Saison Hoppu
Austin Street Brewery

 

 

 

Pours lightly hazy and a shade darker than straw but not quite pale orange in color with 2 fingers of rocky white head. Aroma is lemony, a little peppery, and a bit grainy. Taste hits the same notes as the aroma but in different intensities. The black pepper note is present throughout with the lemon briefly being the dominant flavor in the middle of the taste; the grainy malt lingers in the background. Medium bodied with very high carbonation this gives the impression of a greater body. Overall this is a tasty saison that leans pretty heavy on the black pepper and Soriachi Ace hops; not quite as nuanced as I'd like but drinkable nonetheless.

 

 

Drank from a 1 pint 9.4 fl oz bottle purchased at Austin Street Brewery, Portland, ME
Bottled 5.17
Served in a tulip

An enormous, bright white, soapy looking crop of froth topped the slightly hazy, straw yellow body. The head quickly broke apart and transformed into a small, bubbly halo. Spotty lacing dotted the glass.

The nose was everything I imagined a hoppy saison could be. Super crisp, fruity and bright with just the perfect amount of funk thrown in for good measure. Tart lime notes came through strongest. Hint of solvent lemon (Lemon Pledge?) too. Bit of Bretty tartness and funk. Wet hay was also noticeable. Somewhat winey. Sauvignon Blanc came to mind. Belgian yeast notes were detectable but they did not stand out as much as in most beers of this style. The tart, Brett notes definitely intensified as the beer sat.

The flavor profile was also amazingly crisp and bright, but perhaps slightly less nuanced than the aroma. Lime and lemon notes came through big time right from the start. Somewhat pithy and rind-like. Grassy hops and straw notes appeared in the center. Bit of Bretty tartness and dry, powdery, Belgian yeastiness. Somewhat peppery too. Pithy, bitter, citrus rind-like notes lingered in the finish.

Excellent crisp, sprightly mouthfeel. Medium bodied and fluffy on the palate. The liquid contained a zippy, fairly aggressive effervescence.

While Saison Hoppu is a complex, intense and rather unique take on the style, no single aspect of this beer overpowered another. All in all, a fantastic "Americanized" take on a classic Belgian style.

 

Look is colorful but unremarkable for a farmhouse.
Smell has a slight funk as you'd expect.
Taste is very nice farmhouse taste. I was surprised to be reminded of a French or Spanish dry apple cider. So, taste of dry over ripe apples.

 

 

Pours a hazy golden orange color with a large bubbly white head. Leaves a little bit of splotchy lacing around the top of the glass.

The aroma starts off grainy and yeasty with a subtle but present brett character. Then comes the tart lemon and wet grass. Back end is faintly spicy.

The flavor has a nice sweet and tart lemon flavor to start, followed by some wheat bread and slight barnyard funk. Finishes with some pepper and a very subtle hop bite.

The feel is medium bodied with a ton of carbonation. Very crisp. Extremely dry finish.

Overall, a very good saison that is exceptionally well balanced. There's a lot of flavors and aromas present but nothing truly takes over.

 

Fair beer, little hoppy notes, sour finish.

 

Look:
Hazy, white wine appearance, two finger head, lacing is beautiful

Smell:
Acidic/metallic, again white wine/chardonnay, lemon, fresh cut grass.

Taste:
Chardonnay, lemon, brett, hay on the aftertaste. Finishes on the dry side of most saisons, no residual sweetness.

Feel:
Plenty of fine carbonation but fades in the mouth nicely.

Overall:
I don't have many dry saisons, but this one was fantastic! Will have again in the future if given the opportunity.

10/23/14 - 750 ml bottle bought about a month and a half ago shortly after it came out.

Look - Perfect gold color, thick one inch head that took a good while to recede and then left a nice covering over the beer and smattered lacing

Smell - First thing I get is subtle funk, not much else

Taste - Spectacular! The taste is much more complex than the smell would indicate. Just like the label says - dry, funky, hoppy. What stands out the most to me is the complexity and balance - you can taste all three attributes - but none of them are overpowering. The funk is mild, the dryness manifests sort of a "tree bark" feel, and the hoppiness is not too bitter. Very dry. There is some Saison sweetness, but not much although that's the core of the beer.

Mouthfeel - Medium - perfect for the style.

Overall - Jake has knocked this one out of the park. Just like Patina Pale Ale - he nailed it. I can't wait to try the rest of Austin Street's line-up. For a guy who is not much into the funk - this is a perfect use of brett in my opinion and I'll drink this one again easily (but do think the $15 price tag is way too much - although one of Austin Street's local neighbors is also known for high prices).