Forgotten Flem Farmhouse Ale - Brau Brothers Brewing Co. LLC

lurpy1

Minnesota

2.23/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Picked this bottle up at Four Firkins. My first Brau beer was a year+ ago and wasn't overly impressed, but reviews seem to picking up, so I figured it was time to give the brothers another try.

Pour is a relatively nondescript goldenrod with a whitish head. There is a lot of bakery and a little bit of citrus in the aroma. Nice. Off to a good start.

Unfortunately in terms of taste, this drink is guilty of two different sins. First, it misses the mark of being true to the saison style. It is sorely lacking in spice and fruity body. Second, and more damningly, it just doesn't taste good. The whole experience is attended by an unpleasant bitterness (way too bitter for a saison,IMHO) and watery undertones. An earthy musty-ness as well. My wife picked up on sour notes. I did not. No matter, she didn't feel the sour improved the experience.

The mouthfeel was zingy and carbonated, suitable for a saison, but coupled with the bitterness it left a sting that was less than enjoyable.

Sorry Brau Bros, I want to support small local breweries like you, but it's gonna be a while before I seek your stuff out again.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 13:20:06 | More by lurpy1

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

2.35/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, this beer produced a generous head. Pouring a golden copper color, the initial taste seemed to be disturbed by a strange oily texture. This would seem to be a mouthfeel issue, but it also affected the taste. The flavor came across like crushed Flinstone Vitamins, except in liquid form. The beer even had a certain grittiness to it. A farmhouse ale should have a certain lemon flavor, but this was more like lemon rind. I did not notice any of the spice others write about in their reviews. The sour aftertaste make the beer slightly more acceptable, but not in the overall picture.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 14:22:38 | More by JohnnyHopps

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.38/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Forgotten Flem

Pours ½ finger of beige head. Leaves some rings. Color is a dark autumn gold. Way to dark for a saison.

Aroma: Odd fruit flavors. Kind of musty. A bit of spice, lemons. Has a slight farmhouse funk. Kind of malty. Very odd.

Taste: I get a roasted malt flavor here. Kind of tastes baked. Light barnyard and a touch of funk. More spices. Pretty malty. Some lemon citrus and other fruits.

Mouthfeel: Spiced, bitter, roasted, and dry. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends roasty.

Overall, a very odd saison. I wasn’t too fond of it as it really didn’t fit the style very well. Not a fan of this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 20:48:07 | More by mothman

argock

Virginia

2.45/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear glass mug. No freshness date. Part of my brother's prodigious beer haul from MN.

A: Reddish-amber with 1-finger nearly white, small-bubbled head with decent retention and a few random spots of lace.

S: Pretty funky, barnyard nose with sour apple and very spicy rye with some coriander.

T: Not pleasant because of the way-overdone dryness -- it surpasses quenching and goes straight to filling-rattling dryness. The flavor is very sour and spicy with ryelike grassiness and some assorted spices like coriander and light clove.

M: The dryness quotient on this brew is the highest of any beer I've ever consumed -- it makes your salivary glands, gums and jaws hurt.

O: Not up my alley at all -- way to short on body and way, way too dry to the point of barely being drinkable. Couple that with a strange combination of sourness, herbal grassiness and spices which was the closest I've ever come to a drain pour. I would advise against including a homonym of phlegm in a beer name as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 06:05:20 | More by argock

brewdoc75

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Amber orange. A rocky white head dies quickly, leavning a nice Belgian lace. Stronger carbonation.

S: Aromas of tart cherry, apple, and plum. Some raisen and spice in the end. Slight hay-like aroma fromt he hops.

T: Tart cherry again followed by a some light apple and dark fruit notes. Light graininess. Some rye spiciness. Moderate to strong bitterness rounds out the palate. There are some fruity esters, but not a ton of phenols. The flavors don't seem to meld well to me. A little sour, a little grainy sweet, too much bitterness for the dryness. It is interesting, but doesn't work well for me.

M: Bone dry. Almost too dry. Even for a saison. Strong carbonation. Finishes crisp.

