Organic Farmhouse Ale 2006 Brewer's Reserve
Bison Brewing

 

Found this beer in August of 2009.

Little to no head when poured. Light lacing.

Sugary sweet and a little spicy with very soft carbonation. Light to medium body.

Cloudy & bright amber in color.

Very drinkable and less skunky than some saisons.

Bottle from River's Bend 10/2006.

Poured hazy amber color with an average frothy white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing.

Moderate yeasty spice and tart fruit aroma.

Light to medium body with a sticky texture and soft carbonation.

Medium sour citrus flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

Solid refreshing beer.

Sampled 11-24-06. Pours cloudy gold with a big head. Nose is yeasty, smooth, and sweet. Flavor is very unique. When I taste it, I think farmhouse. Straw on the floor. Earthy yeasty goodness. Bitter end. Seems to be well balanced, though at the end there is an almost metallic and inky aftertaste and also a robust and hearty flavor left as well. If it weren't for that (metal and ink), I'd give it a 4.5 on the taste. Feel is thick with carbonation and smooth. Very drinkable.

Clody amber body is topped by a large vanilla head. Some sheet lacing is left behind on the goblet. Aroma is earthy and yeasty with some spicy coriander and white pepper. A vague note of strawberry adds some interest. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a tingly velvety carbonation. Taste is dry, herbal, and yeasty. Spicy coriander and unripe strawberries add a bit of complexity. One of the better American saisons but pedestrian compared to many of the European examples.

The beer pours a hazy pale gold color with a towering white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a spicy Belgian yeast scent along with a crisp pale and wheat malt aroma. The taste is decent. It has a watered down malt taste along with a less than average yeast ester profile. It does have a light peppery presence, but it's less spicy than most. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium/full bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a pretty good drinking beer. It's far from the best Saison available, but it drinks well anyway.

Interesting bottle configuration. Hazed orange out of the bottle, with sparse skim and slivers of lace upon on the glass.

Nose is chalky grains, soured apples, sugared wheat berries, wheaty poolish elements. Less funk than true Belgian examples.

Clattering, inharmonious sweet tones beat up against the aforementioned traditionally saison aspects of the beer and some tannic sourness. Spikes of nutrisweet. Generally better than many domestic examples (but no Hennepin) and not in the league with any worthy Belgian.

Mouthfeel is about right, dry and slightly bitter but sweetness even comes through to the palate.

Bright sunflower gold with diamond-like clarity. The final pour adds a 'sunlight penetrating a cloud bank' fogginess that I absolutely love. The alabaster cap is easily the equal of some of Belgium's finest. It shows off a rounded edges rockiness as it melts and lays down a thick sheet of tattered lace that puts the finishing touches on an authentic looking saison.

The nose is great as well. It's chock full of golden fruity esters that are accompanied by a wonderful Belgian yeasty spiciness; ground clove especially. Since the yeast strain is a clone of one used by Brasserie Dupont for their saisons, I'm not at all surprised that I like what greets my nose each time I place it over the glass. Earthy, musky and spicy... oh my!

First, a word about ingredients and brewing technique. The malt bill is fairly straightforward: mostly pale, with small amounts of Munich and caramel. The hop bill is much more interesting: Pacific Gem (a very high alpha acid, New Zealand grown organic) and French Strisselspalt (a hop that is supposed to impart a black currant aroma and flavor). The other fascinating feature is that Bison sour mashed the malt prior to fermentation, then fermented it at a high temperature (90-95 degrees).

Farmhouse Ale 2006 tastes more like a soft, well-mannered tripel than it does a saison. I'm fine with that since I love the Belgian tripel style in all of its various iterations. Each large mouthful delivers an orchardful of golden apples and pears that are sweet and tart in turn. Meandering through the ripe fruitiness is a tantalizing spiciness made up of clove, corinder and tamed white pepper.

I love the balance between the various flavors and flavor sensations. This saison doesn't assault my taste buds with overpowering amounts of flavor, but it's so rich, so complex and so sublimely drinkable that I'm forcing myself to slow down so that it doesn't disappear too quickly. The swing-top is great, but I wish it was atop a 750 ml bottle.

