Colette Farmhouse Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

22 ounce bottle - $6.99 at Bullock's in Marietta, Georgia. Bottled On: April 15 2009.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, delicately effervescent, golden body capped by a short-lived, white head.

Smell: Tangy-scented malted wheat interwoven with pleasantly aromatic notes of flowers, fruits, honey, and spice.

Taste: Ah, the tangy taste of malted wheat with a fair amount of whipped honey sweetness and garnished with wheat shafts and husks. Tastes of clove-spiced bananas, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, and fresh, sliced Bosc pears. Hints of faux-fruity rice here and there. Perfumy, floral hops with a medium level of bitterness. Some of the various flavors drop out, leaving the peppery spiciness behind to pair well with the hop bitterness. Finishes crisp, dry, and a touch warming with some lingering tart and tangy hints.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium, but fairly crisp carbonation.

Drinkability: A fairly enjoyable, pleasantly drinkable saison given a slight American twist. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 23:14:56 | More by ChainGangGuy

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy straw yellow body. Small head that quickly recedes. Not much of a skim, just a slight ring around the edges. Little, to no lacing.

S: Slight lemon, banana, yeast notes. Very little must/funk/feet/farm/saison smell.

T: A bit out of style, with an almost complete void of the characteristic saison flavors. There isn't much of an earthy/funky flavor. Instead, its a clean lemon, wheat flavor. Tastes like a wit beer.

M: Light-medium body. Semi-dry finish. Feels good on the palate.

D: Don't get me wrong, this beer was quite enjoyable. It just didn't taste like a saison. If you blind folded me and gave me this, i'd identify it as a pretty solid wit beer that I would get quite a bit of enjoyment out of.

Bottled Date: April 15, 2009
Consumed: May 13, 2009

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 01:26:14 | More by callmemickey

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Seems like GD is just pumping out all the new beers lately. Pours a mostly clear lemony yellow color with lots of fizz. An ample frothy white head with good retention and lacing. Took a while to settle down great lacing throughout. Maybe a touch light for a saison but it there is a big variable there.

The nose is mostly malty. Some Belgian notes but limited overall. The malt has a pilsner aroma with some grainy and husky notes. Some hints of aromatic malt and a light note of biscuit. The yeast is there but would like a bit more character. Some floral and fruity notes. A light peppery but earthy aroma on the back end. Some stale notes as well (which I think other are getting funk).

The taste is a bit off. The first flavor I picked up was plastic. More specifically a rubbery flavor that balanced with the grainy malt notes. Some sweetness at first with a almost sugary quality but finishes dry. A light tang but has more of an infection note that lactic. The yeast comes out more versus the nose. A good yeast taste with a light apricot, herbal and spicy notes. Would have liked to see more of this come out. Some hoppy notes on the back end, but not really distinct.

The body finishes a bit dry. This is enhanced by a high carbonation with a slight carbonic bite. Light but noticeable. Overall, there are some good positives here, specifically with the yeast. But some negative, with the rubbery flavors (and the lack of more yeast). Still drinkable though.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 21:41:41 | More by Oxymoron

cjgator3

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle
Bottled April 15

A- Pours a golden orange color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma has some malt and yeast with a touch of funk that has a lot of lemon as well. There is also some spices as well as some earthy hops in the aroma.

T- The taste is extremely refreshing, and probably dangerously so considering the high ABV for a saison. The taste starts out with some citrus flavors and hints of spices with some earthy hops coming in on the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D- This is a dangerously drinkable beer that is very refreshing. Overall, this is a fantastic saison and another great beer from Great Divide.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2009 03:02:07 | More by cjgator3

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled April 15. Very decent new Saison from Great Divide- a style I like very much, and what I find is a great hot weather beer different from all of the wheat beers out there this time of year. Pours a hazy pale straw color with a fairly nice pur white head that fades to a ring. Nice fruity nose of bananas, a touch of lemon, straw, and some coriander. Alittle citrsuy in the taste as well, especially up front, with some sweet banana and light grain and spice in the finish. The tiniest bit sour and very clean in the mouth. A relatively simple but tasty Saison. It is a touch on the sweet side, but the nice citrus finish helps make it very refreshing, balanced, and keeps it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 23:35:36 | More by Georgiabeer

Jettanbass9

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - hazy, very pale, straw yellow. thin lacing of a head. no visible carbonation rushing to the head, this beer almost looks like a witbier.

