Colette Farmhouse Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into portsmouth snifter

Pours 1 finger of white head. Decent retention. Leaves a little bit of splattered lace. Color is a pale straw yellow.

Aroma: Big lemon citrus flavor. It also has a nice farmhouse funk to it. Earthy and herbal. Some spice. Lovin the funk here.

Taste: Pepper and spice. Some lemon zest. Yeast flavors. It has some cloves and banana flavors in the finish. Not as funky as the nose, but it still has some barnyard flavors to it. It has a slight apple flavor to it, but it is fairly hidden.

Mouthfeel: Funky and fizzy. Lighter bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends kind of dry.

Overall, a decent saison. Decently drinkable. I really enjoyed the funk in the nose. I wish it was more present in the taste. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 02:20:12 | More by mothman

mactrail

California

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very, very light color in the pint glass, a washed out straw. Not a head to speak of, but sparkling carbonation fills the mouth.

Surprising sweetness. Apple juice and a hint of Hawaiian Punch. Papaya and lime peel. Mere hints of malt. So simple and pleasant with an acidic underpinning. Touch of the raspy Belgian flavor in the back of the mouth.

Extremely quaffable, just not very beery. On he whimsical side like a good Wit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2011 04:30:19 | More by mactrail

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a bright hazy yellow with a two finger white head that subsided to half a finger slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, fruit, spices, wheat, and grain. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, banana, spices, wheat, and grain. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. While this one was quite refreshing, it was also not very memorable at the same time. Nothing on this one really stood out and tried to grab your attention which was a bit of a letdown for me. Drinking this one out by the pool on a hot summer day might be enjoyable, but if you are looking for something to enjoy complexities on, I would go with something else unless you are into that.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 11:27:48 | More by thagr81us

ccrida

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber (~58F) poured into my Gulden Draak tulip, Great Divide's Saison is a spritzy yellow with a large white head that is somewhat quick to settle but leaves decent hunks of foamy lace.

Smell is super yeasty, like a yeast starter or slurry, a bit sweet, with herbal hops and a very slight ainse note.

Taste is also very yeasty, with some fruity esters as well, some mineral pith and noble hop character, sweet herbs and some spices. Covers all the basics, decent complexity, but, like their Belgian IPA, it's to yeasty tasting. Esters I love, but a yeast slurry taste not so much. Pretty good saison though.

Mouthfeel has a perceived thickness for some reason, the yeasty taste and very creamy carbonation, even though the body is light in the belly. Bone dry finish. I thought it would be lighter from the rice, but that is probably countered by the wheat, or maybe 1 to many strains in their 4 x yeast blend...

Drinkability is pretty good, this is a textbook example of the 'style', which of course allows for a wide range of interpretation, allowing for the unique character.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 02:14:18 | More by ccrida

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a growler to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy consistency. There was a small amount of foamy head that dissipated quickly. Virtually no lacing.

S: A sweet, funky smell of malt, citrus and a little hops.

T: Tasted of citrus, sweet malt and hops. A nicely done taste, with the requisite amount of funk for the style.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Light-bodied.

D: This is a good American example of a saison. Very light and drinkable. A good summer beer.

Serving type: growler

06-03-2009 12:48:14 | More by avalon07

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance of this saison would be pretty good if it was't for the lack of head. The faintly hazey golden hay with a twinge of copper and awesome bubbling carbonation are their. But there is no foam.

Faint spices, some equally faint barnyard yeast, earthen hops, and some tart grains. Standard saison aroma.

A little wet, slightly tart pilsner and maybe some wheat grains start the flavors off. You can feel the carbonation more on the middle and finish of the tongue than at the front. The middle is a dry, tart Granny Smith appple skin. Ten sm slight of and funk histhe taste buds along with some earthy, soft hops lto control some of the malts.

This is a nicely caronated palate with sometexture and nuance going on from start to finish. This dry palate would be somewhat sessionable on a summer day while taking a break from some hard outdoor work.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 03:34:25 | More by scruffwhor

dirtylou

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz single, bottleworks

appearance: served in a hilliards can-pint, hazy pale straw body, a light white film. a general bland appearance

smell: lots of wheat, wildflower, honey, mild spice

taste: drinks more like a weizen than a farmhouse, however subtle a difference that may be. lots of wheat, honey, pale malt, wildflowers. Clean and refreshing, thought not overly exciting.

mouthfeel: light, clean, fresh

overall: nice summer-y beer, though not a real standout

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 01:32:12 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.04/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottled on Feb 7, 2013.

