Bairn Farmhouse Belgian-Style Ale - Half Acre Beer Company

route66pubs

California

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden yellow, very cloudy color into my St. Feuillien / Lucky Baldwin's 2009 Belgian Beer Festival glass. Upon holding it up to the light, the golden becomes more yellow, like the sunshine on a slightly hazy beautiful spring morning. There is little to no head to speak of and none of it is retained following a slow pour.

Lemon primarily in the aroma, with some coriander and possibly nutmeg. Smells of an organic earthy aroma, with perhaps a hint of oregano.

Total lemon rind in the flavor ... with some hints of the coriander as well. The earthy aroma comes through at the back, probably as a bit of hoppy balance. Just a hair of a hint of pepper in there as well.

Frankly, I expected a bit more carbonation pop out of this. It almost seems a bit flat, which leads to a lack of crispness to round this out.

While quite enjoyable, I don't know that I could handle too much of this. That mouthfeel drags down the drinkability on this for me just a bit too much, as I feel a bit of lacking. Also, a slight tart after-taste is not to my liking, being too reminiscent of a sour feel. Still, this is enjoyable, and I can't knock it too much.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 03:39:58 | More by route66pubs

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

03-24-2013 18:39:04 | More by Sparky44

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%

03-24-2013 17:25:19 | More by Thorpe429

slemkuil

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

12-21-2012 20:36:03 | More by slemkuil

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%

10-10-2012 02:18:36 | More by t0rin0

Hophead101

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

05-15-2012 03:14:47 | More by Hophead101

Skye1024

Indiana

3/5  rDev -22.9%

05-12-2012 19:51:01 | More by Skye1024

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10%

04-24-2012 04:54:28 | More by ygtbsm94

spycow

Illinois

5/5  rDev +28.5%

12-01-2011 04:34:57 | More by spycow

brandoman63

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

11-30-2011 02:24:20 | More by brandoman63

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.8%

11-24-2011 19:18:52 | More by Exiled

thewimperoo

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%

11-17-2011 22:28:21 | More by thewimperoo

DCon

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Received a 1 Pt. 6 Fluid Oz. bottle in a trade w/ CurtisMcArthur & price is unknown (extra!). Poured from the Bottle w/ a Flower & Acre of land pictured (says brewed with Lemon and Chamomile) into my Mizzou Hefe Glass. Does not have a freshness date to be found.

Aroma- Has a strong apple aroma and tons of fruit. Really cool and different than most Saisons. Doesn't have any sour/acidic aroma but not sure I care about the lack of this attribute anymore. Sweet malts are around though and not sure they should be this strong...

Appearance- Pours a 5.5-6 Finger head (6 w/ the frothy top) that lasts for good time. Has a deep golden and hazy color body. Has nice lacing on the sides of the glass.

Flavor- Fruity, fresh, and has nice malts. Has a great lemon and orange peel citrus taste but no spices or acidity. Has an earthy hop flavor but very mild.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Effervescent, and leaves a bit of spice at the finish! Finally! Also has a bit of puckering.

Overall Impression- Has very nice mouthfeel but many of the attributes at the beginning of the drink (aroma/flavor) are weaker. My first brew from Half Acre and it was very good! Wish it didn't take til the mouthfeel to get some great Saison characteristics out of this brew. Thanks again to Curtis for another nice extra!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 03:02:12 | More by DCon

AgentZero

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by Sean.

A - Golden beer with a decent white head. No real lace or stick on the side. Pretty refreshing looking.

S - Some light citrus and good lemon notes. There's a little bit of hops, not as much belgian yeast as I was expecting.

T - Taste is light, refreshing, and good. Has a nice dryness to it with just a little bit of belgian funk. Just a little bit of hops bitterness at the end.

M - Pretty carbonated, little bit of a dry finish. Lighter side of medium bodied.

O - One of the more enjoyable beers I've had from Half Acre. A good, solid saison, wouldn't mind it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 04:13:54 | More by AgentZero

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Acquired from GbvDave so a big THANK YOU goes out to him!
Poured in to my Brooklyn snifter

A: This beer pours a hazy straw colored yellow with a one finger of sudsy head. Head recedes at a rapid pace, not much lacing to speak of.