The mouthfeel is terrific as well. It's appropriately light, with a mouthfilling creaminess that, again, reminds me of a true Belgian ale. The beer is as soft as cotton and as smooth as summer weight silk. I feel like singing... 'summer breeze, makes me feel fine... '.

I've had most of what the boys from Bison have brewed. Not one of those beers prepared me for the magnificence of Farmhouse Ale 2006 Brewer's Reserve. I love tongue-shredding hop bombs with a passion. I also love massive Russian Imperial Stouts. That doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a beautifully crafted saison that comes from the most unlikely of brewers. Highly recommended.

A: Cloudy yellow with plently of yeast sediment in the bottle. Fluffy white head, good retention & lace.

S: Spicy, yeasty earthyness, with a little funk & flora aroma.

T: Earthy spice, slight horse-like funk, underlying biscuity malt flavour; modest bitterness. Stir up the yeast sediment, and it really adds to the flavour.

M: Light to moderate body is smooth, with a slight acidity.

D: Quite drinkable for a saison. Probably a good intro to the style.

Thanks Sammy!

quarterly tasting party may 16/07 with northyorksammy, Derek, and me (grub). everyone threw in a few bottles and we had an interesting mix of beer. northyorksammy contributed this one, so thanks sammy!

swingtop bottle, i think it was 12oz.

pours deep yellow with a big fluffy off-white head. the head drops fairly quick and leaves lots of lace.

aroma is nice. touch of alcohol. bit of funk. bit of caramel. light cracker malt. bit of yeast. light spice.

taste is good. bit of yeast. touch of spice. bit of alcohol. light funk. bit of barnyard and leather. light cracker malt. initially we had poured and managed to leave all the yeast in the bottle, but it seemed a little thin and bland, so i added a little back into my glass. this really helped it to fill out a little.

mouthfeel is ok. light carbonation. fairly light body. nice dry finish. has a lingering slightly unpleasant feeling on your tongue that i didn't really enjoy.

drinkability is ok. except for the feeling it leaves on the tongue i mostly enjoyed this one.

On the cloudy yellow side, good head and lace with soapy bubbles. Medium mouthfeel, yeasty and that's in the aroma. A bit of blind spot/black hole in the finish otherwise a fine saison.Underated, so have it early in a session to appreciate its subtleties.

My first Bison beer, my first entirely organic beer, but not my first American Saison.

16.9 oz bottle with a flip-top rubber stopper. Paid $5.99 at City Beer Store in San Francisco.

Pours a very hazy orange with hints of yellow. Two finger head diminishes somewhat quickly, but hangs around the edges throughout. Aroma is straightforward - moderate spice, Belgian yeastiness, not much malt.

The flavor falls down. Some butteriness, unintegrated malt, maybe some fruit. Lots of butteriness in the flavor and texture, finishes very short. None of the carbonated edge that perks up others in the style.

I wanted to like this one, but it's no Hennepin. It's not even going to get a revisit.

Wow, pour this hazy golden yellow, with a orange hue, with loads and loads of tight white foam and lace, very, very slowly or all you'll get is heavy white foam.

The smell of spices really fill the nose with a pleasant aroma. For me, it had a fruity aroma and a solft, wseet maltiness with a lively mouth feel with a finish reminescent of brut champagne, but, a little sweeter and not quit a tart.

A pleasant surprise. Remember, to take your time pouring this very good saison. This is one of the best american made saison I've had.

Aaah, this beer is a nice break from all of the heavier winter warmers and barleywines that I have had recently. And not just a saison, but a rather nice one at that. Immediately upon the pour, I picked up ripe fruit aromas and pronounces spiciness. The beer pours a hazy straw with a slight orange-brown tint and an eggshell colored head retention that was dotted with spices and yeast, which lasted the durration of the session. Peaches, pears, apples, appricots and papayas are dominant in the nose and flavors. Yeasty and fruity esters begin to take on bananna, clove, and bubblegum proportions. Maltiness remains sweet but balanced, taking on a cotton-candy sweetness. Finishes with a peppery, mouthwatering sensation. Very drinkable and inviting. By far, the best of the Bison offerings in my opinion.