It's a great looking cloudy yellow pour, plenty of foam on that head, does okay with the lacing.

Spicy nose, mostly clove and pepper, goodly amount of wheat, bubblegum, and an orange citrusy thing going on. Inviting.

Spicy, see above, taste with more bubblegum than in the smell, yeasty, bananas here and there, orange citrus I mentioned in the smell...not there. Maybe my nose was confused? It is a complex son of a gun. It has some sort of fruity thing going on n=but it's stumping me. Good taste I'm getting so I'm not all that perturbed.

Medium light to light medium body with ample carbonation.

A good example of the style though I'd like/prefer the abv to be a bit lower.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:46:42 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy, pale golden color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Slight retention and poor lacing. Smells of tart malt, strong yeast, and slight sweet malt. Fits the style of a Saison / Farmhouse Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp with an high carbonation level. Tastes of tart malt, yeast, slight sweet malt, slight hop, and slight clove. Overall, a decent body and blend.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 20:54:11 | More by Tone

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: large white foamny head on a golden body. Nice lacing.

S: clove, musty plae malts, subtle citrus sweetness and mild corriander,

T: breads and mild yeast presence with nice herbal and earthy notes. Mild lemon sweetness and spice without tart or tangy flavors.

M: high carbonation and light body.

Overall: A nice standard saison. It isn't expecitional in any one way but it represents the style very well.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:00:14 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Two fingers of bone white head on top of a clear, light golden body. The foam settles quickly and leaves only light lace.

S - Musty european hop aromas with some pineapple and coconut yeast notes. White pepper, apricot, and a little bit of vanilla as well.

T - Spicy wheat up front with some pineapple and a little bit of musty funk. Peppery spice notes of clove and coriander appear in the middle with some vanilla and more wheat notes. Finishes very fruity; notes of vanilla, pineapple, apricot, and banana with light bitterness and some earthy/citrus hop notes. Lingering wheat and vanilla notes, as well as some citrus hops, coat the mouth in the aftertaste

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a somewhat dry finish.

D - This is an excellent and very drinkable saison. The yeast character is wonderful, with the strong tropical fruit presence that I look for in a saison as well as some some clove and other spices to add depth. The hop character takes a back seat to the yeast, but it still noticeable (especially in the aroma) and more than capable of balancing the malt. This is an excellent example of the style and I would gladly drink it again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 00:42:59 | More by nickfl

FosterJM

California

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

443rd review on BA
Bottle to tulip
12oz
Bottle date: 3/10/11

App- This was a light and bright yellow with a couple dots of cling. A pretty nice one finger head.

Smell- Very timid yeastiness with a funk and some damp earthiness to it. An interesting mix of some straw and a bit of wheat.

Taste- With the corn it's an interesting take on a saison. It's a bit grainy but still good. This was down the middle in terms of saison tastes with it being not overly peppery and at the same time not very citrusy either.

Mouth- This was a medium bodied beer with a high carbonation. The aftertaste is a crisp wheat grain.

Drink- Its pretty tasty and a bit different and the flavors are a bit small but it's a nice beer. I might come back to this one because of $ point.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 04:02:35 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

A real soft fluffy white head on creation, very bright and white, settles real nicely on to a gorgeous lemon and dark buttery gold body. Nice pinhead sized bubbles in the head also. Body is slightly dull but really glowing. Very nice looking beer.

Real nice baked bread action on this, white crisp flour, some slight butter, dry yeast sense, very nice.

Taste is a nice mix of fruit sweetness and dry bread. Good rich mouthfeel and very dry finish on the aftertaste, playfully carbonated without taking much away from the palate. Orange and tangerine seems to come through with a nice citrus quality, and an almost floral sense.

Overall a real refreshing and nice saison. Hardly booze either at 7.3 percent too.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 02:46:39 | More by smakawhat

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Capone's.

Poured a medium and cloudy yellow color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of yeast, some citrus, and 'musty'. Tastes of citrus, a little fruity (bananas), and spices. Refreshing and drinkable.

