Magic Jar
American Solera

Pours an effervescent gold with a thumb of ivory colored head. Zero head retention & lacing

S: Yeasty, barnyardy, some lemon zest

T: Lemon, grapefruit, dryness and grassyness upfront, I almost think I taste some Spelt in this. More dryness, faint yeastyness, & tart lemon as this warms, some leafy hops. Finishes dry with lemon, some grassy hops

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation

An interesting Saison, these guys certainly know how to make them, pretty drinkable

 

Frothy pure white head, surface marked by a wide range of larger bubbles. Bright and shiny dark yellow color, steady production of scattered bubbles. Very lemony nose, wheat germ, violets, sea salt, pineapple, Granny Smith apple to green melon fruit scents, any funk is all treble and no bass and, really, it barely seems funky. Medium-bodied, compact and firm, negligible carbonation, comes across as acidic yet without any resultant pucker. Smoothly dry, focus here too is on sour white citrus and florality with an assortment of Indian Mukhwas spices. A sweet condensed milk note only comes out as it warms and likewise the melon, apricot to pineapple fruit doesn’t start singing until warmer. Mild bubblegum through the finish, nice counterpoint to the hoppy zing. Not getting much graininess, again something like wheat germ or maybe granola. Well-integrated with subtle complexity and scores high for drinkability.

 

A-Pours a nice hazy light golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma had funky, Brett and hoppy hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a nicely balanced funky, Brett, hoppy character and a very pleasant sour flavor and a dry finish
M-A light bodied moderately carbonated beer
O-A very well balanced Belgian Saison

 

Absolutely loved this beer. Super funky and flavorful, but not sour at all which is what I want in a grisette. This is criminally underrated based on the current average here.

 

 

 

 

 

a really rad beer, the first i have seen from these guys in this bottle shape, and shockingly affordable too for them, and for the volume, i really dig it! its a dry hopped mixed fermentation thing, at a really nice session abv, and with a ton of depth and funk. its really bretty, but dried right out with such a minimal grain base, there are a lot of beers in this model out there, but this is one of the more complex and compelling. super drinkable, fizzy and light, but not watery even at this low abv, it has some wheaty fleshy texture to it, perfect to balance the juiciness of the hops, which are more aromatic than flavorful which is fine, a little bitter, things like honeydew and zesty lime come out of it, very citrus forward, el dorado or amarillo likely. green grape, pear, and lemon notes too, with a nice farmy drying brett funk to finish. just a splash of tartness, but its a clean acidity, nothing residual there at all. only the hops remain after the swallow, fresh and fruity and delicious. i love how bright this is and how well developed the funk is, fully effervecent, complex, and modern. probably best fresh like it is now, but i have one in the cellar too, i think it will continue to evolve favorably. great mix of flavors and feels to this, one of their best in awhile...

edit: with the eastery colors on the label it seemed like the perfect beer to bust out for our easter dinner. seems like its held up super well, drier than ever and still full of life without the hops fading at all. it doesnt seem to have evolved too much either though, tastes about the same as i remember it, no more funky or sour or anything, pretty stable as it is. delicious beer though, springy and festive, even fancy from this bottle, perfect for this occasion and this time of year!

From a very attractive 750 ml bottle into a wine glass. Nearly-clear straw gold with lively carbonation culminating in a healthy froth of white foam. The second pour yields slightly more haze. Overall impression is this is one the finest examples of a table beer/grissette I have encountered. Complexity goes far beyond what I typically expect at 4% ABV. Ocean-like mineral profile hits the nose first, followed by some floral notes - the perfume of the more subtle fermentation profile mixed with the Amarillo dry hop. Deeper complexity unfolds on the palate. Brett is there for sure, but not the deep funk variety, just the young soft fruitiness. Some mild and soft lactic tartness. Simple rustic graininess from the malt bill. A peach note rounds out the finish from the Amarillo or Brett, or more likely a combination of both. A lot more depth than described here if you’d like to dissect it, but it’s meant to be a table beer afterall.

 

Had on tap at The Beer Temple as a run-up to an event organized by Half Acre for brewers who don't get distributed here.
American Solera calls this a grissette (which comes from the same province that started the saison.) But this mixed yeast culture includes a bit of brett. So, the style selection of a Wild seems right despite the brewer calling it a grissette.

Magic Jar was refreshing and balanced. The mild tart countered by some sweet malt. Can't really make any suggestions. Wish I could have it again.