Saison
OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

Saison pours a slightly cloudy bronze color, with a small, long-lasting head. The aroma is sweet, sugary banana notes. The flavor is lighter, sweet, with banana notes, very clean and crisp. Good feel. Overall, light, full, fruity flavors, sweet, with some banana notes.

From Beer Drop, code on bottom of the can makes no sense.

Pours a mostly clear pale gold with very good foam, retention and lacing.

Smell is orange zest, coriander, with cloves in the background.

Taste is orange zest, cloves, coriander, citrus, somewhat spicy from the grains of paradise.

Very good mouthfeel, I would drink this again.

Pours a gold color with a foamy head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of sour fruits. Taste is tangy, slightly sweet, with a wine like sour flavor. Crisp and dry.

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap with a moderate collar; light lacing;

S: lemon and clove;

T: lemon, orange, and clove with a bit of grain through the middle; the grain goes away and is replaced by a hint of black pepper on the finish; mild to moderate bitterness at the end that is accentuated by the dryness;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish that gets even drier in the aftertaste;

O: good, but could have used more carbonation to offset the dry finish and bitterness;

It pours a slightly hazy golden color with an enormous rocky white head that falls to a heavy cap with stubborn cling to the glass.

The smell is spicy reflecting the Grains of Paradise pretty well. Woody, light lemon, ginger, coriander and I think some nutmeg. A bit of a grassy note plus some nice, bready malts.

The taste has a surprising bitter hit but it's brief. This gives way to a very nicely made saison. The spices come to the fore with a ginger/coriander/peppery heat followed by lemon. Bready malts underneath. There's a pear or white grape that I don't get in the smell that gives it a bit of wine character. Very pleasantly "old school". There is just a bit of sweetness. Just a wee bit of an acidic taste. Peppery elements do build up a bit, tempered by the carryover lemon.

It's slightly drying and it's comparatively heavier-bodied than a lot of saisons, I'd call it medium and it is very smooth, almost creamy. Nice level or carbonation. One of the local grains used is unmalted oats - thinking that contributes to the body.

Overall I'm liking this one quite a bit. It's a little heftier than most I've tried in the style and I'm liking that. It avoids the trap of more is better with the Grains of Paradise - seems a "just right" application to my taste buds.

Pours golden yellow with light cloudiness (SRM 4-5). Fine carbonation travels in swarms, helping to hold up a massive, fluffy white head that slowly transforms to seafoam after ten minutes. A sicky lace coats the Simpli fisheye pint glass.

The aroma is earthy with farmhouse funkiness and dusty hayloft. The background has a pleasant dose of spicy clover.

The flavor is very bitter and astringent with a late touch of sweetness. Pepper and lemon are the primary notes. Astringency mellows as it warms, revealing celery and cilantro. It has a dry finish that is eternal, with mild tartness.

The body is medium with a texture similar to a thick wool sweater. Alcohol is above expectations while the carbonation is energetic. It is thirst quenching.

This is a good Saison to enjoy while watching football.

 

 

 

 

This one pours a golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells very clovey, but in a pleasant way, with lemon, pear, and a bit of grassiness.

This is very old school, in a good way. It’s dry, spicy, and herbal, with clove, fresh cut grass, lemon peel, dried pears, and tea. It’s all quite well balanced, in the end.

This is fluffy bodied, but crisp and dry on the end, with a great drinkability to it.

OEC makes a lot of very weird and very sour saisons, so it’s also cool to see them go the more rustic old school route here.

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance - cloudy golden body with white head

Smell - lemon, ginger, pale malts

Taste - lemon, ginger, lemongrass, coriander

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, full carbonation, citrus upfront, ginger in the middle and back end is spicy

Overall - good iteration of a Saison, worth a try

Price Point - $12/4 pack 16 oz cans

Bought a 4-pack at The Beer Temple. And this probably is a keeper. (I often pay my nephew with unwanted beers for his work around the house.) Recently released with 87 ratings on Untappd (averaging 4.02), I feel comfortable styling this as a saison from this pretty wild brewer who is prone to many experiments among its impressive 295+ brews on UnTappd over some 8 years. Also, the use of two traditional barleys and local oats and wheat moves this into the area of an authentic saison. And managing the fruitiness of this saison is both the Grains of Paradise and a well-cultivated yeast... uncommon in U.S. micros only 8 years old.

A key interest to me is that I'm finding Grains of Paradise a bit more frequently in brews and their spiciness moderates the use of hops. And this OEC does that here well. To be sure, their are spicier saisons; but the Grains of Paradise provide a milder spice that suits the palate of a malt-head like me and helps along my cooking to make a better meal... which is the key goal of a saison... particularly with my cooking.

Finally, I've been scant on a micro-review for OEC from my previous two brews from them. OEC is a approaching a culinary master. While they have a limited food menu, it seems very thoughtfully built around their ales. OEC also offers guest cans in their taproom, which means they are self-confident enough to compete with the masters. It may be inconvenient for me to visit OEC, but I hope The Beer Temple keeps the relationship going. In Middle Connecticut, A Votre Sante' !