Levain
Is/Was Brewing
- From:
- Is/Was Brewing
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Saison
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.24 | pDev: 7.31%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 03, 2024
- Added:
- May 17, 2021
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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Saison fermented in oak barrels with a mixed culture.
Levain is a long time coming. The culmination of our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the microorganisms that allow us to make beer. Mashed with raw spelt from Jamie's Mill, hopped with aged whole cone hops, then fermented and ripened in used oak wine barrels with a blend of our house saison yeast, our favorite strains of brettanomyces, dregs from bottles that inspire us, and microorganisms soured from my 6-year old sourdough starter.
Levain is deeply complex yet spryly drinkable with a delightful acidity. You'll find notes of lineage, lemon zest, lychee, mango, musky leather, earthy blue cheese, wet hay, pink starburst, papaya, black cherry, and a touch of oaky vanillin and spice.
Production time: 18 months
Released: May 2021
Fermentation vessel: Used French & Hungarian Oak
Levain is a long time coming. The culmination of our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the microorganisms that allow us to make beer. Mashed with raw spelt from Jamie's Mill, hopped with aged whole cone hops, then fermented and ripened in used oak wine barrels with a blend of our house saison yeast, our favorite strains of brettanomyces, dregs from bottles that inspire us, and microorganisms soured from my 6-year old sourdough starter.
Levain is deeply complex yet spryly drinkable with a delightful acidity. You'll find notes of lineage, lemon zest, lychee, mango, musky leather, earthy blue cheese, wet hay, pink starburst, papaya, black cherry, and a touch of oaky vanillin and spice.
Production time: 18 months
Released: May 2021
Fermentation vessel: Used French & Hungarian Oak
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.75/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2024 vintage; "Blend #4". I had this on draft 8/8/24 @ the Hopleaf.
Cloudy dull yellow/orange appearance.
Small off-white head; minimal lacing remained.
Lemon & wheatgrass notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Lemon & wheatgrass flavors.
Balanced & simple but perhaps a bit...loud. A few ounces would be best.
Sep 03, 2024Cloudy dull yellow/orange appearance.
Small off-white head; minimal lacing remained.
Lemon & wheatgrass notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Lemon & wheatgrass flavors.
Balanced & simple but perhaps a bit...loud. A few ounces would be best.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.6/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Golden pour with a thin white cap. I thought the description was a little silly with how complex and intense it was, "you’ll find notes of limeade, lemon zest, lychee, mango, musky leather, earthy blue cheese, wet hay, pink starburst, papaya, black cherry, and a touch of oaky vanillin and spice." Figured it was typical marketing fluff. But actually this beer has all of this except maybe the black cherry in the taste but with additions of barnyard funk, more pronounced oak that they advertise, rustic bready yeast, and peach. Amazing! Smell is more funk and yeast focused with the fruits being more tropical, hay and oak round out. Feel is light, funky, oaky, lightly sour, reminiscent of afterthought but with a more robust funk. Really surprised how much I loved this, I/W best beer to date!
Oct 11, 2021
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois
4.28/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Is/Was or Afterthought, you be the judge. Illinoisan Fantôme worshippers, rejoice.
Pale gold with racing streamers of visible carbonation, a couple fingers of foam. The bottle was a gusher, just be aware. Some spotty lace here and there, bright clarity.
Aroma is strongly sulfuric at first, later there’s lemon and oak.
Tart and crisp, zippy lime, lemon, and a gentle oak presence in the dry aftertaste. Hint of grape. Maybe some dried herbs in there somewhere, though the acidity and oak take centerstage. A hint of mild brie cheese rind. It’s too clean to pick up any bleu cheese, as noted on the label.
Overall this is a nice direction for Is/Was, it’s light enough to support a fruit addition, and I look forward to trying any variants.
Jun 02, 2021Pale gold with racing streamers of visible carbonation, a couple fingers of foam. The bottle was a gusher, just be aware. Some spotty lace here and there, bright clarity.
Aroma is strongly sulfuric at first, later there’s lemon and oak.
Tart and crisp, zippy lime, lemon, and a gentle oak presence in the dry aftertaste. Hint of grape. Maybe some dried herbs in there somewhere, though the acidity and oak take centerstage. A hint of mild brie cheese rind. It’s too clean to pick up any bleu cheese, as noted on the label.
Overall this is a nice direction for Is/Was, it’s light enough to support a fruit addition, and I look forward to trying any variants.
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