O: This is an interesting beer, the flavors just don't agree with me. I love a good saison. While this is unique and has some good elements (some sour fruits, rye spiciness, etc), the bad elements overpower the good. I'm not a big fan. I won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 03:07:49 | More by brewdoc75

BMoney575

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Sampled on 7-24-11

Pours a hazy golden amber color, with a quickly fading white head and a few bubbles rising to the surface. The head sits in a ring, sticking to the sides as you go.

Smell is a surprising amount of hops, very pungent, and very beery. Not much farmhouse or wild yeast, but a little bit of an odd character to fit the style.

Taste is harsh, earthy, beery, and not very good. A strong vegetable quality comes first, and is only marginally helped by a kick of hop bitterness. Not really any redeeming qualities.

Mouthfeel is very sharply carbonated, which enhances the harshness and bitter aftertaste.

Drinkability is poor, a result of the taste and mouthfeel.

Overall, probably better to steer clear of this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 19:27:24 | More by BMoney575

Tballz420

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Forgotten Farmhouse Flem is a Saison/Farmhouse Ale, which is a complex style of beer that you usually find in the Summer. This one pours out with a massive off-white head, extremely sticky. That tops a darker-golden colored body, pretty cloudy but if you hold it to the light you see some very active carbonation. The aroma is sweet malts with a Belgian influence, and a lot of spice. The taste starts off with a caramel sweetness, Belgian candy, spicy follow through, fairly tart, some bitterness, a touch of roast as well. This is a very dry beer, it evaporates off your tongue pretty quickly.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 02:11:36 | More by Tballz420

MooreHopps

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into an imperial pint glass. A nice amber color with a decent cream colored head. The nose has a slight barnyard hay smell with hints of apples and fruit. Also picking up nice spice.

The taste has less funk than the smell, but a lot more spice. Some citrus, apple, roasted malts, slight hints of cinnamon. This beer could do a bit better on balance and could use a kick in the funk department on taste.

As other reviewers have said, not sure if this fits into the style, but overall a decent beer for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 17:47:41 | More by MooreHopps

DaCheesehead

Iowa

3.2/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. A nice amber color with a decent cream colored head. The nose has a slight barnyard hay smell with hints of apples and fruit. Also picking up nice spice.

The taste has less funk than the smell, but a lot more spice. Some citrus, apple, roasted malts, slight hints of cinnamon. This beer could do a bit better on balance and could use a kick in the funk department on taste.

As other reviewers have said, not sure if this fits into the style, but overall a decent beer for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 20:56:42 | More by DaCheesehead

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pours a strawberry blonde cider hue with a voluptuous two-plus-finger off-white almost rose tinged head that recedes fairly quickly but leaves some stunning sheets of cascading lace.

aroma is straw, hay, melon, some spice. orange, almost witbier in nose... funky yeast, wet dog. musty. interesting biscuity, doughy notes as it warms. complex, tho not sure I'm lovin' it.

taste is pungently tart up front, fading to a wheaty, straw, wet hay kind of earthy funk that is overshadowed by a lingering citric bitterness. bitter apple, tobacco, and soured white wine. a bit much. the tartness is a bit too unpleasantly metallic but still interesting...

mouth is heavily carbonated with some fine bubbles, moderate body for the light abv, and an intense, almost metallic astringency paired with an odd citric tartness that lingers. and not like the Cranberries.

all in all, I had high hopes for something named Flem. I'm not sure who or what a Flem is, or who forgot it(him), but i'm kind of wishing I could... I realize that Saisons cover a wide range, and while this one definitely fits in the style, it just isn't all that impressive. some funky notes are unpleasant to my tastes, and I feel like it just kind of misses on most cylinders. certainly not awful, but definitely not any better than a true average saison.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 04:30:47 | More by djeucalyptus

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light straw gold color with a whisper thin white head on top with a hint of lace as it drains. Slight spice in the nose with a bit of biscuit and pepper. Simple, slim smell but nice. Improves as the temperature warms but the nose becomes a bit metallic. Bottled conditioned with a second yeast gives is a strong carbonic bite up front. Caramel and malt backbone for the beer is there but not strong with a light spicy yeast note. Mouthfeel is a bit watery. A straight forward saison that is clean and well done, but not overly complex.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 02:46:46 | More by FightingEntropy

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle. Interesting name, is it Flemminsh? or perhaps phlegm? Either way it pours into a DFH tulip glass a copper, caramel color with a slight white head. Sweet aroma in the nose along with a slight tinge of roast. Some spice as well. Medium mouthfeel. Caramel sweetness upfront with a slight bitterness that builds that is then joined with some spice like notes. Heavier in the flavor and mouthfeel than more traditional saisons. Doesn’t reallly fit the style for me but it drinks decently.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 12:06:56 | More by kbutler1

david131

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Pours a clear orange liquid with some brown highlights. The white head is thin but has good retention due to the copious amount of carbonation.