Notes from and tasted on: 4/30/09

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2009 22:22:44 | More by hopdog

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

nope. this one pours a thick hazy yellow color like a lemon, with yeast floaters and a small white head. smells really yeast, and not nice wild yeast like a lot of other saisons, but like rotting citrus fruit and shampoo. that said, there is some element of refreshing aromas, but the yeast spoils it for me. flavor is not bad, tart and crisp lemon notes, mild spice, and some crystal malt body. not sure how this one got so far off track, but the feel is not nice either. way way to thick and heavy for the style. this is supposed to be a crisp drinkable early summer beer, but it fails to serve that purpose. this might be my least favorite great divide beer so far, which is unfortunate. i had really high hopes for this one, as i am huge on the saison/farmhouse style, but this was a real letdown. might be better from the bottle rather than the tap?

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 17:48:40 | More by StonedTrippin

champ103

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very cloudy pale yellow color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Light lace is left behind.
S: Strong yeast aromas up front. Earth with lots of fruity esters up front. Light basement funk. Inviting.
T: Earthy yeast and lots of fruity esters. Banana and light lemon peal. Not much else.
M/D: A medium body that is very smooth. Clean, but not nearly as dry as I would like. This goes down easy. Very moreish.

Enjoyable is the name of the game. Nothing crazy, but a nice easy drinker that is good on a hot day. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 00:45:42 | More by champ103

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Prime 16 into a shaker pint.

A: Very, very pale straw - almost green when held up to daylight; one finger of frothy white foam; average retention and some light lace. Not bad for the style.

S: Bright, lively aroma of lemon, flowers, grass, and lightly spicy yeast. Quite nice.

T: Starts fruity, with citrus and pear, then gets spicier and hoppier. Mix of spice and pronounced grassiness on the finish. Slight tartness makes it refreshing. Enjoyable.

M: Light and lively lively with tons of explosive carbonation, but not so much as to be overwhelming.

D: There's no way I'd peg this at anything over 6.5% - it goes down too easily. While not necessarily the most drinkable saison I've had, it's definitely up there.

Notes: With great interplay of everything that makes saisons fun - yeast, tartness, spiciness, and grassy hops - this is a very solid beer. I'd put it slightly ahead of Smutty's Farmhouse and just behind Hennepin among American expressions of the style. Good stuff.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 19:22:41 | More by woosterbill

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - bright, cloudy yellow with a loose, bubbly head that fades quickly

S - lemon, a bit tart

T - lemon zest, a hint of orange, faint yeast, fruity

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, a bit crisp, a bit warm in the finish

This is a rather refreshing Saison. It has a nice citrusy, fruity flavor that is balanced and enjoyable. It's also easy to drink. I will probably pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 16:52:12 | More by tdm168

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottled Feb 18 2010

A - First off I am impressed by the mild lacing and heavy carbonation of this beer. Pours a hazy yellow with a half inch of head.

S - Slight funk with lemon and mild wheat backbone. Maybe smells a bit of apples which means the yeast has done it's job.

T - Ow wow pretty damn good. Starts off yeasty with a mild apple or pear taste and leads to a clean semi bitter finish but fruity. I don't know how but I liked it better than Hennepin since it seems just as flavorful with less ABV.

M - Clean and crisp almost effervescent.

D - Well I have two more and plan to have one more now but damn this is the best drinkable Saison I ever had. I hope the same with age...

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 08:16:18 | More by DrDemento456

merlin48

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Foil wrapped bomber pours a hazed, light golden body with a medium sized head that leaves some sheet lacing.

Aroma is suitable for a good saison, with an herbal and floral profile, and caramel and mint accents.

Medium body and carbonation lacks the pastoral funkiness of the better Belgian saisons.

Taste is pleasant. Sour and tart, with notes of white pepper, lemon, yeast, wheat, and grassy hops. Sweet caramel maltiness is appropriately restrained. Clean finish.

I like this one a lot, but it simply needs a lot more funkiness to compete with the better examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 22:58:27 | More by merlin48

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The new 2011 batch on tap, Rockies opening day. Sunny outside, perfect for this brew.

Cloudy pour, very hazy and bright. A deep, yet pale golden pour. Big white head, great lacing.

Aroma is very nice; spicy, floral, bready. I've said this before about myself--I think I'm quite sensitive to corn aromas, and I get that here. I'll knock a tic off the score, but not much since it might just be me. Somewhat sweet it seems

Yup, it's a bit sweet in the taste. Overall it's flavors are nice. Bready--with spice. Coriander, florals, a bit of soft citrus. Fairly rich is the mouth. I'd like to see more of something to cleanse the finish, but still very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 17:24:33 | More by Mebuzzard

flagmantho

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip. Bottled 15 April 2009.

