Colette Farmhouse Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Cloudy yellow, 2 finger bone white frothy head, little lacing, but where there was lacing it was thick.

S - Yeast, spice, pine-sol, lemon.

T - Lemon, orange peel, tropical fruits, pepper, yeast.

M - Quite smooth, tingly.

O - Good representation of the style, excellent session brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 03:54:24 | More by Rickythejeweler

KansasBeerLover

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a Sam Adams glass.

Color is a very pale wheat. Cloudy from the yeast, which I wasn't able to keep in the bottle.

Head was about one finger, fine bubbles, leaves some lacing. Continued effervescence, which maintains a thin layer of foam.

Aroma is yeast, which overpowers the spice in the background.

Flavor is similar to a white wheat with spices. Not sweet, by any means. Also a hint of lemon.

Mouthfeel is smooth. A touch of alcohol in the back, fruity in the front. Very interesting and pleasant. I look forward to another glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 19:44:19 | More by KansasBeerLover

Mora2000

Texas

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

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a white head. The aroma is full of Belgian yeast, with some lemon and white pepper notes. Overall, it smells about like a saison is supposed to smell. The flavor is also typical saison. I get a lot of yeast and pepper, as well as some biscuit malt. There is a little bit of light funk in the flavor. The beer is very dry. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 20:55:41 | More by Mora2000

TheIronHammer

Alabama

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very light, translucent gold. The head is egg-shell white, and went up to about a finger's width in height. There is very nice lacing. Head has remained through the entire tasting.

S: This beer has a very strong aroma. Even while very cold, right out of the refrigerator, and kept still, it is powerful. There is a powerful yeasty aroma. There is also a very fruity aroma, like apple or maybe pear.

T: There is some yeasty tones in the taste as well. The beginning and middle of the taste is a slightly sweet kind of fruitiness in general. Towards the ending a tartness starts to develop which carries through the finish. The finish reminds me a bit of a drier champagne finish.

Mf: It has a light-medium body. I think it could benefit from being a bit heavier. There is a good bit of carbonation, which I think goes well with this brew.

Overall: A very good beer. It surpassed what I was expecting. I will buy this one again. I'd recommend at least giving it a try, even if it isn't your favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 03:46:59 | More by TheIronHammer

monitorpop

Michigan

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

A: Crystal clear yellow with a 3 finger white head

S: Lemon grass and faint peach.

T: Banana and nectarine with mild citrus and clove in the finish. No funk.

M: Nice medium/high carbonation.

O: Unlike other funky or tart Saisons. For me this is almost Hefeweizen like in taste. Either-way a nice refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 03:33:06 | More by monitorpop

fo5s

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a saison dupont glass. Dated 4/22/11. Apparently 7.3% and a GABF silver medal winner...sets the bar high.

A- pours a pale gold, modest head for the style. good clarity.

S- funky and sweet. Touch of banana.

T- strong hit of pear or green apple. slightly tart.

M- crisp, on the thin side, goes down smooth.

O- overall a pleasant beer. Easy drinker and a nice all-around beer, but a bit off from the norms of the style to rate well. Look forward to revisiting at some point

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 03:54:35 | More by fo5s

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in flared ale glass

A: cloudy, pale yellow; fantastic carbonation; big head that dissipates quickly; no lacing
S: lemon, lime, citrus; sweet; bottle conditioning prominent
T: fantastic Belgian-style ale; tar, hefty flavor; wheat and pear prominent; hopping is understated

This is a really solid, flavorful farmhouse alee

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 23:48:44 | More by Arithmeticus

hailyeast

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thats what i think of when i think farmhouse ale. it has good carbination.the taste is sour but more tart. it has a solid appearance and good nose. theres a reason its a silver medal winner @ GABF 2010. if you enjoy farm house ales/sours try it for yourself and see!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 03:50:13 | More by hailyeast

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

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

Picked this up at Buy Rite in Jersey City recently. This was a crapshoot for me and I wasn't sure if Great Divide could take on a style like this and have it match up with the beers from Europe that I've tried in this style. Sure enough, it did! There was no doubt that this was worth getting as a single bottle and even though this was just a bit too strong for me, the flavors and mouthfeel were extremely nice to behold.

This had a good pour to it, with a hazy golden hue, decent head, and some sediment on the bottom of the bottle that had to be swirled and emptied into my glass. The flavors were typical, with lots of banana and straw up front and some farmhouse "funk" in the back. A bit of alcohol could be detected here too but by no means did it detract from the taste. The carbonation was present but not overpowering, just adding enough to the mouthfeel to keep it from getting too heavy.

While this isn't the best example of the style that I've had, this was quite enjoyable and had I not seen the bottle, I wouldn't have guessed who brewed this. Someone who has never tried this style before would be wise to start here - this isn't too overpowering and is a textbook example of what a good Saison/Farmhouse should be, since the funky and spicy notes are absent here. I'd certainly have this again!