S: Nose really puts forth the lemon character of this beer, with a healthy dose of belgian yeast and a hint of grassiness.

T: Taste starts with a strong dose of lemon, though somewhat muted with minor notes of alcohol. Odd as this is only a 6.5% beer. Lots of belgian spices come in through the middle but are evened out by a grassy flavoring. A hint of funk, banana, and pear then come through before a very light chamomile in the aftertaste.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, crisp at first with a touch oily finish.

D: Goes down easily, tasty, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style. The alcohol flavoring seems to lessen as the beer warms and becomes far more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 01:50:32 | More by Jayli

blackie

Virginia

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

a: st. bernie chalice, the beer pours out with a low, thinly retained white head, a bright golden in color

s: clean pilsen malt, floral chamomile, light peppery spice and delicate coriander, grassy hop aroma, some delicate citrus, crisp white wine, okay

m: carbonation prickly but just around moderate in level, sparse, light bodied

t: light pilsen malts, delicately floral, grassy hops, lemon, apple, subtle coriander, lightly spicy bitterness, a bit watery to finish and lacking some depth, but a nice enough saison

d: drinks easy, just not a remarkable example in other areas

luuu

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 00:34:18 | More by blackie

billab914

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my Starr Hill shaped glass. It poured a hazy, pale golden/yellow color. The head started out big and fluffy and eventually settled to a thin covering on top of the beer. Decent lacing as I drank it.

The aroma shows off the lemon most prominently. A nice citrus is there along with some bitter rind like qualities. It has some fruity apple or pear notes to it as well as a bit of a Belgian yeast spice.

The taste has a lot of citrus to it throughout the flavor. lemon and orange flavors really stand out. It doesn't really have much of the bitter rind like flavors I got out of the aroma. Some fruity notes come through towards the finish. More bright orange flavors are present in the finish as well. The Belgian yeast spice is pretty reserved as well.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, I really liked the citrus and fruity flavors it had. It made it very drinkable and I'm sure it would be a very good choice on a hot day. Very nice beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 02:44:04 | More by billab914

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is yeast, wheat and some grain notes. I don't get much fruit in the aroma which is a bit of a surprise. The flavor is better than the aroma. I get a lot of wheat and yeast notes, but I also get some tropical fruit notes. I get some pineapple, orange and mango. There is also a nice amount of white pepper in the aroma which compliments the fruit nicely. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not the best beer I have had from Half Acre, but a solid American-made saison.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 21:23:13 | More by Mora2000

klikger

Wisconsin

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

Bomber served in a standard pint glass

A - Light gold & cloudy, large white head, good lacing

S - Belgian yeasts, a touch of barnyard, and fresh grass

T - Cut grass, yeast --> caramel malts, essence of farm --> lemon, floral hops --> slightly bitter finish

M - Good carbonation, medium-bodied

D - Yes, drinkable.

All in all, this is a solid saison - I've had far better, but I've certainly had worse.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 00:55:13 | More by klikger

MasterSki

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at the brewery back when it was released. I've had it a few times thanks to other generous BAs, but I finally got to my own bottle while watching Game 2 of the World Series. Served in a Leinenkugel's pint glass.

A - Pours with a big white foam that quickly settles to a thin cap, leaving behind no lace. Hazed pale golden color with waves of tiny bubbles rising upward.

S - Stone fruits, a bit of spice, sweet pale malts, Belgian yeast, a touch of earth, and a surprising hint of alcohol that seems out of character for a 6.5% brew.

T - Taste is more yeasty and tangy, with less of the sweetness found in the aroma. Some Kölsch-like malt character imparts a touch of white grape. Not very musty or funky - a tame Saison this is.

M - Carbonation is zesty and a touch harsh. Slightly grainy medium body. Finish is lightly dry.