S- Earth, brown sugar, and a bit of a Belgian kick.

T- Sweet malt, a bit of Belgian-ness and a bit of hops on the finish. Finishes a bit cidery.

M- Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation to keep it light. The finish is a touch on the dry side.

O- A decent beer but for the style this is not something I would seek out.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 03:33:57 | More by david131

gatornation

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

poured from 12 oz bottle

A- bright copper with an off-white head

S- was malts and bread some toffee and hops

T- was like a pale ale/amber with some roasted malts and toffee some pale malts with spice and hop finish

M- was medium carbonation with a roasted malt hop finish

O- a tasty brew but not a saison to me ..it was more an amber or a pale ale ..no funk or clove or fruit .

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 22:28:13 | More by gatornation

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured amber with a big foamy off-white head.

Nose is aged hay, farm fodder, and a bit earthy.

Taste has a punch of sourness/funk, with a substantial malt presence. Subtle background elements notably grass, pear, clove spice. Finish is drying, bitter and even a bit astringent.

Right out of the gate I wasn't very impressed, but like others have said, the taste seems to improve with each swig. I had to open a third bottle for this review.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 02:08:56 | More by JackieTH

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hazy orange, lighter along the bottom and growing murkier toward the top. Cap is thin but sticky.

Aroma betrays a little sourness but mainly a chaff-y mustiness. Slightly spiced but sweet.

Flavor has a slight vanillin flavor behind a tartness up front. It's all a facade, as the carbonation pulls everything away all too quickly. Musty peppers towards the middle-back.

Body is light, carbonation high, finishes lemony but thin. Lacks a joie de vivre that would really kick this up to a Flemish level, but for an American midwest saison it's not too bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 02:05:27 | More by BretSikkink

jera1350

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A really nice color of burnt orange with a thinner head of tan bubbles, but good retention. Some spotty lacing.

Lightly fruity nose with with some light wet hay. Not much, but it's in there. A touch of honey as well.

The taste has some light sweetness up front and then transitions to a bit of sourness and wet grain. The end is pretty bitter with some spices to it. Some lingering bitterness in the finish. Tastes better and better as I drink more of it.

Extremely dry with a light-medium body. The carbonation is quite nice and soft with just the right amount.

This is a nice beer that has saison qualities, but isn't exact for the style, which I could really care less about anyways. It does drink well and makes a nice warm weather beer. It's growing on me as I continue to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 00:00:33 | More by jera1350

herman77

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark apple juice like color with a big and bubbly off white head. Really good retention and lots of sticky bubbly lacing left behind.

S: Lemon zest, a bit of orange citrus, pear, tart apples and a hint of pepper spice.

T: Bready and tart. More bready malts than I would of thought. Some spice hops and a bit of tart apples as well.

M: Medium body, pretty active carbonation, but it still feels pretty slick overall.

O: Not bad at all. A pretty solid saison with decent drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 01:06:09 | More by herman77

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Picked up a single from Princeton Liquors in Maple Grove, MN. The aroma is a pleasant mix of sweet biscuit, cookie malt with farmhouse spice. The body is light and effervescent, and the there's a heavy, grassy lemon rind finish, but the main flavor is a little thin. This beer is good upfront and in the finish, but missing umpff in the character. Certainly worth a try though.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 00:06:44 | More by tempest

bsp77

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Chalice.

Appearance: Fiery orange with white head comprised of tiny bubbles. Some lacing.

Smell: Musty and fruity, like figs and apples. Some pepper and citrus. Smells very dry.

