Colette Farmhouse Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

kirkpjr

Alabama

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

Poured into a Saison Dupont glass.

A: Pours a pale yellow color with a slight cloudiness. Two fingers of head that settle down into a constantly refreshed ring of head. Lots of carbonation climbing up the glass, with lacing developing as the beer drinks down.

S: Bananas and yeast. Breadiness and a light sweetness from a lemon zest maybe.

T: Smell represented in the taste. Also some cloves and a spiciness to the flavor. The lemon comes through stronger in the taste.

M: Light and crisp, with moderately high carbonation.

D: Very good summer Saison. Refreshing and easy to drink. Only hindrance is the high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 20:56:07 | More by kirkpjr

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

oberon

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not a style I often seek out at all,on a warm day like today I figured it might hit the spot.Poured into a tulip glass a hazed lemonade color with a great clingy two finger white head that left broken rings of lace as it settled slowly.Funky barnyard notes in the nose along with some iron/metallic,a whiff of lemon peel as well,some are big fans of the barnyard funk,Iam not.Flavors are funky but on a smaller scale,wet grain notes along with lemon pith, and honey,there is enough sweetness to keep the funk in check for me.A decent brew,again not a fan for a reason,but I grade it accordingly.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 20:50:55 | More by oberon

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

A: Poured a thick hazy lemony-orange with a 2 finger, off white head that was fair in retention and weak in lacing. Unfortunately this didn't offer to much in the visual spectrum.

S: Fruit and tart lemon notes exist on the nose along with a noticeable wheaty character. Orange-lemon citrus, lightly tart and dry, but with a very nice refreshing quality adds some respect to the aroma that was moderate in strength.

T: Tart, with a dry lemon and orage flavor opens things up. Dried fruitiness of mangos, pineapple along with a strong showing of wheat also appear. A softy wheaty exit with tart, dry citrus leaves on good terms. Not a lot of complexity here and wish I could say more about this, but its limited spectrum does in no way hinder enjoyment and ease that this has to offer. It is very solid by example and wont disappoint.

M: The mouthful was a strong point here, very crisp, sharp and refreshing with a big carbonation bite that suited this style well. Medium fullness, smooth in texture with a dry tar lemon-wheat fade that is sure to keep you sippin.

D: Very nice drinkability, crisp, dry, well suited per style and 6 pack worthy. An easy to drink interpretation that makes for a good tart summertime farmhouse that will wet the whistle and make fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 00:14:10 | More by beerthulhu

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

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

A-Pours a very hazy bright yellow with a white fizzy head that leaves some lacing and has some cascading.

S-Malty, spicy, citrussy. It has a real strong Belgian note to it.

T-Much like the nose. Its got a Belgian spiciness to it with significant citrus flavors such as lemon and orange. Its malty with some alcohol sweetness.

M-Pretty thick.

D-Very drinkable for a hot summer's day.

Overall, this is a good beer. Not my favorite beer, but I am relatively new to the style and thought it was enjoyable. I would like to try some more Saisons in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 19:51:47 | More by thegodfather2701

SeattleBeerBlog

Washington

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

A- A Hazy hay Color that is quite appealing, head dissipated a little too quickly

S- Smells of good funk, along with a lot of fruit, green grapes, apples, and other good stuff, smells like spring.

T- starts out a little tart but finishes really crisp, especially considering the ABV. It doesn't taste very strong at all.

M- very light on the palate with a good bit of carbonation, the mouthfeel makes this beer.

D- this beer is very drinkable, and is the perfect, early summer beer. Just makes me think of eating a good meal outside, and kicking back a few with friends. Overall a great Saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 23:31:41 | More by SeattleBeerBlog

JEdmund

Kansas

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Bottled on April 8, 2010; tasted on May 2, 2010)

A: Honey colored and hazy, though clearer than any other saison I've seen.

S: Wheat, banana, somewhat minerally. Reminds me a bit of a pils, making me think it has pils malt and certainly the rice is a contributing factor.

T: Really nice flavor with a big finish. Starts smooth thanks to the wheat, then midway it gets just a bit peppery and then on comes a drying tartness and a quick blast of hop bitterness, and finally a hint of fruitiness from the yeast. Finishes dry and light.

