Starr Saison - Starr Hill Brewery

Jenks

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Banana esters are the first aroma to hit the nose. Pilsner malt is detected behind the banana. Some noble hop character is there once the beer warms up a bit.

A - Very nice, crystal clear golden color. Pours very little head which disappears soon after pouring.

F - Classic Pilsner malt flavor in this beer. A peppery yeast character follows which fills the mouth and mixes well with the banana. Not sure if I can detect any noble hop flavors. Balanced nicely; I wouldn't call it to be on the malty or bitter side. The finish is fairly dry.

M - Medium body. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste in the mouth that is reminiscent of the beer itself. Carbonation seems a little low. There is no astringency or other offensive characteristics. No creaminess. A slight alcohol warmth.

O - This is a good Saison but not great. I would have liked some more pronounced yeast character; more spicyness, more pepper, banana, etc. The balance is spot on for a Saison; dry but with a little malt and just a touch of noble hop.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 15:35:38 | More by Jenks

streetcommander

Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Saisons are fantastic, but not often produced by craft breweries. This one is one of the MOST fantastic examples I have had, period. ABV is alleged to be 6.5 which is out if character for this style, but superbly executed none the less. Very well done.

Try it, and I bet you will like it.

Crisp, clear, clean, flavorful, and very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 21:16:14 | More by streetcommander

Dave1999

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a transparent golden colour with a big bright white head.

The smell is Belgian yeast, cloves,bananas and black pepper.

The taste is sweet, cloves and apples, finishes too watery.

The mouthfeel is pretty thin, with medium carbonation.

This beers not that bad, but to be honest I haven't been all that impressed by any of star hills beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:08:33 | More by Dave1999

orcsinspace

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a great beer. It has a nice golden wheat color, and a foamy head. The smell is a little smokey.

The taste is earthy, with a little smokey flavor. It is very subtle, and compliments the hops. The flavor is balanced, and very drinkable.

Saison is a good beer. It is ashame that more craft beers can't be as creative as this beer, and still be drinkable. If you get the chance, try one, because you will not regret it.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:26:29 | More by orcsinspace

Guden

Maryland

1.68/5  rDev -53.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.25

A- small head with a yellow body. Looks a touch darker than most macros.

S- as soon as I cracked the bottle I thought "this was a bad choice". Obvious DMS with just a touch of Belgian fruit character and some phenolic character that just seems off.

T- up front it has slight sweet fruit flavor that is quickly destroyed by aspirin bitterness and cooled corn character.

M- relatively thin though neither as dry or carbonated as I would like for the style.

O- another terrible beer from Starr Hill. I will never try a seasonal from them again, they are all awful. Picked this because I saw Saison and didn't realize the brewer, won't make that mistake again.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 22:56:41 | More by Guden

oberon

North Carolina

3.64/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured on and a half bottles into a large tulip glass with a slightly hazed rich golden color with a very nicely defined fluffy white head that stuck like glue to the glass.Aromas mainly consisted spicy phenols,clove,and white pepper mainly with just a hint of citrus fruit.Like the nose the flavors are yeasty and phenolic,alot of spice and mild funk,with a bit of toasted grain.Not bad but a little one dimensional with the phenols.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 20:02:28 | More by oberon

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

A: Clear, liquid gold, with a beautiful 2-finger head of white foam; decent lingering, but with scant lacing after it fades.

S: Lemon peel; cloves; pepper, wheat bread. Basically, like a Hefeweizen.

T: A little sweetness up front, but that quickly vanishes into a mixture of grain, citrus, and yeast. That doesn't last long either, before a bitter finish takes over and lasts a long time. And it's not your typical hops bitterness -- there's something sharp and harsh about it.

M: Fairly good carbonation, but the astringent finish is distracting, especially since subsequent sips don't squelch it.

O: It looked and smelled like a winner, but it was so disappointing in the mouth. I had to work to finish it, so I won't be getting another.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 22:13:37 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. Bottled on 2/12/13.

A - Pours golden with perfect clarity. Not much more than a film of white head sits on top. A thick column of ascending bubbles pour from the laser etch in the bottom of the glass. Lacing haphazardly paints the sidewalls.

