Family Saison
Hopewell Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

I tried this at the brewery. It poured a slightly hazy golden with white head that left a nice lace. The scent had a touch of sour fruit. The taste was nicely balanced an easy to drink. The mouthfeel with lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall its a solid offering.

 

On tap at HopCat Chicago, served in a 14oz tulip glass. Reviewed live from the bar.

The beer pours a fairly clear golden color, straw hues with a light chill haze and little activity in the glass. A nice, foamy white head appears with good retention and some nice spots of lace left behind. The aroma is pleasant, very bready with strong banana, light yeasty fruit, some earthy spice and some floral character. The flavors are heavy on the banana and yeast, smooth pale grain, light cracked pepper and a bit of soft green hop. The mouthfeel is pleasant, soft, coating, medium body with lively but gentle carbonation and a mildly dry finish.

Verdict: A nice table Saison from Hopewell. Approachable and refreshing, certainly not the most complex beer, but it's not trying to be.

Had at Dimo's Pizza on tap. Went well with a pizza with hot sauce on it.
As a Saison, this was much clearer than the style's typical murkiness.
Its Smell and Taste were more typical; but lacked a genuine funkiness and some of fruitiness brought in by a more effective yeast.
But, Farm & Family had the spices and largely made an effective pairing with the spicy pizza.
Whetted my appetite for more Hopewell and I look forward to visiting their taproom.

 

Greatest Saison I have ever tasted in my life. It has the banana flavors and a bountiful aroma when you first smell the beer. On first sip, You taste the crisp flavors. Just drink it. Don't miss out because it's a farmhouse. It's always consistent and always blows me away.

 

 

i liked this one very well, its an extremely well made beer, they all were here, but as a saison, its too simple and clean, not all that exciting for me. you know when a beer is great in all categories but just doesnt fit the bill? this is that for me, call it a belgian pale, and its one of the better ones i have had in awhile, but i am looking for more of a rustic style saison, not necessarily funky, but this is clean, and more than just dry, there really isnt all that much yeast flavor to it, some light fruity belgian elements, but the hops and grains seem to flavor it every bit as much. its light, one dimensional on the grain front, it doesnt even look or it tastes like it has wheat in it to me, very easy drinking though, well carbonated too, and super summery and refreshing, high volume stuff for me. i like the flavors a lot, but where is the yeast? the farmhouse element? where is the grain these beers are supposed to be built with? it just doesnt quite add up to the kind of saison i like to drink, and the kind i think defines the style. still an excellent brew though, just not really as advertised, especially with farm in the name...

 

Draft pour. A yeast forward, bready saison with a slight tartness to it. Some cleanness, which is almost lageresque. Spice and soil on the back end. Not too bad at all.

Draft at the brewery.
Light golden color, bright clarity, thin layer of surface suds. Aroma of phenolic Belgian yeast, heavy one dimensional earthy spice, pepper and clove. Taste is bitter and dry, the yeast dominates in a heavy-handed way. Overly spicy, clove, pepper and soil make for an odd flavor profile.

Light bodied with a unpleasant phenolic aftertaste that lingers. Not a fan. Textbook "but we used a Belgian saison yeast" American-style saison, sadly nothing new here.