Saison Mihm
Allagash Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

10oz pour
Served in Allagash flute glass

A: Pours a light amber looking color. Thin layer of bright white head is all that this one arrives with. This leaves some sticky lacing on the glass as you drink.

S: The nose is interesting. I do get some of that lemongrass and grain character, but also from figgy notes too. There is another fruity note in there that I can't put my finger on.

T: Dark Saison. Can't put my finger in the flavors. Pulling that lemongrass and wheaty notes. There is some peppery flavors in the mid palate. ABV is hidden nicely. This tastes light and refreshing. Served with a salad and it was perfect combo.

M: Medium bodied. Good carbo.

$7 for 10oz pour
Sampled 10JUL12

Brewed with honey, juniper berries and lemongrass. 

[A] Pours with a 2 finger bright head, compact and foamy with great retention. Thick foamy sheets of lace cling to the glass and slowly fade into uneven webs. The body is medium to med dark amber orange with moderate haze.

[S] Bright lemony citrus with a little fruit on the nose plus a light caramel-like sweetness and buttered wheat bread further in the background. Small traces of alcohol.

[T] Taste follows the nose rather precisely. Mihm is like an amber Saison, if such a thing exists.

[M] Mouthfeel begins with a semi-coarse level of carbonation, gently prickling the tongue until the swallow has finished. Medium light body. Leans dry throughout. Mild bitterness on the end.

[O] Not particularly Saison like, save the mouthfeel, but a pretty enjoyable brew nonetheless. So...ummm...why doesn't Allahash have a Saison in there year round portfolio again?

 

Appearance: Arrives cloudy, the amber liquid capped with an inch of foam that leaves a few shards of lace

Smell: Lemony and grassy; herbal elements of coriander and a sweet fig undertone

Taste: Fruitcake sweetness and tart dried fruit compete, up front, with a developing lemony/grassy bitterness in the middle; after the swallow, the herbacious coriander and pepper flavors add phenolic depth; the finish was dry but with a subtle underlying sweetness

Mouthfeel: Full body with moderate to high levels of carbonation

Overall: A really interesting beer; a little unbalanced between the fruitcake and the hoppy flavors but still worth a try

 

 

 

 

Served in a tall, thin Allagash glass at Meadhall.

Saison Mihm pours amber, with next to no transparency. There's just a bit of white foam crowning the beer. The aroma is disappointingly weak, but there is some lemongrass, honey, and mint there. The flavor is a bit more potent, with the aforementioned honey and lemongrass being joined by a touch of wet hay. The close is mostly mint, with a little bit of peppercorn thrown in for good measure. The mouthfeel is way out of whack though, as the body is decidedly too chewy and the ccarbonation is on the dull side. Saison Mihm's an alright beer, but it's not up to Allagash's usual standards

Had on tap at the New World Tavern Plymouth, MA

Appearance: 1/4 inch head, orange-gold in color, clear, moderate carbonation

Smell: lemons and pepper

Taste: lots of lemon, slight earthy and grassy/flowery tones. Big time pepper at the end. There is another flavor I cannot put my finger on in here as well.

Mouthfeel: medium-high carbonation, medium-light bodied, slightly bitter and earthy

Overall: An amazing saison and one of the best from the brewery. I love the big peppery kick at the end of this one. This is right up there with Hill Farmstead as one of the best domestic saisons I have had.

 

 

On-cask at Pizzeria Paradiso, Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. - March 2012:

The beer appeared a dark amber color that produced a muted head, a thin, but fluffy white head. I would attribute this more to the cask than the beer.

The beer produced a nice aroma, Belgian yeast with spices that gave off a slight pepper aroma.

The taste was good, it followed the nose well, but just a good "saison" flavor that I have come to know if the style.

The beer had a medium body, thicker than most saison's but again I would say that it more typical of the cask than the style. The beer was smooth, low carbonation, but easy to drink. Overall, a solid representation of the style.

 

 

Served in a 13.5 oz tulip at the Great Lost Bear. This beer has been available in town for a month or so, but this is my first time trying it.

It's a dark copper colored beer, almost like an amber ale. The head is tall, off-white and foamy. As it settles plenty of uniform lacing is left behind. It's too dark in here to see if there is any internal carbonation.

The beer has a semi-dry, grassy aroma. There is apparently a lot of lemongrass in this beer, s that is probably what I am smelling. The are small amounts of lemon citrus and candi sugar sweetness, but I am not smelling anything that I can directly attribute to the yeast.

There is a lot of lemongrass to the flavor of this beer. Some Belgian sugars are also evident. A somewhat dry finish has some musty flavors that I assume are caused by the yeast. There is a touch of pepper in the aftertaste that is very interesting.

The beer has a light effervescent feel. The pepper and carbonation manage to tickle my tongue a lot more than I expected. The beer has a fuller body than most Samson's and has a lot of carbonation.

This is an interesting beer. I can see what it is draft only. I can't see myself drinking a full 750ml bottle of this one, but I also don't see it having the wide appeal that would move it in 12oz bottles. Allagash could get away with doing a brewery only release in 375ml bottles, but the draft only method of delivery will get the beer into more people's glasses. It was a good decision to go this way. If you are a fan of Allagash, give this one a try.