Raster
Lo Rez Brewing

 

Burnt orange with large three finger white head that leaves tons of lacing. Nose has notes of pepper, and some yeast. Taste is somewhat similar with light pepper, weak yeast notes, and some pale malt. Body is medium with medium carbonation. Ends dry with a lingering yeast esters. Overall ok, nothing bad but very middle of the road. Rye is it’s saving grace. Not a huge fan of the yeast profile.

16 ounce can into a tulip glass. Canned 8/17/20, had 3/15/21.

Pours a darker golden color, fairly clear, with a two inch plus head of spongy foam and lots of foamy lacing. Very good retention, active carbonation. Aromas of Belgian yeast, candi sugar, rye, malt, spices- cloves for one, a hint of banana. Flavors of malt, Belgian yeast, herbal hops, rye, spices- again, cloves stand out, light candi sugar as it warms. Smooth, good light to medium body, well carbonated.

The spiciness of the rye malt plays off nicely against the traditional spices, and the bigger hop presence works well, too. The body could stand to be a little heftier, though. But, well done and enjoyable.

A much improved re-released Saison ! (If I use as benchmark Stoned Trippin's not-so-positive review of 30 months ago.)

Raster Looks like it will be an active saison until the end of glass. (But I do deduct points for the can's artwork not being appetizing or up to Lo Rez's standard.) Smells are mostly malt, then a few spices in there pop-out. Tastes are nicely balanced and straightforward. The rye spiciness works well with the hops. (This re-release does not seem to have the complications of brett and barrel.) As a malt-head, I like how the rye brings in its distinct spice ever so gently. The bubbles do not fade and continues to cleanse the palate. But the key is this balanced table saison goes well with food.

The first time it, paired well with a medley of appetizers, red sauce on spaghetti, a side of broccoli with honey mustard and salad. I could have Raster again in a side-by-side with, say, Voxel, to see how their house yeast works with so many foods.

As a Belgo-phile and with Raster being my 9th from Lo Rez, I call them Chicago's Westside Belgian-inspired micro. (Off Color on the Northside and Whiner on the South.) If we ever get to the end of this Covid mess, I do hope to visit Lo Rez.

12/3/21. I'm thinking Lo Rez released this yet again in 2021. My can's stamp looks like 8/17/21, but the last digit runs off the edge. And UnTappd has 20 check-ins in the last month. So, I'd conclude Raster is no longer a one-off and is still being brewed. And since I just bought a 4-pack, I'm keeping count over @ UnTappd.

 

a barrel aged rye saison, funky and partially wild and ambitious tasting to me, but like their pale ale i also had in here, the execution left a little bit to be desired as far as overall quality is concerned. this has a brassy shine to it an good clarity for what it is, but is rather under carbonated in the same breath. the nose has a cool mineral thing going on, a light wine note, lots of oak, a stinky bretty thing, new and underdeveloped, a clan saison estery profile, light earthy peppery rye in the base, and traces of whiskey, white wheat, and residual sugars. all the foundations are there for this to be a great beer, but it doesnt totally come together for me, i am missing a more developed brett aspect, a more significant grain influence, and the carbonation that this style really demands. the barrel element is nice, and i do like what i get from the rye in the flavor, but this on the whole is a bit amateurish and could use some refinement. i liked this place a lot, and am sure the beer will catch up to the ambiance...