Apricot Au Poivre Saison - Reserve Series Aged In Chardonnay Barrels - Nebraska Brewing Company

mactrail

California

2.7/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Farmer's Cabinet in Philadelphia. Nice amber color in the snifter glass with a slight chill haze. Starts with a fruity touch along with some malt, but takes a turn downhill rapidly into the ashtray. Pepper is a great flavor, but I have not found many good examples in the beer world. The other main flavor is pencil shavings. A shame to do this to the fruit. Apricot is very nice, the flavor lingers for a moment before being submerged. Some fruity sweetness. Sounds great, starts out promisingly, but I found it quite disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 05:09:41 | More by mactrail

Verecund

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml opened on April 2, 2011.

A hazy, golden yellow with one finger of still white head.

Fairly clean and refreshing nose featuring citric acidity, white pepper, Belgian yeast, and straw. Lots of lemon and nice white wine barrel treatment.

Huh. Not really what I expected. Bready malt body with a good dose of yeast, light clove, and an underlying earthy and pithy bitterness. It finishes dry. Quite light on the apricot, there is an orange sweetness, but it seems to muddle in with the pepper and earth notes.

Medium bodied with medium-light carbonation. A bit too heavy on the tongue; it doesn't dance as I like in saisons. It also drinks above its ABV - I pinned this for 8-8.5%.

Not bad and it won't keep me from trying some of the other Nebraska Brewing offerings, but a bit of a disappointment. The apricot doesn't come through cleanly and the flavors are very muddled after the clean nose, which I enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 01:34:32 | More by Verecund

Boonedoggle

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: One finger head with nice golden color. Good lacing.

Smell: A balance of hops and apricot. Dryness alludes to it being a saison.

Taste: The hops are a bit too much on this. If the hops had been less the apricot would peek through a bit more. The oak adds a good angle to the taste.

Mouth: A nice medium body. Good carbonation for a saison.

Overall: A good apricot saison, but not worth the $20 pricetag. I'd be interested in tasting this beer without the barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 22:47:46 | More by Boonedoggle

mntlover

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy golden color with a big white head that falls slowly and laces well, very nice looking.

Aroma is some light fruity notes, light funk on sweet malty base. Light chardonnay notes mingled with light peppery spice and yeast notes.

Taste is well saison like until the chardonnay kicks in and makes it eh strange maybe best way to describe it. Wheat notes nice fruits notes, funk and spice. Then the barrel notes kick in and I am not sure if I like my Saison's aged in in barrels. Finish is lingering chardonnay over everything.

Mouthfeel is nice light medium nice carbonation for a saison.

Overall smells good, looks great, wine barrel aging just doesn't seem to make it better for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 23:43:40 | More by mntlover

RedHaze

Nebraska

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"Unfiltered. Ours is spiced with both Apricot puree and Black Pepper."

Pours a very hazy pale gold with a dense one finger head. The foam sticks a round for a long time, leaving a nice lacing behind.

Smell; the pepper really come through in the aroma pretty strongly, even while it's still fairly cold. The apricots come through nicely along with a faint hint of pineapple.

Taste; as with the smell the black pepper kicks things off, but fortunately doesn't overwhelm. Apricots and pineapple, as well as a touch of grassy hops fill out the middle and then this finishes with a dry yeastiness that leans a bit towards chalky, and detracts from the rest of the beer a little bit.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with the lack of filtering, which I'm very happy for, and the drinkability is pretty good.

Not my favorite beer from NBC so far, but still pretty good. I'm happy to see them keep trying new styles especially a Saison, now if only they'd do a Doppelbock. Keep it up guys.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2010 00:50:47 | More by RedHaze

kbuzz

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an oversized bottle into a snifter.

A: Slightly hazey golden honey/straw colored beer with plenty of bubbles. One finger head that fades pretty quickly. Very sexy beer.

S: Funky, peppery yeastiness dominates. Some fruity undertones - apricot, pear. A hint of vinegar as well.

T: A barnyard fruitiness up front. Sweet. Apricot and pear, as in the nose. Some faint citrus notes. The apricot really shows up as it warms. Tastes like a syrupy, yeasty fruit cocktail with some pepper sprinkled on top. Finishes with just a bit of the chardonnay quality - sweet and just a little dry. I don't get any of the wood-aged characteristics at all.

