Somerset Saison
The Wild Beer Co.

Somerset SaisonSomerset Saison
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From:
The Wild Beer Co.
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Saison
ABV:
5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 14.65%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
93
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 08, 2020
Added:
Jun 24, 2013
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  8
Epic by name, epic by nature, this Farmhouse Ale is a transcontinental fusion of Belgium's eclectic beer culture and the feisty hops of North America brought to life with the aid of West Country artisanal brewing wizardry and judicious use of the US-grown Sorachi Ace hop. On the nose, the hops deliver a big splash of tropical fruit, followed by ripples of well-seasoned spiciness spreading outwards. In the mouth a tangy, bittersweet hop fruitiness holds sway, whilst the finish is tangerine flavours from the hops that tap dance across the tongue.

With such a complex beer, it's no-brainer to partner it with food -- how about stir-fried lemon chicken where the bright citrus notes life the dish? Or be brave and invite the beer's spiciness for a tango with chicken satay. Like we said: Epic.
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Ratings by avitallo:
Photo of avitallo
Rated by avitallo from North Carolina

3.61/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jul 03, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

4.19/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Decanted from an 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottle into a custom taster pint; no production information.
A: Pours a hazy, amber-brown with a one to two finger, wheat colored head, surprisingly good retention, but very limited lacing.
S: Very slightly on tart side of tangy. Aromas of caramel malt, honey, apricot, and toffee.
T: Sweet to semisweet and slightly tart. Caramel, honey, and toffee flavors rounded out with raisin and a touch of cocoa. Very modest bitterness.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Chewy.
O: This is a tasty and robustly flavorful take on Saison. Would definitely seek this out again.
Jan 08, 2020
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.89/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
This is my second from Wild Beer and I'm not sure why my ratings are so much more enthusiastic than the BA average. But, I'm glad United International took the chance to bring Wild Beer to Chicago.

Somerset Saison (love the alliteration) Looks like a true farmhouse ale. (Somerset is a rural English county.) Smells give me tree fruit (probably apples), a little tho not a lot. While laboring under what strikes me as an average yeast, flavors still become full with the hops making their presence known. (I just read the label and the hops are Sorachi Ace, one of my favorites for a saison and with food.) The balance makes my mouth Feel that all is right with this saison. I had it with a simple soup for dinner and they were good companions along with the salad.

The four Wild Beers with the largest number of BA ratings are all Belgians. Interesting. So, I went on their website and was totally impressed by how much attention they paid to it. Artful, arty and thoughtful. They are making it all go. They have four bars, each with 20 or so taps. They make barrel-aged beers and sell spirits. They claim to have captured the Somerset terroir, and I believe it.
Jan 27, 2019
 
Rated: 2.97 by Mikexw from New York

May 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.64 by MGoeltz from Tennessee

Apr 30, 2017
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I am systematically eradicating the dreaded Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody! It was a long time in its (unintended) creation, thanks to too much travel & drinking away from home, but thanks (?) to unemployment/underemployment, I have been given the impetus to really plow into this mélange. It is paying off as I can see floor space & carpet where it was previously buried & some previously inaccessible doors are now available as ingresses/egresses.

Out of the Law of Unintended Consequences comes many opportunities to conduct horizontal tastings, defined as the same style and many breweries OR in my case, the same brewery, many styles. The obverse is a vertical tasting of the same beer with many vintages, generally ranging from freshest to oldest to gauge maturity (I have none) as well as the cumulative effects of the aging process. These next are an example of a horizontal.

From the bottle: "Crisp + Zesty + Spicy"; "Drink Wildly Different"; "We believe exceptional brewing stems from imagination and passion, it's not just a process. By introducing our love of wild yeast strains and not being confined by rules, tradition or ingredients, we can add a Wild 5th ingredient or process to our beers, We want to give you a truly memorable drinking experience, altering your perceptions and thrilling your taste buds"; "Drink Wildly Different."; "Epic by name, epic by nature, this Farmhouse Ale is a transcontinental fusion of Belgium's eclectic beer culture and the feisty hops of North America brought to life with the aid of West Country artisanal brewing wizardry and judicious use of the US-grown Sorachi Ace hop. On the nose, the hops deliver a big splash of tropical fruit, followed by ripples of well-seasoned spiciness spreading outwards. In the mouth a tangy, bittersweet hop fruitiness holds sway, whilst the finish is tangerine flavours from the hops that tap dance across the tongue."; "With such a complex beer, it's a no-brainer to partner it with food - how about stir-fried lemon chicken where the bright citrus notes lift the dish? Or be brave and invite the beer's spiciness for a tango with chicken satay. Like we said: Epic."

I Pop!ped the cap & began a gentle pour, in keeping with my New Year's Resolution and my Lenten denial. Aggro pours from bottles are now (mostly) a thing of the past. I am really coming to embrace a vigorous in-glass swirl since it is much less likely to bungle things up. My latest endeavor raised just over a finger of foamy, bone-white head with moderate retention, slowly falling away to wisps. Color was a Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity, calling forth The Gelt Gang of Mammon, Midas & Croesus until they smelled the nose & quickly ran off, gagging. Nose was, ah, pungent, but not really severe. It had a light cheesiness to it, but I have withstood worse ... MUCH worse. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, big but not quite creamy, while big for its style. The taste was very pleasant, lightly tropical with a grassy, outdoorsy quality that made me think of "terroir". I could easily see this with a soft cheese and crackers on the porch on a breezy afternoon. I do not disagree with their choice of chicken dishes, but my bottle was aged, rounding what may have been some earlier edges. My my. I will readily cop to not being a huge fan of Saisons as a hophead, but this was quite tasty & the effervescence made it a really good candidate for pairing with cheese. Finish was both dry and slightly tropical, which may seem like an impossibility, but it worked in this beer. I am going to have to watch for more beers from this brewery.
Apr 13, 2017
 
Rated: 2.05 by TheNakedStiletto from Pennsylvania

Aug 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.59 by khargro2 from Tennessee

Jun 13, 2016
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy orange. Firm head of foam from start to finish. Lacing all over the place.

Spicy hoppy yeasty nose. Hints of tartness but really more focused on spice and then hops.

Taste is hoppy, spicy, some mild Brett, no noticeable tartness to my palate. Dry throughout especially in the finish.

Medium body with medium carbonation and quite the excellent mouthfeel.

Loads of flavour and aroma in this 5% abv brew. Very enjoyable.
Apr 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Apr 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Apr 03, 2016
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.89/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
11.2 ounce bottle - $6.50 at Tasty Beverage Company in Asheville, North Carolina.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazed, darkish yellow-orange body with a plume of airy white foam.

Smell: Gently toasted wheat with an edge of lightly sweet-scented honey glaze, peppery spices, a little layer of funk, and fruity aromas of citrus and passion fruit.

Taste: Honey-crisp lightly toasted wheat and a hint of dough on the fore followed closely by lemon and orange juices with an abundance snappy spiciness and pepperiness. Additional tropical fruitiness and florals blended with a shot of white wine. Middling grassy tone. Encroaching funkiness as it warms a tad. Drying, funky finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: A fine, refreshing saison that's a little bit funky.
Jan 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by mizx from England

Nov 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by ironchefmiyagi13 from Tennessee

Nov 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.42 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Nov 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by jborgschulte from Texas

Jul 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.47 by toothirsty from New Mexico

May 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by anvilx from Texas

Apr 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Matt141 from Texas

Apr 28, 2015
Somerset Saison from The Wild Beer Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 93 ratings