Munjoie Saison
Martha's Exchange

I had this today for lunch at the outside tables. Nice warm day, why not a saison.

A - almost a dark reddish brown, a small light tan head that quickly dissipates.
S - Cloves, orange, malty light fruit
T - similar to the aroma but with an ever so light yeast twang and an added touch of grassy hops. Not enough to think huh... but enough to be the other side of spicy.
M - medium bodied, mildy carbonated and dry in the finish.
D - Modest drinking brew. Quaffable and paired well with the outdoors experience with a panini and fries lunch.

AP: Cloudy, Dark Amber with red hues, rusty. Thin, smooth white head that dissipates to a constant 1/8" covering.

Nose: Apricot like fruityness, sweet malt and wheaty.

Taste: Spicey! with fruity notes, yeasty malt. Rather complex for a Saison with a bold malt ending to balance it out very well.

MF: Crisp, active and lively with a good bite like a good refreshing Saison should feel.

DA: I would have another but there's more on tap to try!

Light brown in color; hazy. Looks flat--no head, bubble stream or lace.

Interesting aroma in that it smells like an alcoholic root beer.

Nice licorice flavors, slightly sweet. The hop comes in late (around the swallow) and stays through the aftertaste. Surprisingly, this is highly carbonated! Good, full body.

If I closed my eyes and nose and simply drank this, I believe I'd be extremely intrigued. This is worthwhile to try for something unusual.

1/2 gallon growler.

Thin white head that quickly fades to thin lacing that has some trouble sticking. A glowing yet hazy orange/light brown appearance.

Very fruity aromas (orange, apple, pear) along with a distinct clove presence. Some acidity and alcohol aromas are also present. The aromas are pleasantly strong.

Apple and orange flavors that provide a mild tartness. A big clove and peppery spiciness that cuts into the sour quality of the saison. The finish is very dry and moderately carbonated. The flavors are very good yet slightly watery.

Thin on the palate yet a pretty moderate alcohol warmth is present. Well balanced in terms of spiciness and tartness.

Very refreshing. A lot going on here in terms of flavor. It's not my favorite saison, but I'm glad I took home a growler. A nice take on the style and definitely worth a try.

Sampled on tap at the brewpub.

This saison poured a hazy, coppery color with light tan, pillowy foam that settled slowly but then coated the glass fully. The smell was slightly sweet upfront but some sourness/tartness and a hint of spice. Very nice smell, but would have liked it better a little stronger. The taste was very floral (citrusy hops) and slightly sweet and fruity (hints of orange) and a touch of spice, and a sourness in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy with medium body and low carbonation feel. The aftertaste was nicely hoppy and fruity with a touch of spice. This was a very enjoyable sasion that I was happy drinking all evening.

First time I've tried a Saison in a while. Had a medium copper color, with a creamy tan head. Head shrinks down to a small layer, and leaves good glass-lacing. Nose was mild, on the whole. A hint of malt was there, but mostly fruitiness and a mild, grassy hoppiness. Had a medium body, but with a touch of roughness on the tongue. A subtle malt flavor was there at the beginning, but it mostly had a fruitiness and tartness to it, which lingers nicely on the palate. Finishes a bit on the dry side. As it warmed a touch more malt was evident. A good, quenching bier.

overall: 3.75
appearance: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 4

320