M: Medium bodied beer...very smooth, creamy, juicy. Not too dry. This is a very easy drinking beer.

O: A better than average Saison. The tastes are all very well developed, but not as interesting as I was expecting for a limited beer like this. Definitely easy to drink and tasty enough...I guess I was just expecting more. Solid beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 23:47:13 | More by kbuzz

dbossman

Nebraska

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Looks like apple cider; hazy with a quickly dissipating head; lacing isn't all that present

S: Smells like dried apricot--the packaged kind; slightly smells like feet but oddly enough is still rather pleasant; grainy and earthy along with sweet and spicy nodes

T: Apricot dominates but not in an overly sweet way--tastes more like apricot puree than the actual fresh fruit; something a bit funky here; also grainy and spiciness pervades

F: Decent mouthfeel-- a bit thin

D: Not as refreshing as I'd hope; decent but the packaged/pureed apricot flavoring is a bit wearing

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2010 02:09:55 | More by dbossman

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a light peachy orange with with 2 fingers of white fluffy foam
S - nice funky aroma, some mango and apricot fruit aroma, a bit of spicy pepper, some oak.
T - Taste is actually diferent, i still get the fruit, but the wine barrel comes through more along with the pepper, not as fruity as I was hoping
M - light bodied with some nice lively carbonation.
D - very easy to drink, I still wish the flavor was a little bit more upfront but still nice. Maybe just not worth the pricetag.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 04:33:05 | More by mikereaser

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been eyeing this one up in the area for a while. Finally broke down and bought it to try. 750 ml bottle poured into a Weyerbacher tulip glass...

A - Pours a hazy, light orange color that actually resembles the color of apricots and peaches. A fluffy eggshell white head forms about 2.5 fingers thick and retains nicely.

S - Funky aroma here with lots of pepperiness to it. Slight wine barrel influence, but not as much as I would have expected. Apricots come through but are not overpowering. Some tropical notes as well.

T - Sweet and funky flavors all around. Apricot, pear, and some green apple come through. The wine barrel comes alive in the taste more so than the nose. A little syrupy to me and a dry finish.

M - Lighter bodied bordering on medium bodied. Nice spritely carbonation gives it a refreshing feel on the tongue.

O - It's hard for me to spend $20 on Nebraska's reserve series. Some are hits and some are misses. This falls somewhere in between. It was nice, but not the barrel aged gem I had hoped for.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 17:17:37 | More by KAP1356

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of drabmuh. Served in a Dark Lord mini-snifter.

Pours a nice peach color with a good white head and some nice lacing on the way down. The nose carries some nice apricot and other stone fruit along with light wheat and faint grain. Light yeast there as well. Flavor falls along similar lines -- the saison yeast is in the background with the apricot up front. Light, spritzy body. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 23:53:55 | More by Thorpe429

Gmann

New York

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy honey color with a frothy white head that settles into a puffy cap. The aroma is of musty belgian yeast spices; some green apple, hay, and a touch of horse blanket. Then there is the apricot, not strong but noticable. The tart funky aroma of the apricot works well with a saison. The taste has a fairly strong sweet, tart flavor of the apricot. Must say it overpowers the saison. I was hoping for more of a hint of apricot. With that said, there is some belgian characteristics; candi sugar sweetness, tart green apple, and some light clove. The feel is light to moderate with soft carbonation; pretty much sweet and tangy throughout. A solid beer, pretty easy to drink and the apricot works well though a touch overpowering for some of the subtle saison characteristics. As with most NBC's beers, the price would probably limit me to one purchase.

Serving type: growler

08-14-2010 01:58:20 | More by Gmann

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful rose wine color with a nice white head and beautiful lacing.

I get a strong apricot saison smell in the nose that overpowers the pepper. The taste is a different matter. Upon sipping the Chardonnay aging and pepper shine although I'm not convinced it's a great combo. The apricot plays a much more secondary role in the taste until the very end. The apricot tends to linger on the palate.