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 16:57:16 | More by JerzDevl2000

womencantsail

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour is a fairly clear straw color with a massive white head that eventually settles down.

S: Quite a lot of fruity esters to the aroma. Heavy on the banana and pear notes, but lots of citrus going on, too. There is a touch of tart apple and lemon peel and some light malt and straw. Very nice.

T: The flavor is somewhat light, but in a good/refreshing way. Banana sweetness followed by sweet pears. A touch of citrus peel bitterness, yeast, and light spices. A little bit of bready malt sweetness, too.

M: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation and a crispness to the finish.

O: A really great saison. I found this to be a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 04:52:21 | More by womencantsail

samtb

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cloudy with just the right carbonation. Citrusy but not sweet. Quite crisp, but with a not-too-thin mouthfeel.There's a little sour/tart angle to it too. Just an all around great simple-but-not-dull saison.

This is my summer 2011 favorite every-day ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 13:17:40 | More by samtb

RunForYourBeer

Indiana

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

Bottled 4/5/11

A: Pours a pale, golden color with a thin white head.

S: Lots of citrusy orange and lemon with a hint of tartness.

T: Starts with cloves then goes into some citrus flavors before a slightly tart finish. Also has some fruitiness as well as a bit of pepper.

M: Light with a nice amount of carbonation.

O: Very good Saison. Great choice for warmer weather.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 22:53:22 | More by RunForYourBeer

secondtooth

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy straw-gold in appearance, with a light white head. No lace here.

Nose is sweet and malty, grains and toast.

Flavor is sweet and crisp, with hints of citrus, fruits, and spice. There's a slight hoppy bitterness at the finish. Very tasty and full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 07:32:10 | More by secondtooth

pants678

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A real transparent, champagne gold, the white head recedes too quickly to say on density.

Plenty bread and spice on the nose, little bit sour but very earthy/citrusy. Kind of like a barn but without the funk of methane.

Again, sour but now with a peppery bite. Definitely acidic and tart but more so like a grape or pear. Don't sip on this one, get a good pull otherwise it won't linger or stain.

Highly carbonated as I'd want a summer beer, pleasant that way.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 04:27:00 | More by pants678

mjvos

Michigan

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

12oz bottle, bottled on April 4, 2011.

Poured a nice looking yellow hue with a strong amount of carbonation that leaves a finger-width of head with great retention. Bubbly lacing around the top of the glass. Bringing it to the nose, it smells tart with lemon and some more grassy earthiness as well. Tasting it, this beer is light but has a pretty full body to it. It has a bite or tartness to the beginning but it ends with a more pleasant fruitiness. Beside the tartness the beer goes down relatively smooth.

Overall, Colette is a good beer. It grew on me the more I drank. Its not exceptional, but a solid homage to saisons like the label explains.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 05:06:41 | More by mjvos

bubseymour

Maryland

2.53/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - yellowish wheatbeer style color with very active carbonation and yeast activity.
3-4 finger head requiring very slow pour. Head is not the best looking those as its fizzy and large bubbles. Looks like a bubble bath on top.

Smell - smells lemony and orangy like a wheat beer or heff.

Taste - One of the worst tasting beers I've tried in quite a while. First off, it is noticably boozy and warm. Next it is very sour, not pleasant at all. Very noticable lemon bitterness. Then you have a lingering bitter aftertaste that lasts way too long for me and makes my mouth dry and even more thirsty than before.

Mouthfeel - Ok in the mouth but kinda fizzy

Overall - I really don't have much to say positive about this beer. I'm going to try to drink the whole thing but its a borderline drainpour to me. I definitely won't buy this again. The other Great Divide beers have been well crafted. This one seems way off mark to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 19:07:05 | More by bubseymour

DCon

Missouri

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

Bought the Great Divide Brewer's Choice 12-pack from Shop N Save in Valley Park, MO for $14.99 and this was included. Poured from the yellow bottle into my Bud Light- Gilligan's Island Bar Pint Glass and has BOTTLED ON: APR 04 2011 on the side.

Aroma- High amount of fruits, lemon included in here. A low amount of spiciness and has a clove like finish. Has acidic character evident also. Light all around.

Appearance- Pours a 4 finger head that stays for good time. Has a dark golden color body and a bit hazy. Sudsy lace is left on the sides.

Flavor- High malty and fruit flavors burst out from the get-go and then a mild spiciness comes in at the finish. Peppery at times but isn't as complexed as I've had before.... The finish has a light-medium bitterness level.

Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, High Carbonation, and a small pucker at the finish. Nothing smooth about this one.

