Faible
Afterthought Brewing Company

FaibleFaible
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From:
Afterthought Brewing Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 8.47%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
21
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 15, 2022
Added:
Apr 03, 2018
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 4DAloveofSTOUT:
Photo of 4DAloveofSTOUT
Rated by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Apr 30, 2018
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.53 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 15, 2022
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to samkuhgee for this one, from his recent Can cans BIF box. 16.9oz bottle that had leaked during transit, so the bottle was only half full, and the beer was a bit oxidized, so keep that in mind. The cap still popped when opened, and was still some carbonation.

Poured into 12oz tulip. Poured a cloudy orange-yellow color with just a thin cap of white head that immediately dissipated and left no lacing.

The aroma, behind the slight oxidation, had a very nice yeast spiciness, solid, but soft grains, and a bit of tartness.

Same deal on the tongue, with a slight bit of funk at the back end.

The body was light, smooth, crisp, and had a dry finish.

Drinkability was good, considering the circumstances. I'd happily try this again.

Overall, a pretty nice take on the style. Worth trying if you see it.
Jul 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.96 by 22Blue from Kansas

Sep 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by thinwhiteduke from Illinois

Sep 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Sep 05, 2019
Photo of PatrickCT
Reviewed by PatrickCT from Connecticut

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks again to Joe.

Vibrant straw blond body. Hazy. Light, soapy head dies down to a solid ring.
The aroma is yeasty, musty, citrusy and sour.
Wheaty malts, lots of yeast character, citrus and vinegar sourness in the finish. Slight spicy hop presence.
Light body with medium carbonation. A touch slick.
May 30, 2019
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

3.96/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a bright pale orange-lemon color that is effervescent. A moderate fizzy head that dissipates quickly.
Aroma: Strong floral aromas. Lots of peach behind that.
Taste: Wow what a ride! Strong peach flavors and yeast that fades quickly into an extreme lemon sour/tartness. This is followed by a fruity tangerine flavor that fades into a tangy funk. Faint oak underneath. I don't appreciate much bitterness, hops, or peppery yeast.
Feel: Fades into a fruity flavor, but finishes dry due to the tartness. Leaves a lot of astringency on the palate.

Overall: Such a robust and complex saison for the ABV. One of the more complex saisons I have tasted. So much going on here. More tart and sour than I expected. Peach and tart tangerine flavors all the way. I would classify this more as a sour than a saison as the sourness pushes out any pepper or Belgian spice from yeast or hops. More sourness than I would prefer. In the end, this is my first one from Afterthought. So far I am a fan.
Apr 28, 2019
Photo of Lingenbrau
Reviewed by Lingenbrau from Oregon

4.57/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Joe knows how I like my saisons. I'm looking forward to this. Thanks man!

This is almost exactly what I imagine when I think of a saison, in terms of appearance. A straw golden body with just the slightest bit of fog to it, that glows like the sun itself when backlit. Bubbles racing upwards from the bottom, some fast some a little more lazy. They support what was initially a massive foam, but it declines into a still impressive 1/4" of white crushed velvet. Snow banks develop around the perimeter as sips are drawn.

When the cap popped, a gush of fresh peaches right out of the orchard emerged. Digging in, the layers can be peeled. Lemon rind and dry hay come first. Sawdust from aged wood, damp grass, and white peppercorns hog up the back end. It SMELLS refreshingly tart, funky, and rustic.

A basket of tart fruits in liquid form. Tart lemon and lime, sweet tangerines and peaches. Wood, complete with the faintest suggestion of vanilla is an incredible touch. Grassy and herbal funk throughout. The peppercorn mentioned above seems to have vacated the party, but it's not all too missed.

This has to be one of the most incredible feeling beers I've had. A perfect and incredibly unique tartness complimented by the softest pillowy plushness. A balance of sweet and sour with an earthy light bitterness attempting to tip the scale. The tartness saturates the tongue between sips, which the remotely dry finish doesn't allow much time for there in.

This is an incredible wildish saison. Near perfect marks from me for this gem. I was in the mood for something like this today, which is great, but man this would be one killer summer beer.

Cheers.
Mar 06, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.59/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Criminally underrated, a fantastic new age sour saison with tons of old world influence. Nothing dominating, rather a perfectly balance flavor complexion of lemon, pear, apple, barnyard funk, hay, oak, multiple yeasts, pepper, flowers, grass, soil, orange, and a nice surrounding presence of brett. Dry feel with sour oak wetness and acidity to balance. Light, effervescent, and delicate. Smell is not as potent or complex as taste, but still very springy and pleasant. Wonderful ale
Jan 08, 2019
Photo of joe1510
Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois

4.37/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
330ml
$3.99
Iron & Glass - Romeoville, IL

Faible is about as saison looking as saisons get. The body is straw golden with the faintest haze running throughout. Streams of carbonation race each other to the surface. The foam rises easily to two fingers in height, without aggression, and never falls below a finger throughout the drink. The pure white foam is silky, dense and very Belgian-esque. This is a really great looking saison.