Not my favorite offering from their reserve series

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 23:35:12 | More by Patrickbrusil

UCLABrewN84

California

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle pour for New Brew Thursday's 3rd Anniversary event held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some malt, apricot, and acidic. Taste is much the same with a fruity apricot flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some nice fruity aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:22:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very smooth drinker, good mouthfeel. Funky aroma. Distinct apricot flavour. Nice one, with chardonnay barreling adding to the flavour and enhancing the fruitiness.Sour beginning, Sweet finish. Appropriate carbonation.
Pricey bomber, and worth sharing.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 03:19:09 | More by northyorksammy

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No freshness dating I can see.

A= Pours a hazy yellowish orange color with a three finger high slightly off white head on the top. The head holds great retention and lacing on the side of the glass.

S= The smell is a slightly sour chardonnay odor with a little barrel to the aroma. Nothing over the top. I may be able to make out some pepper. I don't get too many apricots up front they may be hidden deeper in the "sour" aroma smell.

T= Tastes nice and peppery with only a slight sour note. The sour is actually minimal. The apricot comes through a little more with only a slight sourness. The pepper plays nicely with the saison yeast spice. Chardonnay is also a minimal character to it and the barrel flavor is again somewhat quiet.

M= Finishes nice and dry with a lot of bubbles. Very nice for a saison.

O= I was expecting a little more apricot to it. I was hoping for more sour notes as well but I got very very little of both. Worth trying for sure but at the price point I would not buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 04:23:31 | More by jjanega08

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 6/14/2010. Growler. Pours a hazy golden orange with a thick white head. Aroma of spices, Belgian yeast, pepper, and a hint of light fruits. Flavor of spices, yeast, and bready malts upfront with apricot undertones. This one seemed more spicy vs. apricoty. Very tasty stuff, great saison!

Serving type: growler

12-23-2010 21:15:32 | More by LilBeerDoctor

merlin48

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml pours a hazed peach hued body with a medium sized vanilla head. Attractive spiderweb lacing.

Aroma is dominated by white grapes with notes of black pepper, floral hops, and a faint hint of apricot.

Mouthfeel has a medium body and carbonation. Smooth and dry on the palate.

Taste is dominated by a chardonnay character which becomes a bit tiresome. Black pepper is subtle but about where it should be. There is a vague fruitiness, more like melon than apricots. Actually, I don't pick up any apricot at all. Floral hops provide a nice bitterness to balance the slightly sweet bready malt. Chardonnay comes on strong at the finish and dominates the aftertaste.

More of a chardonnay saison than an apricot/pepper one. Enjoyable and tasty but nothing like a classic saison. Very interesting, but I wish the apricots were in play.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 12:36:56 | More by merlin48

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/14/12 notes. Thanks to drabmuh for sharing this one.

a - Pours a hazy dark yellow color with one finger of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of apricots, brett, spices, white wine, lightly sour fruits, and fruity malts.

t - Tastes of sour fruits, apricots, brett, white wine, oak, spices, and floral hops. A tiny bit more sour than the nose, I like the taste better.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. A pretty easy to drink saison.

o - Overall I thought this was a very nice saison. Lightly sour and some nice apricots, and easy to drink. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 01:47:13 | More by mdfb79

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice Chardonnay barrel-aged saison with a fair fruity edge.

Presentation: 750 cl brown capped bottle. Busy special release label, a bit blocky with an orange background framed with the branding and details of the brew, including a small paragraph with the main description and intent. Notes 6.8%Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Hazy pale gold pour with a nice frothy head, moderate to short retention, and lacing, with a small surface memory.

S - Yeasty sense, with a fruity touch emerging over a dry vinous touch...

T - Taste follow with a nice earthy range, spicy yeast, spicy, soft fruit, apricot… sugar. Nice soft tart hint from the Chardonnay...

M - Medium body and carbonation. Pleasing soft dryness as it finishes.

O - Worth and pleasing barrel aged take on a saison, the fruity edge is fair, but does not push down the brew.

Notes: This was pretty pleasing, not outstanding, in particular the fruity edge did not work entirely for me, and the base and barrel sort of made the brew rather solid for my liking. Still very glad to have tried it, and a good impression in terms of looking out for their brews.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:39:01 | More by Daniellobo

cpolking

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bottle-conditioned Belgian-style saison ale that is brewed with apricots and pepper and then aged in Chardonnay barrels for six months.

