3rd Anniversary Saison
Excel Brewing Company

 

I was very happily surprised by how good this beer tasted. A hint of tartness, that cleansed the pallet. I'm sad to see it is retired, it would like to drink this again.

 

22oz bottle. Poured out a clear, amber color with a tan head of foam. It smelled of red wine, spices and yeast. Sweet caramel taste with red wine-like taste. Some yeastiness and spices.

I bought this for a trade that fell thru so I had to drink it.
A - Pours a hazy golden orange color with a small white head that goes away quickly.
S - Has an inviting wine aroma and makes you think it will be more tart or sour than it is.
T - Flavor is somewhat tart, somewhat funky, and the barrel aging is definitely present.
M - Medium high carbonation, medium mouth feel. Somewhat dry.
O - Does not come across as your typical saison. It's boozier than most I've tasted. Really glad I got to taste and I would buy more if I found it.

 

Hazy Amber orange, lasting surface skim, arcs of spotty lacing.
Aroma is sweet, yeast esters dominate. Not getting any barrel characteristics.
Taste has a little bit of vanilla, which could be attributed to the wine barrel, but nothing distinctively red wine. Malty and estery, apple traces, noticeable alcohol with fuzzy edges.
Overall it's pretty good, though comes across more as a BSPA than a Saison.

Thanks to Thomas & Jenny for sharing this one!

 

 

 

 

A- Hits the glass in a medium golden color with the slightest bit of haze in the body. A decent sized, frothy and fizzy head forms at about a 1.5 finger thickness before reducing down to a few millimeters on the top of the beer. Lacing is adequate and there is a ton of carbonation continuously rising.

S- A big, beautiful bouquet of light tartness hits the nostrils at first whiff of this beer. The tartness is somewhat citrus-like, reminding me most closely of a blood orange. Under the initial, prominent scent, there is a touch of light acidity that makes me think of light lactic acid first, and then morphs into an oaky dryness. Finishes with just a slight bit of lingering, light tartness.

T- The beer hits the tongue with a smaller portion of the tartness from the scent. It is tart for a brief instant before the taste moves in a drier direction. Light grains and a bunch of musty, yeasty, funk hits next and provides an almost wheat-like flavor. The flavor stays in the grainy region and reminds me of a strong Belgian golden through the middle of the drink. At the back end, a bit of bitterness ramps up and combines with the funky flavors and a touch of the barrels to round out the drink. There is just a touch of the red wine present in the flavor, but not enough for me to guess at the varietal. I would guess that this beer is lightly hopped to bring out the bitterness at the back end. Lingering flavors on the tongue are funk, light hops, and maybe just a touch of pepper.

M- As I have come to expect with the style, this saison is very highly carbonated and stongs the palate lightly when drinking. Despite the carbonation level, the beer is rather thick and smooth feeling on the tongue. There is a touch of noticeable alcohol warmth in this beer, but it is in line for the 9% ABV that it sports.

Overall, this beer is a real conundrum for me. It is light in flavor with high carbonation, yet it is also thick and smooth feeling with some alcohol warmth. The scent makes you think that it is a light and tart beer, where the taste itself is a little more funky and dark. All in all, this is a very good beer that displays a little bit of its barrel aging and a little bit of wildness. Not my favorite beer, but an interesting experience of a drink.