Waterloo 1815
Innocente Brewing Company

 

Bottle from the lcbo for about $4. I'd rate it higher but it has a slightly sour flavour that doesnt fit it.

As is the case with 90% of Canadian brews (totally made up number), this too under performs.
Canadian breweries don't quite hit the notes, the taste is mostly watery...
I am not sure why they keep coming up short.
I don't claim to be able to make better beer but then I have never even tried.
Perhaps they are rushed. Perhaps the right ingredients are not available. I don't know.
But this too....is rye but not enough and saison but not enough.
Thus we have a beer that is not enough.

500 mL bottle dated May 3 2016 and served slightly chilled. This beer has been the benefactor of a recent LCBO release, but this bottle in particular was picked up at the brewery itself.

Pours a translucent copper-amber colour, topped with just over a finger's worth of frothy, off white-coloured head. Decent retention; it recedes away slowly, with a creamy cap left behind by the 5 minute mark, accompanied by a thick, foamy collar. Inoffensive aroma that seems somewhat muted - I am getting hints of rye bread and toffee, with vague notions of citrus, grassy hay and yeast. Weakly spicy; nothing too notable about the nose, but approachable enough.

Not bad; interesting flavours, but I don't like the aftertaste. Toasted grains, bready malts and spicy rye are all detectable from the start, with the profile developing from there. Suggestions of apple skin and red grapes, and maybe a hint of indeterminate citrus. Peppery yeast and rye spiciness round out the finish, with a powdery, earthy aftertaste that is rudely interrupted by a brief flash of copper penny metallicity. Fairly light in body, with aggressive carbonation and prickly bubbles, resulting in a frothy, low-weight mouthfeel. Not an objectionable quaff, but not all of the elements fall neatly into place, either.

Final Grade: 3.76, a B+. Innocente's Waterloo 1815 is a passable saison, but I want to like this beer more than I actually do. The one aspect that really bothers me is the aftertaste - I sampled their Cherry Saison earlier today and it had the exact same issue, but the metallic note is even more pronounced with this one (though it does fade off as it warms, which is why the beer still earns a good grade). The rye isn't as prominent as I'd like, either. Not this brewery's best saison IMO, but hopefully they'll keep tweaking the recipe.

500 ml bottle purchased from the LCBO for about $4 CDN. Served cold into an Upper Canada Brewing pint glass.

Appearance - dark copper in color, small amount of white head that does linger for a minute or two. Cloudy and insubstantial carbonation to the eye.

Smell - nose is aromatic with a fine troika of powdery yeast, spicy rye and some traces of caramel.

Taste - interesting flavours going on here. Plenty of bready goodness and yeast initially. Then loads of banana and something clementine-esque. Finishes spicy with rye and maybe a pinch of cinnamon coming through. Nice blend and unique, although not always the most cohesive tasting. A little sour too on the close. A little metallic after a few sips and flavours race away quickly.

Mouthfeel - smooth with a heavier than expected body and lighter carbonation.

Overall - an interesting blend of flavours makes for a unique drinking experience, however it's not the most cohesive beer. Still Waterloo 1815 is worth a try.

Smell: lemon, orange, funky yeast, hint of clove.
Taste: lemon juice, med carbonation, spicy rye bite.
Finish: acidic, slightly sour, earthy funk.
(bottled 05/16/16)

I was a bit skeptical, but it turns out the combination of rye and saison yeast really works. Lots of interesting spiciness. The appearance isn't the greatest: so hazy it's basically opaque, lots of fizzy carbonation but not much in the way of head or lacing. Other than that, this is top stuff.

 

I like rye in a saison... lots of depth and complexity here.