This beer was my first attempt at a Saison. It will likely be my last. The beer was a very cloudy yellow with a fizzy head. The smell and the taste were both in line with wet grass. The beer was revolting and there will be no reason for me to try it again. The bottle was the only one good thing about it. It was packaged in a neat swingtop. I tried rinsing it out and thought I had it but th next day it looked like concrete in the bottle. Maybe this beer or even style is for others but not for me.

Pours a bright gold with a melted butter colored head.
Smells like corn husk. Yuck!
Flavor is bad. I don't know how to describe it. Lots of butter in the flavor with some spice.
Carbonation is good but the mouthfeel is still weak.
One of the worst beers I've had in a while.
I recommend avoiding this beer.

Flip top stubby bottle pops open with a healthy *thwip!*

Into a tulip, a rigid antique white, densely packed 1 inch head cap settles to a coating leaving drippy lace in the glass. Appearance is a bright golden straw clear hue containing zero rising bubbles.

Bright orange spicy scents that blend a plain bread dough and light peppery aspects. Some sweet malty backing fills in the nose. Some vanilla ice cream meets spice wafer hints peek out.

First swigs: Dry vanilla ice cream. Loose flavor that swims around before definition. A Jell-O like honey flavor with a creamy blend. Instant drying hop bite. Slightly thin in the flavor department that falls a touch short of a true saison but still makes fora tasty Belgian style.

Feel is thin with a restrained carbonation. Needs more "omph" but still not to a fault.

Last swigs: A polite Belgian blonde that contains some Saison hints, but not quite dead on. Reminds me of a Hennepin like brew.

Beer i good. Happy interesting Sainson beering.

Poured into my Goose Island tulip with sunshine honey haze amidst par bubbles and head than what I'm used to in a saison. Definetly a spicey nose, makes me think of rock candy. The taste is almost up there with the real deal. But is does lack that needed tartness to be close to a true saison. There is maybe a nuance of tartness. But nothing that makes this beer like a real Belgian inspired brew. Soothing upfron with it's spuices and dry at the finish with the Belgian hops and its mild carbonation.

New in town. Aroma is herbal, floral, slightly sour and holds some vaguely citrus notes. Body is a soft golden yellow and a firm, thumb thick white head perches atop. Fore is lightly sour with both floral and herbal notes. Some sweeter citrus runs through the middle ranges. has a creamy feel and an almost cream-like flavor toward the finish. Finish is abrupt and light leaving a tart, but mellow flavor on the tongue. Pretty tasty.

Presentation: 1 Pint 0.9 Fluid Ounce stubby brown bottle with a tall cylindrical neck and a swing top. Single main label is a little understated and simply has a white circle set against a black background .The silhouette of a Bison stands above a gold band in the centre which has the words ”Farmhouse Ale 200 Brewer’s Reserve” scripted across it. No strength listed but stamped as a “USDA Organic” brew.


Appearance: Pale orange golden with a graded body. Shear clarity reveals a continual set of streamers and bolsters the head which is at least 2 inches on the initial pour. A fizzing settling down period quickly has the off-white cap relaxed to a partial broken covering but it never disappears. Solid carbonation, a gentle swirl breathes life back into this one. Saison looks are comparable.

Nose: Ripe mandate of tropical fruits with some orange and lemons to add citric acidity to the back of the aromas. Lots of tangerine and coriander with a healthy zesty spice finish.

Taste: Soft yet starch like entrance has a refreshing spice character and yet more fleshy tangerine slices in the middle seemingly transferred over from the nose. The death of this is a long drawn out affair, sharp zesty citrus, Tripel-like spices and some coriander all balance into a mêlée with an herbal tangent.

Mouthfeel: Mango adds a tropical feel and an exotic depth to the lush juicy Mouthfeel. Suckable tangerine flesh rides high yet the body is always light and spritzy allowing the flavor components to burst through in firework fashion.

Drinkability: I did not get to the end of this Review before the bottle was gone. A light chill has the gorgeous fruity and spicy nature of the Belgian yeast rise and shine through this one. Eminently quaffable.

Overall: Described on the label as “a Saison made using Belgian yeasts and sour mashing for a refreshing spiciness and acidity to enliven ones palate!” This is an enjoyable offering, a refreshing and nicely put together effort I have to say. Quite the drinker too. Not cheap but well worth the coin, one of Bison’s best brews to date for my money. Recommended.