Taste: Tart and extremely dry malt body. Taste is mostly apple, citrus, straw and pepper. Almost tastes like a slightly tart Pilsner. Could use some more Belgian yeast characteristics.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, fairly light body, very dry finish.

Overall: Lot of people complaining that this isn't a typical Saison, but what is? The style is historically very wide ranging, and in my opinion, too many craft brewers make Saisons with too much sweetness. They are supposed to be dry, light, and refreshing, and this one certainly is. The only downside is that it could use a little more of that Belgian yeast funkiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 22:10:46 | More by bsp77

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. brown bottle into a clear tulip glass.

Appearance: A slightly hazy deep golden color with a one finger off-white foam head. Foam receded quickly and left some nice lacing.

Smell: Sweet and tart aroma with an interesting tang from the yeast. Slightly sour smelling, like green apples.

Taste: Like it smells, it is very sweet with light malts and some hops, but the real star of the flavor is the interesting yeast flavors. They offer a little tart fruit and a bit of spice. Very unique yeast flavor and I like it.

Mouth feel: Good soft carbonation and a sweet finish.

Overall: Saison farmhouse ales come in a wide variety of interpretations, some work and some don't. This one works for me because of the prominent yeast profile and the yeast flavors. Might not be for everyone, but I like it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 02:50:06 | More by ChopperSmith

vfgccp

New York

3.75/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A – Solid orange with a touch of ice tea. Nice lace and retention on a lightly off-white head.

S – Orange, honey suckle, and peach with a hint of sour.

T – Dry and flinty up front. Fruity center brings out tart white peach, apricot and tart under-ripe plum. Dry, lightly sour finish.

M – Medium body, almost full for the style. Nice carbonation.

O – A solid saison on the dry side of the style.

P – The dryness lets you pair this beer with some unlikely companions, similar to a dry irish stout. Think muscles, oysters, and steamers. This would also go great with gazpacho.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:36:40 | More by vfgccp

dpnelson1978

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle into glass pint.
45°F

A: Bright copper body topped with a big tight off-white head that quickly dissipates leaving moderate lacing and a thin bubbly cover.

S: Light ester profile over potent bready malt and phenolic spice. Pretty typical farm house character minus the acid or funk.

T: Bready and malty with a strong spicy hop presence. Belgian yeast phenolics bring up the rear but really take a back seat to a potent malt backbone.

M: Very strong carbonic bite up front over a light body. Hop astringency lingers on the tongue.

O: Crisp and refreshing. Hop character a bit more pronounced than I would like, but overall very solid. Sessionable, but nothing that will knock your socks off.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 03:47:48 | More by dpnelson1978

GeezLynn

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden brown with a huge white head. Great retention.
S: Yeast is very pronounced – a musty, onion-like earthiness. Underneath, a nutty brown malt.
T: Apples, honey, just a touch of sweetness. Malt is restrained with a faint tartness somewhere in there. Also shows a bit of earthy hops, but nowhere near what the aroma suggests. Finish is dry and a bit hoppy.
M: Medium to light body with crisp carbonation.

Based on the aroma, I was expecting this to be more of a saison, but the flavor was closer to something like Duvel. Not really a clone of any of the classics, but a nice beer if you like a crisp Belgian style pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 04:10:41 | More by GeezLynn

plfahey

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Amber in color with a slight cast of haze. Moderately low light khaki head with fair retention.

Aroma-Yeast character up front with spice (pepper and maybe a trace of clove) and light pear esters, with a strong grassy/hay hop aroma present as well. The grassy/hay aroma comes on a bit strong, and I'm not sure that I like it, but I'm not sure that I don't either.

Flavor-Similar grass/hay flavors open up to light orchard fruit (pears) before hop flavor and moderately low hop bitterness come through to dry out the palate. Some spicy phenolics present here as well. There's a slight mineral dryness to the finish. Once again, I'm not sure how much I like this, but as I drink it it becomes more enjoyable.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderately high carbonation. Smooth on the palate and dry in the finish.

An interesting beer, especially coming from brau brothers. The hop aroma is not my favorite, though it certainly is interesting. I still can't decide whether or not I like it, but I found myself enjoying it more towards the end.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 06:01:13 | More by plfahey