Rorschach Dark Saison
Pale Fire Brewing Co.

L: dark black color with full body head and lace
S: initial maltiness but follow really quickly by a kind of funky yeast
T: follows taste
F: Rich full body and smooth
O: nicely done!

A thanks to the sultan of Saison, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a black color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of roasted malts, the funkiness expected from this style. Taste is yeast, funky, light roasted malts, unusual for the style. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall, different for the style, but not bad.

I was JUST down in Staunton & Harrisonburg, VA the past several days on a beer exCANsion. It was less-than-perfect due to AMTRAK first having an engine failure on the way down, delaying us by 3+ hours and eating up my plans for that day. On Saturday night, I received a message that Sunday's train was CANX effectively stranding me! Grr. I am resourceful but my return really took a toll on my aging self & so I am just getting to this one. Oof. I remain CANvinced that should I return, it will be to H'burg via MegaBus/VA Breeze from DC & then onto Staunton! I liked H'burg, Staunton not so much.

From the CAN: "Independently Brewed By Pale Fire Brewing Co., Harrisonburg Virginia"; "Special Release".

I was anxious to try this one having purchased a 4-pack with two going to a Couchsurfing meet-up host and one for me and the last to be set aside for @tone77 . I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I was astounded as it was not only dark but dark enough to evince a pseudo-cascade! 8=O It billowed up to create just under two fingers of dense foamy, rocky, deep-tan/light-brown head with wonderful retention. Color was obsidian Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose had an odd roastiness to acCANpony the standard barnyard funk so closely associate with the style. Hmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy but close. The taste was more roasty than funky, like a funkified Dry Stout. Hmm. Finish was very dry but more in the style of a Dry Stout than a Saison. Okay, here is CANother instance of rating to style & NOT to taste. It was not really a Saison but that was how the brewery chose to identify it. So be it. I liked it as a funky Dry Stout, but the was NO way that I would call this a Saison. YMMV.

 

Poured from the can into a tulip glass.

Very dark brown bodied color, with a walnut nearly black quality and very opaque body. Head is a bit large, somewhat crazy, but manages a good three plus fingers of height and a bit of dark tan color. There's some good retention here, very IPA like in head staying power.

This is quite a nice pleasant aroma. Mixes light roasted malts that give hints of faint milk chocolate, and more so good ripping coffee bean. A nice minerality and soft brett like quality punctuates as well for an interesting balance. Very clean smelling too. Quite nice aroma on the nose.

Very nice simple palate. Mid palate first touches a light milky cream, and mixing milk chocolate flavor. The beer continues with a bit of peppery brett that is a bit muted, and has a bit of washing mineral flavor. Finishes with a light simple chocolate note, and milky cream.

Decent, but lacks some saison qualities that seem to be overtaken by a bit of powerful dark malt base.