Appearance: pale yellow and slightly hazy with a lot of apparent effervescence and a huge chunky white head. Very nice.

Smell: tart and malty; not particularly complex or pungent but fairly nice.

Taste: nice chalky malt with a little bit of tartness thrown in. Quite subtle but tasty; reminds me a little of a heather ale in flavor. I think the strength of this beer is in its holding-back; granted, I'm no saison expert, but I find this beer quite good.

Mouthfeel: medium, maybe medium-light body with big carbonation which leads to a solid creaminess. I quite like it indeed.

Drinkability: I didn't know quite what to think when going into this beer. I'm finding it quite tasty and enjoyable. Very drinkable for a 7.3% beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 04:42:37 | More by flagmantho

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Stella Artois glass late at night. I forgot I already had this on tap, so here goes a bottle review.

Murky muddled yellow with faint traces of faint orange on the edges. Colette did not provide a decent head for a Belgian coming from a hard forceful pour, only a whispy inch of adjunct lager looking head that died before it rised up, weak fluff.

Surprisingly the nose on Colette is just filled with a fruit basket backed with a Belgian yeast, or should I say four. Ok, the bready semi sweet comes through but it's the fruits that come out in full force. I can say that the fruit is coming into De Dolle territory with ripeness out the wazoo. Under that some trace hay and earthy hop scents.

The taste comes close but does not mimick the scent, I was not expecting it to, alot of American brewed Belgian styles tend to miss the mark, Great Divide comes close though. Apple skins with pears and some bready yeast with some bisquit. A small non bitter hop taste comes through mid way while Colette forms a fruity and bready finish.

At times, she is smooth with a ripe fruit taste going down, sometimes, it's more bready and yeasty leaving for a dryness on the backend, it all depends. Medium bodied with a solid build and enough carb built in to leave a slight mark. This comes off like a Belgian golden mixed with a saison.

I like this, I like it more in the bottle for some reason or another. The mix of yeasts in this really sets it off. This is one American Saison that I would drink more than one of. It's not to far off from the others meaning it's not quite on the Belgian scale, but damn it's close. I know it's not sessionable, but F that, Im dranking more.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 04:56:43 | More by onix1agr

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Rattle N Hum in New York, NY

A: Pours a very cloudy pale straw yellow in color. The beer has a thin off-white head that quickly reduces to a thin film covering most of the surface of the beer. Very little to no lacing is observed.

S: Overall, I found the smell of this beer to be quite mild. There were hints of spices, citrus, and just a touch of the funk you would expect.

T: Again, a little more on the mild side than I might have expected/desired but definitely tasty. There was a very light amount of funk with some crisp citrus notes and just a touch of spice (clove and possibly white pepper).

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of effervescent carbonation. Very dry.

O: Overall this was a very enjoyable light summer saison and definitely a beer that would go down well on a warm afternoon/evening. I found this one to be quite easy to drink and worth getting another.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 14:17:10 | More by dbrauneis

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Remarkably clear pale yellow in color, although a nice haze brings it nearly to witbier territory and keeps it from looking like a washed-out, boring corporate lager. So does the head, which is a cloudy white and as fluffy as meringue.

The aroma delivers the goods. Anyone into this style will appreciate it, I'd think. Very clean, very bright, lots of fresh-cut hay/straw, hints of lemon and lime rind, flowery herbal-ness, a hint of soil-like earthy yeast. If you can smell tartness, then this smells tart. Or smells like it's gonna taste tart. Yeah.

Flavor is everything the taste promises, plus the sweet, doughy goodness of sugar cookie dough and shortbread. So: citrus (lemon, lime); hay/straw/grass; flower/zesty herbs; and shortbread cookies. Light flash of white pepper, too. The yeast character is complex and underlines all of this, and it ends with a crisp, semi-dry, citrus-laden finish.

Weighs hearty in the mouth, having just a little bit of stickiness while the carbonation is active yet unaggressive; remains buoyant and airy, very much a pleasure to hold in the mouth.

They nailed it. But of course but a good old American spin on the style, in terms of its stickier/chewier mouthfeel and the slightly bolder flavor than the more subtle creations of the homeland farmhouse ales. Excellent stuff that I wish they'd sell in a bomber, as I could easily enjoy a bit more of this, right now.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 23:21:23 | More by Metalmonk