S - banana, clove, lemon acidity, light grainy note and light peppery note. aroma reminds me of a mix between a blanche de bruxelles and a bottle of chimay white. I really expected the forefront to have much more pepper and musty aromas that are usually associated with the style. lemony note is a little distracting.

T - theres that mustiness! a somewhat earthy flavor emerges as the beer warms. it really is quite pleasant among the banana and clove ester and phenols. peppery note appears as well as the beer warms. flavors are very nicely balanced, they really come together however not to the extent that some of the highly rated saisons are.

M - too much body for a saison... nearly medium bodied... this beer needs to be attenuated a bit more, the dryness is just not there. Completely undercarbonated for a saison... the body alone could have been fixed if a higher carbonation would have been given to the beer.

D - all in all the flavors of this beer carry its drinkability. its mouthfeel definitely needs some work. the dominate yeast flavors (the label claims to have used 'a special blend of four yeasts') really give you the impression of a witbier of some sort. i wouldn't call this beer 'true to style' by a longshot however, it is a decent beer. go in without expectations and you might just like it... as for me? 9 bones can get me a beer much closer to style.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 01:27:57 | More by Jettanbass9

bonsreeb85

Colorado

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

22-oz. bomber into my snifter.

Hazy golden in color, lots of active carbonation is visible through the haze. a cream color foam stuck it's "head" up for a quick second, but then was not to be heard from again.

I got a lot of fruit and spice in the smell dept. Granny smith apples, lemon, and some pepper. Lot going on here

The taste was a lot different then I expected, I thought i was in for a more spicy affair, with more dryness. was i got was more tart than sweet, however plenty of both. I also got a banana/clove thing going on(similar to a wit or wheat) very strange, but tasty none the less. Nice bit of earthness in the backroud, and just the right amount of bitterness round this one off to be a strange, but delicious take on a saison.

MF - lots of carb, on par for saison

D- very high, would get again if i was in the mood for something a little different, If i was looking for a straight up saison, i would turn to Dupont of Hennepin.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 18:34:35 | More by bonsreeb85

GilGarp

Colorado

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

Bottled 4/14/09

Served chilled in a goblet.

Pours a deep hazy yellow color with thick white head. The head doesn't last long and leaves little behind.

Aroma is slightly sweet, citrusy, and funky. There is also a bit of earthy smell to it.

Flavor is a little bit sour, a little bit funky, and a little tart. It has some of the saison qualities but it's really more of a sour wit beer than what I've grown to know as a saison.

Mouthfeel is alright but it should be a little more effervescent. Drinkability is pretty good as it's not too strong and fairly refreshing as a summer evening beer.

I wouldn't say this is a great saison. Maybe it just needs more time in the bottle. However, it's not a bad beer for what it is. At this price, I probably won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2009 02:37:21 | More by GilGarp

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle $7 with a cool label that has a yellow checkered theme that reminds me of Dupont. Thick white head and a super cloudy whitish yellow color. The smell is just slightly funky, dusty, earthy, smells pretty much what I would expect for the style. The taste is quite refreshing or at least it makes me think I have been refreshed. Its been a long week. Nice yeasty, spicy flavor and goes down very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 03:23:50 | More by ArrogantB

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Pale gold, white head has some retention and some lacing.

S/T - Yeast barn house funk up front, rolling into a sweet, candy sugar finish, finishing mostly clean and dry, with some grassy, herbal hops.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth consistency.

O - Sweet candy sugar is a nice finish, but becomes a little too sweet by the end of the drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 15:25:51 | More by garuda

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Very pretty in the sunlight. Bright tangerine orange with a moderately sized white head.

S: Smell is indeed farmhouse style. Banana cream pie with spices and wild flowers. Very creamy-like and generally happy to siff.

T: Very nicely blended flavors. Spicy, peppery, wild flowers. Phenolic and there's a touch of sour as well.

M: Dry, prickly carbonation, medium body, lighty gritty.

