Heartset
Allagash Brewing Company

Hazy orange. Big, white head. Belgian yeasts, malt, flowers, and fruits. Maybe a bit too much of sweetness in taste. Pleasant, ”wood” bitterness in aftertaste.

 

Pours lightly hazy, light grassy golden body with snow white head and good retention.
Very fragrant for a saison with an aroma of hay, honey and fresh bread.

Totally classic saison flavors: fresh hay, clover, hint of lemon, bread dough and belgian yeast. Slight earthiness but no brett funk or sour notes.

Fabulous saison from this collaberation between two great breweries. Really wish I had more of this awesome beer.

Sizeable snow white head with good retention; hazy, misty golden body. From the pour, an aroma of pear, bubblegum, and honey leaps out.

Up close and as the beer warms, the aroma becomes more subdued. Still some notes of bubblegum and pear, along with honey, wheat, lemon, and grass.

Absolutely classic saison flavor on the palate, and really bringing to bear the talents of both Allagash and Dupont. Slightly dusty, but no funk; it's a straight forward - albeit high ABV - saison. Doughy, semi-sweet; very light citrus, clove, wildflower honey, white bread, lemongrass. A touch of booze on the nose.

Crisp and very lively, with a pleasant sting about the gums. Not quite as dry as a lower-ABV saison, but that's perhaps to be expected with the necessarily heavier malt base.

This is a delicious saison, reviewed here with one year of age on it. It has perhaps served to mellow the overall blend out, but hasn't resulted in any off, sour, or funky flavors. I'm enjoying every sip, and although it's a touch thicker and higher ABV than perhaps a more traditional saison (higher than Hennepin), and consequently less dry, it doesn't really come across any boozier or less traditional.

I want to say I can really feel the influence of both brewers and their ingredients here, as well. Allagash's house yeast, local malt, and water are inescapable in their influence, and yet this doesn't taste simply like an amped-up version of their regular saison (itself perhaps a more traditional take on the style, drier and at a more modest ABV). It has some of the dusty, rustic feel of Saison Dupont, but otherwise drinks like an Allagash Belgian ale.

What more can I say? This one is an absolute winner for me.

Pours a light golden color with a robust, creamy head that lasts quite a long time, leaving behind plenty of lacing. Smell is somewhat nondescript. I'm picking up banana and some sort of distant spice on the tongue. Smooth, and almost creamy in the mouth. Good beer.

 

 

 

Mix of vinuous notes, pepper+grass and minty bitterness. Not out of style, but not being fan of fruity saisons, the mix doesn’t work for me as well.