Single Thread 2021
Side Project Brewing
- From:
- Side Project Brewing
- Missouri, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Saison
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 92
- Avg:
- 4.37 | pDev: 2.06%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 19, 2024
- Added:
- Jun 09, 2021
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Single Thread is our yearly release exclusively for LC Members. Blended entirely with an approach to create something new, this year I took one of my favorite fruits - black raspberries - and a technique that has been treating us very well - blending young and old beers together - to create this saison / bière de coupage hybrid.
I first fell in love with black raspberries when I had the chance to enjoy Southampton's Black Raspberry Lambic. Our usage of black raspberries has been excessive when compared to that beer for the most part; Fencerow has an exuberant amount of them packed into it. For Single Thread 2021 however, I wanted to focus on not only experimenting with a new wild ale base for this fruit, but to also back-blend with young saison to create a more delicate expression of the fruit with the dryness and liveliness of our Missouri saisons.
The result is a blend of beers which rested in oak between 4 and 24 months, consisting of about 50% of the black raspberries when compared to Fencerow. This expression of the fruit reminds me why I love it so much! You observe the vibrant color of the fruit, with notes of red raspberry overlaid on our dry, tart, Side Project Missouri saison.
Until next year, we hope that you enjoy what we created for you as Single Thread 2021...
I first fell in love with black raspberries when I had the chance to enjoy Southampton's Black Raspberry Lambic. Our usage of black raspberries has been excessive when compared to that beer for the most part; Fencerow has an exuberant amount of them packed into it. For Single Thread 2021 however, I wanted to focus on not only experimenting with a new wild ale base for this fruit, but to also back-blend with young saison to create a more delicate expression of the fruit with the dryness and liveliness of our Missouri saisons.
The result is a blend of beers which rested in oak between 4 and 24 months, consisting of about 50% of the black raspberries when compared to Fencerow. This expression of the fruit reminds me why I love it so much! You observe the vibrant color of the fruit, with notes of red raspberry overlaid on our dry, tart, Side Project Missouri saison.
Until next year, we hope that you enjoy what we created for you as Single Thread 2021...
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Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri
4.41/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a blend of blueberry-raspberry burgundy with a couple fingers of pink head. Head is a little more fizz than foam, bubbling away quickly, but leaving a thick layer of foam.
Aroma is big black currant and raspberry with tart cherries behind. Quite a cuvee of berries, but each works and builds off the others to create a fruit forward, mildly sweet, tart start to the nose. Cellar stone, grassy hops, green apple, oak and straw round out the corners within the dry aroma profile. The green apple, cellar stone, and oak notes really build up a white wine note in the back, forming a supporting role of the beer.
Flavor profile really stretches those berry and cherry notes, giving them a place at the start, middle, and end. It leans a little more into acidity and tartness here in the flavor profile vs. the aroma, countering the slightly heavier berry sweetness well. Oak, herbal and grassy hops build on top of cellar stone, tart green apple, and straw for the rest of the profile. While the acidity jumps out a little at the midway, it's rounded up nicely at close, transitioning to a tart finish. A sharp dryness at the end, akin to a dry white wine, also helps to reel the acidity in at close.
Mouth feel has a mild effervescence at the start, but builds to a sharp finish. This texture matches the build up of acidity on the tongue well, accentuating the move. Thickness is medium, and otherwise devoid of any grit or silt.
Overall, an incredibly dynamic and complex tart saison that uses black raspberries to elevate its look, nose, and taste. It feels a little sharp at times, but still manages to connect the dots to retain an overall balance.
Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 750mL bottle.
Mar 12, 2022Aroma is big black currant and raspberry with tart cherries behind. Quite a cuvee of berries, but each works and builds off the others to create a fruit forward, mildly sweet, tart start to the nose. Cellar stone, grassy hops, green apple, oak and straw round out the corners within the dry aroma profile. The green apple, cellar stone, and oak notes really build up a white wine note in the back, forming a supporting role of the beer.
Flavor profile really stretches those berry and cherry notes, giving them a place at the start, middle, and end. It leans a little more into acidity and tartness here in the flavor profile vs. the aroma, countering the slightly heavier berry sweetness well. Oak, herbal and grassy hops build on top of cellar stone, tart green apple, and straw for the rest of the profile. While the acidity jumps out a little at the midway, it's rounded up nicely at close, transitioning to a tart finish. A sharp dryness at the end, akin to a dry white wine, also helps to reel the acidity in at close.
Mouth feel has a mild effervescence at the start, but builds to a sharp finish. This texture matches the build up of acidity on the tongue well, accentuating the move. Thickness is medium, and otherwise devoid of any grit or silt.
Overall, an incredibly dynamic and complex tart saison that uses black raspberries to elevate its look, nose, and taste. It feels a little sharp at times, but still manages to connect the dots to retain an overall balance.
Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 750mL bottle.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.39/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a hazy pink-ish/reddish color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.
This smells like tart funky raspberries, leathery funk, lemon, white wine, and oak.
This is a great expression of raspberry. This type of fruit can often completely overwhelm a beer, but this manages to remain a good saison with a thoughtful raspberry addition.
This is light bodied, crisp, clean, and with a manageable acidity, compared to some of the more tart offerings from this brewery.
This was very good stuff - I like the restrained but still tasty fruit character here.
Feb 18, 2022This smells like tart funky raspberries, leathery funk, lemon, white wine, and oak.
This is a great expression of raspberry. This type of fruit can often completely overwhelm a beer, but this manages to remain a good saison with a thoughtful raspberry addition.
This is light bodied, crisp, clean, and with a manageable acidity, compared to some of the more tart offerings from this brewery.
This was very good stuff - I like the restrained but still tasty fruit character here.
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois
4.42/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
poured from a 750mL bottle into LC stemware. pours a medium purple with light purplish/pinkish foam head. subdued raspberry and oak on the nose. hints of red wine grapes and even cherry. tastes follows but seems a little more jammy than the nose lets on. medium-full mouthfeel with a slightly dry finish to it. i appreciate the restraint in fruit usage in this but it’s still fairly tart and acidic. hard to follow up single thread 2020 which was just an absolute stunner.
Aug 04, 2021
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