A Salute to Saisons! (2022)

I am not sure if they were from Gent (Ghent) as my co-worker had family outside of Gent and maybe that is where the relationship began. In any event, it was billed to me as a "local" beer and it certainly was in limited supply back then (early 2000's). They did have it at Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, my favorite beer cafe!

 

My dad and his wife live up the street from Zebulon and we’re visiting them next week… really pumped we’re in town while they are open (1-6 Saturday and Sunday)… I’ll certainly push for us to go Saturday just in case we need to go back Sunday!

 

La Brasserie de la Senne Saison. This one is made by blending with Cantillon Lambic. Acidic and bitter. Fabulous and totally la Brasserie de la Senne.

 

Synthesis - Oxbow



The picture fails to capture the dark copper, which turns a deep, rich ruby red when held to the light. The head falls to a fine creamy foam, and leaves a falling curtain of lace with each sip.

The aroma opens strong with sweet-tartness, and spicy oak that fills the room. Earthy grape must eventually follows, with Boudreaux building. Fruity plum and cranberry come as it warms. This bares more than a passing resemblance to a Flanders Red.

The style ambiguity carries through to the flavors. The sweet-tart is more subdued and the oak becomes a massive presence. Mildly acidic, the Red wine and fruit are greatly diminished, giving way to cranberries as it warms. Sour currents build ahead of mild bitterness and strengthening tartness as it warms. The finish is dominated by tart cranberry juice and oak.

A light body and hard, slick-silk texture is cut by modest, fine carbonation. Alcohol is about as expected, as is the dryness.

Had I sampled this blind, I certainly wouldn’t have suspected it to be a Saison. Nevertheless, it is a tasty sipping beer. The whole bottle will be enjoyed while reading on this cold, late Autumn afternoon. I am curious how it would pair with wild game or venison sautéed with morels in a rich buttery Port reduction. Yum!

 

I tend to drink saisons from some sorta tulip for reviewing purposes, but just a standard pint otherwise. It's a style meant for quaffing. Maybe I'm just not buying expensive/rare enough saisons.

 

One of my favorite Belgian selections. We get this and the taras boulba from time to time, and from that selection I've got great admiration for De la Senne

 

After spending a little time in Belgium many years ago, I left with lots of admiration for la Brasserie de la Senne. That admiration hasn't diminished over time.

 

Enjoying this offering, nearthe BB date, with an initial skunked aromatic that quickly went away.
Cheers all

 

The few rye saisons I've had have been great. Unfortnately, I can't think of too many that aren't seasonals. Upright in Portland used to make Six, and I really liked it. Sante Adairius also have a variety of mixed fermentation rye saisons, most recently their ninth anniversary beer.

 

This ended up being false… Friday and Saturday were the days they were open, which I luckily found out at about 5 on Saturday and was able to zip down the hill for a few bottles and a taster of the imperial stout.

Their house saison is absolutely amazing… incredibly dry with a touch of funk. This seemed a lot like a Fantome saison to me and am glad I got to taste it.

 

Surfer Rosa - Oxbow



Muddy yellow with a short lived ivory froth. The head is somewhat transient and leave thin webbing over a thick ring.

The aroma opens as lemony salt marsh, followed by coriander and faint white pepper. Some orange works its way out as it warms, along with a mild floral sensation. Earthy bread dough become obvious and acts as a background drone for the duration.

It’s more bitter than anticipated with dryness being pronounced. A mild sour/tartness becomes earthy, while coriander and lime fill the voids. The finish is very strong, too strong, as it overwhelms both the delicate and the pronounced flavors. All except the dryness. Warmth continuously amplifies the marsh-brine.

The body is light with the soft texture of angora wool (furr?). The alcohol is surprisingly noticeable, all-be-it mild. The carbonation is soft and creamy, giving an overall fluffy sensation to each sip.

This is a pleasant Saison, less sessionable than as an accent to the afternoon. My imagination wants to try it with crab cakes and a salad composed of roasted corn and peppers with feta in the mix. Closing my eyes, I’m transported to a sunny August on the shores of the lower Chesapeake Bay. (Too much? ;-)

 

Enjoying a Robert from Russian River. I was excited to try this one since RR are a highly regarded brewery and everything I've had from them so far has been quality, but unfortunately...

I'm not sure what was up with my bottle. Opened 12/2022, dated 04/2022, pours a minimal head even after a vigorous pour that quickly recedes. The nose is nice -- brett, barnyard funk, lemon, hay. The taste reveals what the pour suggested though -- this is quite undercarbed, and I'm not sure why since it was corked and caged and is bottle-conditioned. The cork came out without much of a pop so maybe the seal was somehow compromised. Either way the undercarbonation unfortunately impacts not only the taste but also the mouthfeel which comes off as light and watery. I'll chalk this one up as a bad bottle.

 

It is up to you but you may want to contact Russian River to let them know about this just in case it is a systemic issue vs. just a single bottle thing:

https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/contact-us/

Perhaps provide a link to your post within the contact.

Cheers!

 

Thanks! I just submitted my feedback along with full context and where I purchased from. Hopefully they'll put the information to use since RR are obviously a great brewery. Hoping this was just a one-off, but if not they now at least have one data point to work from.

 

That definitely isn't typical for that beer. I'm sorry you got the short end of the stick there, it's definitely a beer that benefits from its bright carbonation

 

Generally love RR's saisons and sours, but having similar results here - the head pictured above only stuck around for a few moments before receding to naught. Lovely aroma, decent flavor, mediocre body/appearance...I sent a message to RR as well.

3.79/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Bottled 11/18/2021 - enjoyed 12/21/2022 - poured from a caged-and-corked 375mL bottle into my Troubadour tulip.

Cloudy peach-yellow liquid with a rapidly receding papya-whip cap. The fine collar leaves vague lacing and no legs.

Lemon cake, toasted sugar/marzipan, and faint orange peel in the nose. Very light Brett. presence.

Acidic palate entry, bright malt with hints of lemon, wheat, and unripe pear. Not quite husky, mineral-kissed finish suggesting river stones. Mild even bitterness throughout.

A bit fizzy, medium-light bodied, more like a lambic than a saison.

Decent example of the style, but lacking some character and the body/carbonation is somewhat problematic. Definitely preferred Jannemie for this duo release.

 

Thanks for posting this.

It would seem to indicate that the drinking experience posted by @o29 above was not just a single bottle problem thing.

Cheers!

 

Indeed, thank you for your input! This is much more thorough and well thought out than my post.

I must admit after seeing the picture I thought I was about to read a post about the exact opposite situation, but unfortunately it seems my experience was more common than I hoped.

 

Almost looks like an non-alcoholic beer, especially the head.