D: At 7% ABV, this isn't something you can drink all afternoon. I wish it were just 5%, but then it may not have all this delicious flavor. I'm just happy there's an affordable and delicious saison in six-packs! Great Divide makes great beer, and Colette is further proof.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 13:43:56 | More by JEdmund

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

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice hazy straw yellow with good carbonation and a nice white head. Nose is wheat, rice, clove. Taste is belgian yeast, clove, banana, wheat. Mouthfeel has a nice tart, crisp finish, with clove, fruits and spice. Just right amount of booze. Very drinkable indeed.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 04:24:32 | More by barleywinefiend

Pahn

New York

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Bottled on Feb19, 2010.

Appearance: Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch head that dissipates steadily and leaves sparse lacing. Pours a very hazy yellow, and leaves no lacing.

Smell: The dominant aspects of the aroma are some tangy and slightly sour notes, as well as Belgian yeast and a characteristic wheat beer smell. There's some nice, thick breadiness, banana, and some earthy funk.

Taste: Starts juicy and carbonated, segueing into a sharp, tangy taste characterized by citrus and clove, then finishes dry. The beginning is punchy and enjoyable texturally, if a little drab flavor-wise. The flavorful part of each sip is nice and earthy and musty, but still vibrant and zesty. There's a bit too much sweetness in the finish sometimes, with a sort of sugary feel going along with it.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with big carbonation and juiciness up front, then a slightly puckering tartness that gives way to a dry finish. The beer is always very active in the mouth.

Drinkability: This is a very refreshing and delicious beer. The kind of beer I would keep on hand at all times, especially in summer. Nice go to beer when you want refreshment with a decent complexity (as advertised, incidentally).

I know that some people think this beer isn't "indicative of the style of saison," but that's a rather strange attitude to take. On the one hand, this beer is exactly what BA describes as a saison (slightly dry, lots of spice, sweetness generally restrained, nice earthy notes). On the other hand, it doesn't taste like many of the very celebrated Belgian saisons. Add to this that Belgian brewers aren't particularly concerned with what style you can throw a beer into, and the issue of authenticity seems to dissolve, at least for me.

Regardless, Colette is a delicious beer. There's some flaws (it's a little sugary at times, the funkiness could be turned up to good effect, and the beer is rather lacking ester-wise, especially considering the banana present in the aroma but absent from the flavor), but it's solid and refreshing. To boot, it's a good saison that comes in a 6 pack for the price of 750ml of most good imported saisons. Excellent value. I was very impressed when I first tried this, and still am.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 04:25:05 | More by Pahn

smcolw

Massachusetts

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

Cloudy dark straw color. Extensive initial head. Leaves slippery lace. Eventually dies down to a thin layer of minute bubbles.

Earthy like with stale sourness. Not very appealing.

Good Saison flavor, slightly wheaty. Lots of mild citrus, clove and pepper. Nice full body with an appropriate level of carbonation. Pleasant sour aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 22:44:30 | More by smcolw

hops4life

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Plan B in W. Htfd, CT. I drink a lot of Saison, and this is wayyy off the style for a Saison. Citrus, clove, some of the ester profile I associate with the wheat/white homebrew styles of a decade ago (or today, but that is the time period I associate with banana/clove hysteria). I would have pegged it as "spiced hefeweizen" or a summer beer with an identity crisis. Hop character was completely supressed under the spice. It makes for a very drinkable pint, even at 7.5%, but there is much better to be had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2010 03:13:03 | More by hops4life

coastiefish

Oregon

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled Feb 23 2010
Opened Apr 21 2010

First nip from the bottle, got the typical tart of the style, followed by an very vivid copper taste.

Poured into a pint glass (don't forget the sediment at the bottom of the bottle!)

Soft hazy bright gold, thin layer of head, when carefully poured (thick layer with froth on the second pour when I was a bit rougher with the pour, though it dwindled down quickly to a thin layer)

On the nose, tart fruit, clove, tiny bit astringent, bit of apricot/peach being detected as well.