S - Cloves dominate the aroma. Sweet belgian sugars, milled white pepper, and enticing bready grain. There is very little in the barnyard/funk department, making this a bit of a one dimensionally sweet saison.

T - Notes of ginger and clove on the forefront. Bubblegum yeast and spices follow. The finish is slightly astringent at first, but cleans up after a few sips.

M - Spritzy carbonation and a light-medium body.

O - Whenever I see a new Starr Hill beer I grab it. They don't make anything mind blowing, but I always loved stopping by the Brewery/tasting room while I was in college. This beer is quaffable enough, but lacks the complexity I look for in a saison. A little bit sweet and bready for my taste. This is probably one I will not get again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:19:09 | More by NoLeafClover44

argock

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a glass tumbler. Bottled on 01/08/13 plainly printed on the bottle neck. Purchased at Maya (Charlottesville, VA) as an aperitif.

A: Very clear honey golden with 1-2 fingers of nearly white big-bubbled head with decent retention and thin single line of lacing at the top of the glass.

S: Aroma is at first more in line with a hefeweizen with a lot of banana, pineapple, and bubble gum aromas, although it does come through with some more pepper and phenolic character with warming.

T: The flavor is way too sweet and not nearly dry enough for the style. I had an Ommegang Hennepin earlier this week in exactly the same situation, and the contrast was sorely obvious. The fruity aroma is far too prominent with a lot of banana, pear, and fruity apple and pineapple character. There is some pepper but it is in the backseat as is the dryness.

M: The mouthfeel reminds me more of a Belgian singel as it had a lot of thickness and minimal dryness. There is a slight tang in the finish, but this has a lot of body and too little carbonation for the style.

O: I wanted this to be a lot better -- I don't know if it's a yeast problem or a recipe problem, but the whole thing needs to be revisited as it seems to be missing in a lot of departments.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:24:06 | More by argock

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A dark gold bodied beer with excellent clarity and a big white head that quickly settles down to a thin, bubbly band on top. Patchy, somewhat slippery lacing. Aroma of honey, yeast, pepper, grassy hops. Simple and noticeably sweet.

Flavor has a prominent fruity and honeyed sweetness, lots of yeastiness, pepper, clove and other spices, lightly hoppy, grassy bitterness. Biscuity malt character. Semi-dry finish, some lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.

Medium bodied and carbonated, slightly creamy feel, could be a bit crisper. Not bad but definitely overly sweet for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 16:42:37 | More by tobelerone

kylehay2004

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewery, reviewed from notes. The tap room bartender was great. Stayed open an extra 35 minutes to talk beer. I had a great time.

A: single finger head with excellent lacing on a hazy golden with copper hued body.

S: very spicey with an excellent mjusty yeast character counterpart to an aroma of nice earthy hops and clove.

T: maltier tasting than I like my saisons. may be due to yeast character fooling me a little. candied fruits, mild spice, clove and banana.

M: light body and high carbonation.

Overall: not terrible but with so many solid saisons out there, I wanted more from this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 22:30:46 | More by kylehay2004

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes on 06/25/12:
Bottled: 05/07/12; Poured in a pint glass.

A - Two inches of off-white creamy head with good retention; Dark sunset gold color with an orange-ish hue; Very slight haze; Not too much lacing left behind

S - Quite a bit of bready/yeasty notes, as well as some lemon and orange-like citrus peel, herbs/spices, clove, banana, bubble gum, sugary syrup, and subtle apple and pear

T - Like the aroma, there's lots of bready flavor here that's fairly sweet, but also reminiscent of sourdough with some accompanying spicy and funky qualities; Clove, banana, bubble gum, and herbs are also present, though none of these flavors really stand out at first; As the beer warms, bubble gum flavors start to step in front of the pack

M - Just under moderate carbonation; Medium bodied; Pretty smooth, creamy, and wet going down; Before the beer warms, a noticeable oily, syrupy coat forms on the tongue

O - I enjoyed finding and having the chance to try this new brew from Starr Hill. As far as Saisons go, this one doesn't really stand out for me and left me struggling to pick out signature flavors. Pleasant flavors were certainly present, but in proportions that differed from what I had expected. That said, this beer definitely quenched my thirst as I sat on the porch on a hot and humid Summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 11:47:46 | More by TechTriumph