The nose is exceedingly bright. Orchard fruits, mustiness, spicy phenols all play their roles. It's musty off the bat, a little cobwebby, and this surrounds the seamless orchard fruitiness of Bartlett pears. wildflowers, pollen, and straw bring about a little funkiness. A couple cracks of white pepper and lemon rind pops toward the finish. Soft bubblegum and random citric juiciness pop up here and there but never in the same place. Great depth.

The flavor somehow manages to surpass the nose. The random citric qualities and, mostly, the lemon peel are softly acidic and exceptionally bright. Wildflowers and straw wash through the middle with that moderate mustiness that brings some soft funk. The pear is ripe and delicious. A complimentary pale malt base of damp grains and sugar cookies with a touch of wheat round this guy out. Layer upon layer. Absolutely delicious.

The feel of this guy is about as good as it gets as well. There's a moderate body at the tip of the tongue but that rather aggressive carbonation gets it moving in a hurry, lightening it up. It's prickly and that seems to accentuate the flavors and mild acidity. The finish is rather quick and it dries up after a few seconds. Immensely drinkable.

Faible is the best new, to me, saison I have had in a long long time. It's magically complex but nuanced. It's a thought provoker but incredibly easy drinking. Beautiful layering. This is a remarkable beer, really. And the price point? Wow.
Dec 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.63 by Themats from Illinois

Dec 12, 2018
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Tasted in a snifter from a bottle on November An everyday saison brewed with New World hops including Calypso, Citra, Crystal and Simcoe. Fermented with a blend of our house culture and traditional saccharomyces strains.
Dec 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by jschott75 from Illinois

Dec 02, 2018
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pale straw yellow with effervescent champagne carb trails. Ample foam, two fingers width with plenty of staying power. Zero gushing, the bottle sat for two minutes and was well behaved.

Bretty aroma with a light acidity, wet hay and brie rind. Delicate and nuanced with a layered wild yeast presence. Pleasantly airy and effervescent, notes of lemon peel, green pear, brie, wet straw, mild oak, a kiss of tropical dry hop. Ample carbonation with an effervescent feel and moderate acidity, bone dry and quenching. Fruit, funk, and a unique rustic character. Perfect pairing with cheese or charcuterie.

This hits all the notes of classic Fantome and Hill Farmstead to me. Forget all the phenolic American Saisons feigning authenticity with no sense of style or history. This is the real deal, charlatans be damned. Those dispensing unsolicited and misguided "business advice" should maybe just keep it to themselves?

Afterthought cracks the 20 Top Rated Breweries on Untappd: https://untappd.com/brewery/top_rated
Oct 17, 2018
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Bought at The Beer Temple (who seemed to be promoting this brewer), I found my first from Afterthought. So, I went on their website and was very impressed by their minimalist image, expansive experimentation in the Belgian tradition (my favorite) and their limited production which results in very, very limited distribution and -- if you want to get these passionate, petite pints-- you need to join their beer club (more good marketing.)

All good stuff. Being a fan of Chicago's Northside Belgian brewer (Off Color) and accepting of its Southside Belgian brewer (Whiner), I am thrilled to find such a dedicated brewer in the suburbs and complete the Chicagoland triumvirate and show more unity in the region. (In truth, there are other Belgo-phile brewers in the suburbs... but don't let facts ruin a good story.)

Anyway.... Afterthought does seem to have abnormal ratings on BA. (But, take a look so I can spare the details.)
Anyway ( I recognize this is a second effort to start the beer review)...... Afterthought deserves encouragement. So, I will set its standards high and base my review on comparing it to the most popular saison in the world, Hennepin. (I'm hoping the comparison elevates Afterthought's game and casts, at least, my doubts on its really, really high scores.)

For my review (a truncated third effort), I make two points (that I promise to keep short.) First, wine is not beer. Faible smells and tastes very winey. Second, Faible is a very creative effort, but if you want to be successful in the marketplace... be more like Hennepin... Easy to drink and enjoyable to those who like to eat with a beer in their other hand.

One final bit of advice, consider changing your name. Beer is not an afterthought, it is a forethought... it can even be a central organizing concept for life.

2/19/19 Had again (on my 3rd anniversary of BA). I wanted to see if I was too harsh on the rating. It remains unchanged. (But the competition is stiff: I just had Dupont's Bons Voeux last night.) I did edit my original Faible review a bit. As I said, I wish this brewer well.
Oct 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by krome from Illinois

Oct 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.27 by dannycohen62 from Illinois

Aug 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Jul 23, 2018
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Reviewed by yourefragile from District of Columbia

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
500 mL bottle. One of the best Afterthought yet...

Near perfect body, fruity yeast, juicy, floral hoppy bitterness, light pepper, crisp, easy drinking with full flavor
Jun 03, 2018
Faible from Afterthought Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 21 ratings