The beer pours an orange-golden in color, hazy, with an inch of thick, tightly foamy head that is white to just off-white in color, and leaves thick, sticky lacing down the glass.

The aroma is yeasty, white wine, with a hint of fruit and oak.

The taste is well-constructed, the tastes of the yeast (fruit, butter, earthiness) meld into the tastes of the wine barrel (chardonnay with its fruit, buttery, and oak notes). There is then a note of the apricot. The pepper is unobtrusive.

The mouthfeel is light, with a smooth creaminess aided by the thick head of foam. A complex, interesting and tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 01:19:35 | More by cpolking

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a hazy orange color with a big fizzy head. The lacing is pretty good but not fantastic. The smell of the beer has some really nice aromas of apricot and some light spices. The taste is definitely a saison but as it warms up the apricot flavors really start to show. The taste is very soft and refreshing. The mouthfeel is smooth and very drinkable. Overall This might be the best I've had from Nebraska, they're still very expensive and that's hard to look past. All in all though it's a damn good brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 23:58:14 | More by Knapp85

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared this one with the group at the "Evening Wood" tasting graciously hosted by cmrillo! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured a golden straw yellow with a minimal pure white head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, apricot, fruit, and sour. The flavor was of sweet malt, apricot, and slight sour. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty nice brew. The apricot flavor on this one was very nice and blended quite well. Would not have guessed this was a saison by aroma and flavor at all... Tasted more like a mild Wild Ale with the sour notes going on. However this one is worth a shot if you see it on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 16:11:18 | More by thagr81us

laituegonflable

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale orange colour, mostly cloudy with light just paling the hue around the edge. Head is white, thick and frothy with lovely trails of lace being left behind. Lovely.

Smells very organic. Pleasant fruit complexities with notes of tangerine, strawberry and melon that lends notes to a funky underlay with a touch of wet hay, washed-rind cheese and some mild clovey spice. Very pleasant.

Taste is quite tangy, plenty of that fruit. Starts light and fresh with a mild tartness to it. More complex towards the mid with tangerine, cranberry and a touch of fig. Slight funk towards the finish with an earthy and bitter flavour of barnyard, sweat and grass clippings. Slight bitter lemon rind late on the palate. Very pleasant overall, could have more potent flavour and I'd still be happy.

Medium-bodied, touch of foamy texture midway with a bit of pull from the yeast. Decent.

Yeah, a good balance struck between potentially odd flavours to produce an enjoyable and refreshing brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 04:26:05 | More by laituegonflable

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My god. A saison that I like??? GTFO. Seriously, this is one of my least favorite styles in all of beerdom. I bought this a couple months ago, primarily because I love apricot shit. I have a bottle of Cascade Apricot inbound for precisely the same reason. I've tried SO hard to like saisons, and outside of Cigar City's Table Saison, I just have NOT been able to get into them. Typically the Belgian yeast strain used is just too repulsive for me to enjoy.

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Lost Abbey tulip. This pours a beautiful hazy orange hue with a copious amount of dome that's thicker than sea foam. It does however, dissipate rather quickly. The nose is long in apricot, accompanied by the ever present Belgian yeast, although the yeast isn't dominant, and that's welcome for me. The taste is loaded up on apricot without being cloying or sweet. This really is an easy drinker. The mouthfeel is minutely tart with a dry finish. Reminds me a bit of white wine in that regard. Overall, I'm impressed. A saison I'd actually feel good about purchasing again if it wasn't 20+ fucking dollars. Really Nebraska...you guys have zero excuse for charging so much for your shit right out of the gate.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 02:55:08 | More by Retail1LO

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nebraska : Apricot Au Poivre Saison

Pours a pale golden color with a nice sized froth and lace. Aroma of musty, barnyard, funky yeast. In the flavor, sweet apricot coming across alittle tangy due to the chardonnay barrels. Wheat malt base, Belgian yeast, some Belgian funk for sure and apricot honey like sweetness. Alittle wine like and small heat, oaky, nice. Finishes tart and somewhat dry. Medium bodied ale. Overall, a nice twist on a saison and fruit beer, and succeeds quite well at both.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 04:30:14 | More by Stinkypuss