Everything on the nose I get on the tongue. A bit of lemon is coming through. Yeasty and dry, but not too dry. Watery finish is worth mentioning.

Mouth feel is light & airy. Id like to have more body in this brew, it just isnt there.

This is a drinkable brew, but there are better ones out there. (Apricot Farmhouse from Upright Brewing an excellent example, and #5 from Upright, a classic example extremely well executed) I wouldnt suggest this to exemplify the farmhouse/saison style. Though, the 7.3% on a hot summer day with nothing to do except sample some brews could justify a round.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2010 06:29:56 | More by coastiefish

ghostmech007

Virginia

1.95/5  rDev -49.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Bottled on Feb. 19, 2010

Poured into a tulip glass produced a little well formed head. Body doesn't look good, hazy bright yellow.

Nose has definite lemon note and a slight funky smell. Almost like it's skunked.

The taste is bad. Not terrible but it really doesn't taste good at all. The finish is terrible and attacks the palette like a Japanese bomber. The balance is not present at all throughout the beer. The only thing that really stands out from this beer is the malts definitely there and provides some balance to beverage at the end. You really can tell that from the mouth it's very creamy but doesn't stick around because the bitter imbalance on your palette.

I'm not getting this brew again. The whole experience was awful. It's lemon and bitterness just doesn't seem to work. It was very poorly executed.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2010 17:05:28 | More by ghostmech007

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazed yellow gold with moderate cap of soapy white bubbles, little retention. Scent begins with equal parts tangy wheat and floral hops, light vanilla cookie like sweetness with a splash of watery fruit and lemongrass on the finish with the lightest hint of herbs. Taste is a touch more aggressive than scent dictated but still well balanced with strong tangy wheat and floral notes still the star, the backbone has an aggressive shortbread taste with a hint of vanilla as well as watery fruit (pears), combines pleasantly with a hop profile that provides a touch of lemon zest and earthy spiciness. Medium bodied and dry finish. A nice non-funkdified saison which keeps things dry and light with some well blended flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 14:50:49 | More by rfgetz

emmasdad

Colorado

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

Pours the color of cloudy spun gold, capped with a beautiful rocky white head. This one looks so inviting in the glass. Aroma of strawberries, lemons, yeast and wheat. Tastes almost exactly like it smells, spicy and refreshing, with a good hint of lemon-citrus and a peppery tang on the back end. The alcohol is not the least bit evident in this one, and it makes for a delicious and refreshing late spring afternoon beer. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 21:32:07 | More by emmasdad

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a small glass. Brewed on date clearly marked on bottle (I always respect a brewery more for this).

A: Light, sweetly yellow bubbly body under a white head that recedes down to a thin layer but does last and laces a bit.

S: Grassy wheat, lemon peel, bread fresh from the oven (slight) and some lively yeast.

T: Bright yeast and slightly dry malts fill the mouth initially, followed by a more earthy bread bread flavor that becomes slightly sweet as the aftertaste of very lightly toasted malts rises to the surface. As all this dies away, long after the beer first hit the tongue, some sweet sour notes play on the palate.

M: The carbonation is refreshing and good (but not great) for the style, but the body is slightly lacking in fullness. I wouldn't expect this to be a full bodied beer, but would prefer a little more substance (especially with 7.3 abv).

D: Moderate drinkability. More sour notes to balance the sweet would cause my mouth be keep begging for more in a way this beer doesn't.

Overall: This is a fine representation of this style, but not quite on the level of the best Belgian originals. Although one might be a fool to expect it to be... and thus this beer touches greatness.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 23:07:54 | More by allforbetterbeer

hosehead83

Ohio

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

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a standard pint glass
Pale, yellow/gold, with a big, billowy head of eggshell-white foam
Aroma-Wheat,clove, some fruity notes
Taste-Fruity, wheat, clove, subtle spice. A tart, rather dry finish.
Overall, very smooth and refreshing, but more like a spiced wheat beer than a saison. However, very drinkable for the rather high(7.3ABV) alcohol content. A nice summer sipper.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 16:05:56 | More by hosehead83

jsh420

Illinois

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

bottled march 10 2010

pours a very cloudy yellow with a 1+ fnger white head that left no lacing

smell is strong fruity unripe banana with some clove and yeast

taste is much of the same but with plenty of earthy grassy hops - the fruits could be less sour

mouthfeel is light overly carbonated - very crisp and dry

drinkability is ok but when i reach for a saison i doubt its this one - one plus is that this comes in 6ers though