Overall Impression- Tons of fruit and malt character but too much carbonation and light attributes. I like a ton of flavor and character to Saisons and this one just didn't pop. I will give it good overall ratings because this is a well brewed beer but I just can't rate it better than any of the Fantome's or other Saisons from top breweries. Would definitely enjoy again if seen in a 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 00:13:14 | More by DCon

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottle March 3, 2011. Pours hazy golden amber color, with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A bit of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of huge grass, lemon, pepper, spices, bread, a bit of funk and some light fruits(apple, grape). Very nice and complex aromas here. Taste of grass, lemon, pepper, spices, grape and a slight bit of funk. Very slight bit of tartness noticed on the finish. Lingering notes of spices, lemon, pepper, and breadiness on the finish for a decent amount of time. Quite refreshing and easy drinking for the alcohol level. Medium carbonation and body. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall, a very nice saison with nice flavor and balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 03:53:54 | More by superspak

Allpe45

Arizona

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

12oz, bottled on April 04 2011
Poured into a tulip, decanted.

Appears bright golden yellow, effervescent, great clarity. Large white head with good retention and lacing.

Estery yeast smell, a bit tart, with straw/hay, spices, and a malt presence.

Tastes like bready malts up front, followed by fruity esters and spicy yeast. Straw/hay in the finish along with a lingering sweetness. Finish is neither clean nor dry. Creamy texture, medium body.

This is just another unimpressive interpretation of a Belgian style from an American brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 01:53:57 | More by Allpe45

lurpy1

Minnesota

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

Picked up a bottle from Four Firkins, which has a pretty good selection of Great Divide brews.

Light, hazy yellow, translucent, with medium head.

The smell is overwhelmingly, unmistakenly bready. Smells like a fresh package of yeast. A little bit of citrus thrown in for good measure. Great smell to be sure, but not necessarily a great beer smell.

The bread sensation continues in the taste. A strongly biscuity, " bakery" feeling. Quite a bit of aftertaste, neither good nor bad. Medium body, medium carbonatiion.

It's an OK beer, I picked up way more "bread" undertones than most. While it's a bit off-putting, it's intriguing.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 13:59:28 | More by lurpy1

arizcards

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single in early May from Total Wine for $1.99. Bottled on 4-4-11.

Beer poured golden with a small head that dissipated quickly.

Nose is lemongrass and wheat with the underlying saison yeast strain.

Taste is slightly lemony with light white pepper, a touch tart, finishing ever so slightly dry.

Feel is refreshing from a decent amount of carbonation, perfect for a 107 degree day.

Overall a very easy drinking beer for one that has a lot going on. If the finish could have a slightly dryer bite, it would nail the saison style stone cold!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 22:27:01 | More by arizcards

Forb

Nebraska

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

On tap at Jake's Cigars and Spirits - Omaha, NE...

Appearance: A lightly amber / orange hue here with plenty of lively carbonation below a strong white head.

Smell: A tinge of medicine is apparent here with piney earthy elements with citrusy lemon qualities also making an appearance.

Taste: A plethora of fruit elements are at play here from what seems like lemon to more tropical fruit.

Mouthfeel: Strong carbonation amid a medium body and an acidic sour bite.

Overall: A good saison by all means.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 06:25:15 | More by Forb

mdcrouser

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Pretty pour, with a creamy top of lacy white head sits atop a completely cloudy cylinder - saw a previous review that described it as polished brass, which is apt.

Farmy and a bit acidic - not really citrus so much, but something that is somewhat off-putting.

Horsey up front, with veiled assumptions of citrus. The hops are in the background, but ill-defined.

Incredible in the mouth - creamy, with some soft carbonation. The foundation is there, but the flavor to back it up is not.

I'd like to enjoy this beer more, but I can't bring myself to do so. Honestly, it's kind of a mess - great look and mouthfeel - odd nose and taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 03:31:45 | More by mdcrouser

Seru1

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Light Polished brass with a inch thick white head and a slight haze to the body

Smell: Very much i the way of lemons and pine with a slight almost pork fat back end note lending some sweetness.

Taste: Lots of bright citrus up front but not to bitter. There is a nice balance that one can easily find refreshing. The finish is a touch woody and slightly sweet and sour.

Mouthfeel: Light but not to special. Enough to linger slightly.

Drinkability: A very nice summer bear I think, not as refreshing as the samurai but different with a nice sweet finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 22:48:06 | More by Seru1

bennetj17

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours and smells like a Witbier, not a Saison. The color is a bright lemon with plenty of haze. Thin head dissipating to a wispy ring. It has that wheaty yeast smell with hints of esters and bright citrus in the background.

The taste has a nice balanced maltiness, lightly dry and focused, without too much farmhouse funk really. It's clean but well rounded with a grainy bitter finish. There's a zing of lemon that's refreshing, and I have to say it is quite drinkable overall. The mouthfeel has sharp carbonation, perhaps almost too forceful as it foams on the palate, though this is still better than if it were lacking. Medium body.

Overall a decent beer, but not what I was looking for in a Saison. It really is more of a Wit and should call itself that instead. Not something I would want to see year round but for a seasonal it could work...

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 05:43:56 | More by bennetj17