Alexandra
Fair Isle Brewing

A: Pours a straw yellow color, with a touch of cloudiness. A dense white head forms with excellent retention and lace left behind.
S: Musty yeast, herbal tea like aromas. There is a spiciness, and ester character that is great. That goes from grapes to apples.
T: Like the nose, the musty yeast hits up front. A little grainy like, spicy, herbal. Tart and acidic, with fruity esters. Apple skins mostly, that gives a dry cider like quality. Just enough puckering sourness.
M/O: A light body that is crisp and effervescent. Finishes wonderfully dry and even refreshing. Which all leads to a very enjoyable Saison to drink. That I can down in big gulps, but I want to take my time with.

This is an excellent low ABV Saison/Table Bier. I'm not exactly sure what Fireweed tastes like, but that probably accounts for the herbal tea like quality. Which balances perfectly with the lightly funky, tart, ester like Saison. Well done all around, and again, this brewery is great.

I don't do full beer reviews much anymore, but I love a good saison.

Pours golden wheat color, hazy with a fairly thin layer of white head.

Smell is crisp, yeasty, and herbal. The yeast presence is potent and lovely - a little funky, a little spicy.

Taste is much like the smell, but with more depth and variety. Crisp, a little peppery, with lots of yeast funk.

Feel is where this beer really excels. Light, tingly, filling the mouth with flavors before dissipating quickly.

The fireweed feels like a gimmick, but it got me to buy the beer. And I'm happy I did, because it's just a straight delicious yeast-driven saison.

 

 

 

gorgeous table saison with fireweed in it, not sure ive had that in a beer before, only fireweed honey, which is somewhat more common, although still not really i guess. i dont know a ton about the botanical either, but it contributes to a wonderful beer here, and i cannot get enough of fair isle right now! this is on the clean side, a house saison strain im sure, but not bretty or funky, and only a little rustic, its sort of french, sort of white winey, sort of estery, hints of pear and green apple and green grape to it, there is some light bacterial tartness too from the draft version, although nowhere near sour, and i get a little more wild character as it warms, but this is delicate on the ferment, totally. the aroma and flavor show some herbal layers from clover flowers to bee balm to peach blossoms to heather and even thyme, some earthy bitterness to it seems, a definite tea note among it, and some simple but high end pale malt, organic seeming, wheat and pils together i would guess, great balance here, bone dry, herb forward but not dominant, some light farmy character perceptible too, but again delicate overall. awesome carbonation and very unique, just in an exceedingly subtle way. love the restraint, the overall quality, and the uniqueness that the fireweed brings to this outstanding beer. these guys can do no wrong for me at the moment!

 

 

750 mL bottle. Pours clear pale yellow with a big white head. Smells of lemon, light basement funk, hints of herbs. Tastes of light lemon tartness, stronger herbals, earthy yeast bitterness, and very light graininess. Light body. Pleasant and easy to drink. Lemon tartness is probably the most dominant flavor, though, so it's not the most exciting saison.

Pale yellow, straw-like in color; plenty of lively carbonation; excellent head, white and thick. Fresh, vibrant aroma; green herbs and citrus, primarily lemon; coriander. The taste expands and enhances the smell; delicate lemon-lime tartness; faint note of green tea; clean. Light and refreshing body; mild acidity; airy.

This is one amazing saison. Delicate and very refreshing across the board. The brewery recommends drinking this fresh, so I missed out on that chance, but at approximate eight months out, this is one killer beer. Batch No. One, Bottled September 2020.