Black Saison
Yazoo Brewing Company

 

Served on-tap in a pint glass at the Yazoo tap room. Dark black body and a dark brown head. Looks good.

I was halfway expecting a funky aroma from some belgian yeast since it is labeled a saison. Not there. Mostly roasted malt and a hint of toffee.

Good flavors in the mix. A little hard to distinguish which are saison and which are stout, but it's not a mess or anything. Just not what you might expect from the name. It really reminds me of a porter.

Nice experimentation. Good for Yazoo. Keep it up.

Interesting combination of some wort from the Onward Stout and the yeast from the Rye Saison. Served on tap in a nonic pint at the Yazoo taproom.

A: Dark black color with no other colors visible in the edges of the glass. Head was tan and about 1 finger high. Looks like a stout.

S: The roasted malts from the stout seemed to dominate the smell. I didn't get much of the Belgian yeast aromas from the saison.

T: Nice smooth taste, with the saison side evident in the spiciness and somewhat tart flavors, but the stout is also contributing with the dark, roasty malt notes.

M: Creamy feel with a slightly coffee roast bitterness in the aftertaste.

D: Overall, I think the stout character clearly outshined the saison characteristics. It's an enjoyable beer and I'd order this again if they choose to brew more in the future.

Onward Stout wort fermented with the Rye Saison yeast strain - served at the Yazoo tap room.

Pitch black, with a thin brown head on top. Not much in the way of lacing as the pint recedes.

Nose is a bit like an estery version of Onward Stout - dark, earthy roastiness up front leaning towards espresso, with a bit of dark chocolate underneath, all with a bit of a bright Belgian fruitiness. I don't smell this and think farmhouse, really - no peppery phenols at all, no funk. But the Onward Stout portion still comes through clearly, if a bit fruity. Tropical stout?

Taste still shows plenty of Onward coming through, though the fruitiness is a bit more clear coming through here as well. More coffee-like roasted notes, sharp and clean, very light earthiness, hinting at burnt grain. Yeast shows through with a restrained fruity character once again, though the farmhouse shows through very mildly here with just a bit of a peppery character that doesn't come out as much in the nose, even grassy. Lacks the complexity of the best saison, but would make a very interesting thirst-quencher for those hot days when you still want something a bit dark.

Mouthfeel feels a bit thinned-out by the yeast, but still maintains a bit of a light creaminess that's really nice. Drying on the finish. Quite drinkable. Not quite on the level with the base beer - Onward Stout and Sue are probably tied for my favorite Yazoo beer - but a nice change of pace I suppose. Doesn't clash, but isn't a perfect mesh either.

Honestly, I had a hard time picking a class for this. Despite the fact that it's called a Black Saison, the Onward Stout part of the identity still dominates. Still, I couldn't imagine putting Black Saison in the Irish Dry Stout category, so here it is. If they had just named it Onward and Upward or something, that's where it would have been.

My request? Try the same saison yeast out on Dos Perros. I'm betting on an even better match.