There Goes The Neighborhood Rye Saison
Black Bottle Brewery

 

 

 

this isnt bad, the rye aspect is nice and subtle, but the saison yeast is just so generic, like, its the same stuff everyone seems to use, and it doesnt do the best job of uniting this seemingly disjointed brew. it looks fine in the glass, a light amber glow to it and plenty of head. the nose is all that french type high ester saison yeast, its really all i can smell. like its fermented real warm, the yeast had gone wild in this one, and its not all that flattering, it sort of takes over the other interesting elements like the rye malt interacting with the wheat. viniferous and sharp to me, rather than mellow and fruity, its not a bad flavor, just a lot more of it than works in this instance. the rye is lost to it a bit. there is enough carbonation in here, and its dry enough, but it just doesnt sing to me like i want it to in terms of mouthfeel, it doesnt have that haze and old worldy appeal i like in the style. not a bad beer at all, just not really my palate because if the overly assertive yeast factor.

"There Goes the Neighborhood Belgian Rye Saison."

BOTTLE: 1 pint 9 fl oz brown glass with generic uninteresting label art and an unbranded pry-off pressure cap served cold into a tulip at high altitude in Castle Rock, CO.

Reviewed live as a saison per the label. Allowed to warm over the course of consumption. 7.3% ABV. Bottled 7/30/14.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: 3 finger wide head. White colour. Average creaminess, thickness, and fullness. Underwhelming complexion and consistency. Retention is good - about 6-8 minutes. Leaves no lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes.

BODY: Clear translucent copper colour. Clean; no yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Overall, it's not a great looking saison, appearing shockingly filtered without saison's trademark haziness. Not unique or special looking, but generally appealing.

AROMA: Surprisingly starchy. Hay, grassy hops, flaked wheat, Belgian yeast with a bit of spiciness, and generic indistinct fruit. I do get a biteen of spiciness I'd attribute to rye, but it isn't overt; I wouldn't detect rye as a grain if I tried this blind. Even the brettanomyces is severely restrained, lending no real funkiness at all. Honey malt, Belgian golden malts, Belgian pale malts, and grains of paradise. Nicely floral, but not real hoppy.

No overt alcohol or off-notes are detectable.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE: Has a great sweetness/bitterness balance, with subtle floral and grassy hops taming the sweetness of the grains of paradise, Belgian golden malts, Belgian pale malts, clean barley, flaked wheat, and honey malts. I can't find the rye; I do find a subtle spiciness but I'd just as soon attribute that to the Belgian yeast as to rye malt. It's not a real bready beer. The spice profile is quite mild, leaving this wanting in the spice department; don't hope for a Fantome-esque level of intricacy or an evident proprietary spice blend. It's also not milky like Dupont's world-class offerings.

Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. It's nicely balanced, albeit quite simple for a saison. The sore absence of both brettanomyces-induced funkiness and barnyard character (e.g. straw or hay) is particularly detrimental. I do like it, but I can't say I'm impressed; it leaves a lot to be desired.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, medium-bodied, fairly refreshing, a bit too thick, and overcarbonated. This texture isn't a great complement to the taste, nor does it elevate the beer, but it doesn't distract. Needs work.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, rough, harsh, scratchy, or dragging on the palate. Overall presence on the palate is decent.

OVERALL: Not much of a saison, nor much of a roggenbier. A pedestrian Belgian style ale which will fail to impress the discerning drinker. Unlike most Black Bottle offerings I've tried, this one will be soon forgotten. Passable and drinkable. Meh...

High C

Pours copper golden with a white head. Aroma offers some spice from the yeast, caramel and bready from the malt, spicy rye, and cream. Flavor follow suit. A medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Could use a touch more activity, though the creaminess was quite nice. Overall, another underwhelming beer from Black Bottle. Not bad, but lacks much pop to make things interesting. Easily drinkable but not one I have any interest in bothering with again. After enjoying Hopelessly Devoted from them so much I had high hopes for this one. Oh well.