber/red ale. Still drops the farmhouse strain aroma and taste wise, but it is in the background. Good try with the mix with a red ale, but the 'redness' is overdone and should be dialed back to make this better and allow the more traditional saison vibe to come out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very unique beer, called a red saison, similar to a Biere De Garde, but spiced and very interesting and very drinkable. Great food beer!!

Beautiful deep red color. Perfectly clear and no haze to speak of. Also no head to speak of when poured from the tap. This beer smells and tastes like a great beer, but calling it a saison is a bit of a stretch. I didn't get any funkyness, citrus, or spicy notes. I would have loved for any of those aspects to cut through the moderate to heavy maltiness. I also felt that the beer was under carbonated for the style. Maybe more Co2 would help elevate the subtle flavors.