D - Had a half bomber and it was easy enough to drink. My less beer-educated friends really dug this, which was a bit of a surprise. It'd be easy enough to polish of a bomber of this in one sitting, but I probably wouldn't purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 19:56:01 | More by MasterSki

lackenhauser

Maryland

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

Very pale, golden straw color. Not much in the way of head here. Somewhat sulfury and fruity aroma. Definate yeasty presence to it. Decent enough flavor-malty with an ok spicyness to it. Mildly peppery, good bitterness but lacks something to really make it say "saison". Again sulfury and yeasty-definate Belgian presence. Somewhat thin-doesnt hold up on the tongue. Could use a slight kick in the pants flavor and body wise-not a bad beer for a hot summer's day mind you.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 03:56:30 | More by lackenhauser

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks goes out to spycow for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a very nice cloudy pale yellow color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger foamy white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some yeast notes, some citrus, bannanas, coriander, flowery notes. The taste is malty, yeasty, slightly sweet, with some nice spice notes. Medium body. Drinkable, a very nice Saison.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 23:49:25 | More by Wasatch

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for sending this one out, Dave! Had it on 9/16, finally getting around to uploading the tick.

Poured a hazy yellow-gold with small 1 finger foam, fading somewhat quickly to a film leaving a touch of lace.

Definitely potently floral in the aroma from the adjuncts, but there is also a yeasty note that was bordering on banana? That's weird. Well carbonated in the taste with some spritzy citrus, the chamomile flowery punch glancing over the mid-palate especially. Lots of grain and bread throughout and especially toasty in the finish. A nice beer, but if you aren't a fan of the flower components I might recommend steering clear.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 01:42:34 | More by Ineedabeerhere

Khazadum

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Grabbed this bottle a few days after its release from my favorite Binny's. Been sitting in my fridge waiting for a day where I felt it was the right time. No time like the present I suppose.

Vision
Poured into my recently acquired pint glass with no crazy motions or techniques. Generated a little bit more than a finger of medium sized clear to off-white bubbles. Quickly dissipates down to a combover and unattached soup skin.

If I missed the cap I could swear this was a lager. The mass amount of carbonation and color profile lie to me. Its gentle amber palate clouds vision, but still can see shapes through it.

Bouquet
What an interesting mix of aromas. It as at once floral and funky. Both sweet and sour. The floral is definitely coming from the chamomile like advertised, and I would even go so far as to say distinct in nature. The funk is underwhelming but it plays a pivotal role in the balance.

The lemon is not to be forgotten. If I had to describe the finish, I would put it as lemon bread. A fantastic dessert to be had with coffee.

Flavor Profile
Hmm... liquid bread? It is beyond yeasty. This son of a gun is malty and yeasty all up in my grill, but only temporarily. The middle flavors are dedicated entirely to the playing out of the more sweet and unique flavors. The chamomile comes through strong here in the middle, but as it flairs away the bitter lemon tingles through and fizzles to a clean finish. Fantastic. Truly amazing beer.

Oral Sensations
Tad bit watery, smooth, decently carbonated, and tea-like. Residue is non-existant outside of the "mouf" cavity.

Conclusions
This beer is great. I wish I had more bottles. Thank god it is still on shelf. I'd love to pop this one with friends after a long day. It feels like a great cup of tea. It has calmed me and skipped on all the things I hate about that other brewed beverage. No problems with the alcohol, no lingering nastiness.. I think this has revitalized my love for Half Acre.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 23:48:21 | More by Khazadum

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a nonic)
A- This beer pours a crystal clear golden orange body wit a fizzy, bubbly off-white head supported by strands of bubbles. The head soon fades to a thin wisp.
S- The soft wheat dough aroma has a chamomile quality. The aroma is pretty clean. There is a lemon hint that grows in the finish and takes on more of a field corn quality.
T- The dry dough note finishes with a green bite and lemon zest. There is a yeasty note that comes through when the beer warms but it is more or a clean yeast flavor rather than a saison. There is a light sulfury corn note in the fizzy finish.
M-- The medium-light mouthfeel has a big fizzy finish.
D- This beer is very drinkable with the hop bitterness a bit stronger than other flavors but it has a nice lemon zest support. The fizz is also a bit overpowering scrubbing some flavor away. The chamomile and lemon offer some interesting characters but it doesn't make up for the lack of saison yeast character.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 01:26:24 | More by rhoadsrage