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 04:13:34 | More by jsh420

Reaper16

Alabama

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

served on-tap @ Great Divide Brewery, Denver, CO into a weissbier glass

Pours a bright yellow color with 1.5 fingers of perfectly white head. The lacing was adequate. There was little to no haze in the saison; it looks to have been filtered pretty cleanly. Curious.

Lots of yeasty aromas abound from the glass despite its filtered quality. Banana and lemon, mostly. Zippy wheat. It smells good, certainly, but it smells mostly like a hefewiezen, not a saison. There isn't any pepper, funk, other fruit, etc. that would be characteristic of a saison/farmhouse ale.

Taste follows the nose. Plenty of lemon and banana and cracker malt. Again, if Colette were a hefe then I would rate the beer higher. As is I can only give it 2.5 at the most. It tastes sorta good but isn't true to style.

The thickness of the mouthfeel was fine. What docks Colette points is the sharpness of its carbonation. It isn't particularly bubbly but it is sharp on the tongue, to the point of mild uncomfortability. If you can get past that then Colette is a super-easy drinking summer beer that does much of the same things right that a nice hefe would.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2010 21:55:47 | More by Reaper16

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a slightly hazy honey color with good head retention and decent lacing. On the nose, this is definitely saison light. It has the aroma I normally expect in a saison, but it's just dialed down a bit. Anyways, I otherwise get honey, clove and maybe some nutmeg. Flavors replicae the nose, with this beer coming across as more of a wheat beer then a saison. However, I do also get a bit of orange citrus and a hint of tartness. The beer starts off with some moderate sweetness, but that quickly dovetails into some fairly dry spice on the finish. Mouthfeel is fairly light, to the point where it's almost a bit watery. However, drinkability is pretty good... I just wish this beer had a bit more flavor.

Nothing wrong with this beer, though I can't imagine why I'd ever want to get this as opposed to the real McCoy from Belgian. Frankly, I doubt Dupont could make this bland and uninteresting a saison if they tried.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2010 21:55:11 | More by johnmichaelsen

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

alli4051

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

Got this as part of a variety pack and decided to drink this first to get it out of the way as I didn't really expect to enjoy this style as this is my first saison. I was pleasantly surprised. Pours a bright but somewhat hazy straw color. Scent was somewhat faint but what was there was wheaty and citrusy. Flavor was complex with a mild lemony sourness and lots of grain. Feels like you could knock a few of these back but the alcohol catches up quick. Glad I stumbled across this and definitely will be exploring this style some more.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 19:40:21 | More by alli4051

silver0rlead

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy straw color with a thick white head that doesn't stick around long. The aroma isn't a strong point, with not much going on other than some funky yeastiness and a bit of biscuity malt. The flavor is an improvement from the aroma, with a biscuity malt presence upfront, followed by some lemon and mineraly hops, some barnyard funkiness, some spicyness (white peppercorn) and a touch of alcohol. The mouthfeel is appropriately light, and drinkability is very good. A decent saison, but not something I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 03:30:20 | More by silver0rlead

rtratzlaff

North Carolina

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

GDFA or "Colette" pours a cloudy (bottle conditioned) straw golden body with a bone white two finger head that leaves plenty of lacing down my snifter.

The aromas are earthy hops and a Belgian peppery quality held by most saisons.

The flavor is spot on for what I consider a good saison. It has lemon and citrus fruits followed by a wave of white pepper and herbal hop bittering.

The mouthfeel is light medium, but still "fluffy" or lush in quality.

This is the perfect beer for food pairings. I could enjoy it with a funky cheese and crackers as a summer afternoon snack. Or perhaps lemon pepper shrimp salad.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 19:46:22 | More by rtratzlaff