Saison De Minuit (Saison Noire)
Microbrasserie Les Grands Bois

 

On tap at the brewpub, or the tavern next door that has only their beer, not really sure about propriety. Smells like coffee and chocolate malt. Slight yeast aroma, but not much. Tastes of fruity and earthy yeast notes with some cocoa powder backdrop. Creamy texture. This could be easily confused for a light stout with lots of yeastiness, but it's fine.

Medium: Capped.
Opacity: Very opaque.
Color: Deep black.
Head: Creamy/frothy light brown 2 finger.
Legs: Quite strong, good swirl reaction.
Smell: Coffee/Toffee.
Taste: Molasses/Chocolate/Oats.
Feel: Roasted/Wild yeast/Herbal.
Body: Full oily and slightly fluffy.
Carbonation: Moderate crisp.
Overall: Good quality. Although sharper than the usual stout, the Saison feel is too faint.

Visual 8/10 - Flavors 7/10 - Sensations 6/10 - Balance 4.5/10 -
Freshness 6.5/10 - Intensity 6.5/10 - Complexity 6/10 - Appreciation 6/10

Look- pitch black with a 3 finger, frothy, light-brown head

Aroma- Cocoa, coffee, char, faint bubblegum. Almost like a porter but for the bubble gum.

Taste- follows the nose, but the bubblegum becomes more obvious. Finishes bitter from the char taste

Feel- light to medium bodied, light carbonation

Overall- Tastes to me like a porter/saison hybrid and while interesting, I can't say it's a combination I want to try again

Very deep black color with some sublte red glare. Thick and impressive light brown foam with good lacing. Aromas of dark chocolat and coffee beans, but with a very well balanced spicyness imparted by the saison yeast. There are some dark cherries too. The first impression on the sip is that it is extremely well balanced. It's dry, but the dryness blends very well with the roasted grains. There are notes of raisins, and other candied fruits.

This is a very good beer, not in the style I enjoy the most, but I definitely make an exception for this beer.