O: Good good good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 23:13:28 | More by tastybeer

Phelps

Arizona

2.78/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Enjoyed in a tulip at Flanny's.

Perfectly clear apple juice-color, a light orange. There’s almost no head — just a thin, wispy ring of white.

Pear and red apple mix, in the nose along with a subtle tanginess, crackers, green apple and a little pepper.

More spice appears in the flavor — very peppery. Alcohol, apple, pear. Weird tang on the sides of the tongue. Finishes dry, but the tang lingers.

Medium-light body with moderate, tingly carb. Not much alcohol, just some warmth in the throat.

A weird girl, this Colette. The overbearing fruits and odd tang make me think it’s not really to style. Not my favorite GD brew.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2012 21:15:21 | More by Phelps

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured on tap at Coles in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Mildly Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head Ring, Mild Lacing

S: Yeast, Wheat, Honey, Mild Fruit

T: Honey, Wheat, Yeast, Crisp Apple

M: Average Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Drying, Semi Sweet

Overall, a very light saison that is vry drinkable..not overpowering on any aspect.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 20:12:44 | More by merc7186

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

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

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

MTNboy

Missouri

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

Appearance: It is a cloudy blonde color with a decent amount of carbonation to the body. Almost a cream colored head and sticky lace.

Smell: It has a very spicy yeast aroma.

Taste: It reminds me a lot of a hefe. It is a very peppery and spicy beer with clove. It has an earthy quality to it.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with some bite.

Overall: Great relaxing type sit down summer evening beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 20:21:49 | More by MTNboy

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

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

nickthetick

Maryland

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

A: pours a pure clear straw yellow into an American shaker with a bubbly finger of white head that slowly dissipates and doesn't leave any lacing.

S: fruity and sweet, bananas, spicy/cloves/coriander/nutmeg, lemon and the sweet odor of cut grass.

T: spicy off the bat that transfers to sweet fruits, tart yellow fruits prevail in this beer. From banana to apricot then to lemons. Grassy hints and bread like flavors. Spicy notes hang throughout the experience but are subtle.

MF: good medium body for a saison, moderate effervescence and surprisingly no warmth; in fact rather refreshing.

O: every time I try a new saison I say its my new favorite, not this time, its great but I've had better(insert Jim Carry face from Liar, Liar here).

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2011 21:28:02 | More by nickthetick

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

angelogarcia3

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

An excellent beer with a golden yellow color forming a clean crisp white head. The aroma is of a typical ale. However, the mouthfeel because of the carbonation gives a champagne quality to the beer. Has a slight coriander and star anise taste giving the beer a Belgian feel. Makes an excellent summer beer! Got it at Ithaca Coffee Company in Ithaca, NY.

Serving type: growler

05-22-2011 00:29:53 | More by angelogarcia3

homebrew311

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pale straw color, slightly cloudy, no head

S: lemon zest, sour dough, bready malts

T: starts off sweet with notes of honey, lemon comes through with a quick tartness, nice refreshing finish

Mf: high carbonation, light body

O: nice easy drinking saison, good balance, abv is undetectable

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 05:58:17 | More by homebrew311

Spider889

Ohio

2.65/5  rDev -31%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had at Bodega.

You can tell that this beer really wasn't doing it for me - my review notes are quick and lackluster. I think the word "average" pops up 4 times in less than 5 lines of text.

The beer has a very standard pale straw color. No head (Bodega, maybe) and no lace.

Some yeastiness lends spice to the nose, but it's pretty dialed down compared to what the best saisons can offer.

The taste isn't bad in any way, but saison is such a popular style these days this beer does nothing at all to stand out in the crowd. The taste was decent, but I will likely never order this again on purpose.

Overall: this beer is quite average in every sense of the word. You can do better GD. Give me a(ny) Yeti.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 05:51:11 | More by Spider889

Halcyondays

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a lightly hazy goldenrod with a medium white head, limited lace.

S: Lemon, some notes of spice nice.

T: Light malt character, dominated by the yeast. Lemons, white pepper, coriander, a good flavour, but there isn't a lot to it.

M: Medium-bodied with a frothy soft carbonation, pretty smooth.

O: A solid American saison, but not too impressive. You're not getting Dupont.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2011 22:06:04 | More by Halcyondays