Jack D'or - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jack D'Or is a brilliant, clear golden color, topped with a soapy head about 1 cm tall. It later recedes to a thin sliver, leaving a decent amount of lacing. The aroma is wonderfully complex... and pleasantly yeasty, of course. On one hand, I can pick up very sweet, candied phenols, and on the other, there is very sour and tart stuff in there as well. Apples and bananas come to mind first and foremost. The taste has a smack of sweetness and farmhouse funk, but in a flash that all gives way to a sour bitterness. There must have been a more than average amount of hops used here, for the style. It has a bit of a champagne-like character, being somewhat crisp, dry and metallic. Overall, an extremely interesting and high caliber Saison.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 00:49:07 | More by Neorebel

DMB

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

06-18-2013 18:38:51 | More by DMB

YieldToNothing

New York

4/5  rDev -2%

06-17-2013 02:04:18 | More by YieldToNothing

swinyeju

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%

06-16-2013 15:40:33 | More by swinyeju

timoteo833

New York

4/5  rDev -2%

06-15-2013 03:21:17 | More by timoteo833

RichD

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev -2%

06-15-2013 01:16:37 | More by RichD

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.5%

06-14-2013 02:59:50 | More by tommyguz

pveilleux

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

06-13-2013 02:08:54 | More by pveilleux

VTHeady

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%

06-12-2013 20:16:24 | More by VTHeady

Jeckel

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%

06-12-2013 02:22:57 | More by Jeckel

LambicKing

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -20.3%

06-12-2013 02:08:14 | More by LambicKing

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%

06-10-2013 12:23:22 | More by twenty5

JothHu

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

06-09-2013 05:19:15 | More by JothHu

pjs234

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

06-07-2013 23:46:07 | More by pjs234

Mark5252

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.5%

06-07-2013 03:19:20 | More by Mark5252

lisahope27

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.5%

06-07-2013 03:19:20 | More by lisahope27

Treebs

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle served in a Pretty Things wine style glass. Bottled March, 2013. Thanks to dazedandconfused for the glass and beer!

A: Pours a hazy apricot color with a pure white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a bubble ring that leaves some sticky lace down the glass.

S: Great yeast presence up front. Some clove with a mild banana note. Some fruity esters with a little peppery bite. There's a touch of lemon sharpness as well.

T: More malty in the taste than the nose. Lemon pith, slightly bitter, with some heavy doses of peppery yeasty. White pepper is the main flavor with some cracker malts and a touch of sweetness. As it warms there is a slight funk on the back end.

M: Medium to light bodied with a medium high carbonation level. Nice and crisp.

O: Pretty solid saison overall. Nothing otherworldly, but I would have liked a more assertive hop presence on this American style and maybe a little more funk to the yeast.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 01:16:13 | More by Treebs

Dhamma73

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

06-06-2013 23:22:04 | More by Dhamma73

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2%

06-05-2013 23:28:04 | More by SebD

cjs61679

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

06-04-2013 20:24:47 | More by cjs61679

SheLaLa

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

06-04-2013 17:42:56 | More by SheLaLa

MattXT

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -32.6%

06-03-2013 11:28:56 | More by MattXT

Aewachiw

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

06-02-2013 13:49:58 | More by Aewachiw

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Picked this one up recently having seen the hype on the forums. It's in one of my top 3 styles, so I'm really excited. 6.5% ABV according to my bottle. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard blue branded pressure cap served into a Mitchells of Lancaster stem-tulip (glassware per label's instructions) in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are sky high, but it takes a lot to impress me with a saison as I've had quite a few of the best ones. Bottled February 2013.

Served cold - straight from the fridge - and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger head of beige colour. Nice light creaminess to the head. Good thickness. No bubble show. Retention seems rather good, I'd predict it'll last about 5 minutes. Nice light inconsistent lacing as the head recedes.

Body colour is a dull dark yellow; not much to look at admittedly. I blame the pilsner malts. Nontransparent. Murky. Translucent. No yeast particles are visible (at least on first pour).

Overall, it's looking decent for the style. The colour does hold it back, though. I've seen far better saisons, but the head is nice for what it is.

Sm: Crystal malt, pilsner malt. Notable floral hop character; rather aggressive for a saison actually. Clove and banana - no doubt yeast-derived. White pepper when I strain to find it; I'm glad it's present as it's something I love in a good saison. Not getting any milky notes. Biscuity spicy yeasty character. No alcohol is detectable. Muted lemon citrus esters. Brett yeast offers little funk, if any - but I do like the biscuity character it lends here. A clean and appealing aroma, overall. Subtle - but middlingly so for the style. Somewhat zesty. Aroma is of above average to mild strength. Very approachable.

No noticeable flaws. Excited to try it, but I'm not blown away so far.

T/Mf: It's got more of a lemon ester twang than anticipated based on the aroma. More brett-derived funkiness as well - especially present in the second act. Pilsner malt keeps the body light alongside biscuit malts. Biscuity yeasty notes are present throughout, but I'm not getting much in the way of spicy yeast character. Floral hopping comes on too strong for the style, even injecting a hint of bitterness on the climax - which is unwelcome. The white pepper is far too restrained; I hardly get any at all. What a shame.

It does feel artificially dry; I think we can safely blame (credit?) the champagne yeast. I will say I'm surprised the ABV is as low as it is given the involvement of champagne yeast. No alcohol is noticeable.

Smooth, wet, light. Not at all oily, harsh, or rough. There is some slight coarseness which intensifies on the climax and helps bring out the depth of flavour a biteen more. Good carbonation. Somewhat scratchy. Decent presence on the palate.

Clove. Graininess is prominent. Vague hints of fleeting banana from the yeast.

Not at all tart. I wouldn't call it fruity, but it does have some dried fruity notes as identified above. Some subtle buried green apple.

Dandelion. It isn't horribly floral or flowery, but there's a touch.

I'd like it a bit more crisp, which would suit the style better as well.

Overall, it's somewhat subtle. Decent complexity for the style. Pretty nice overall balance. I just wish it were so much more than it is. There's little here to impress compared to most of the better Belgian examples of the style I've had. I'm reviewing it for its own merits, but comparatively it should be said that it's lagging way behind. It's slightly too bitter - I think from the zealous over-hopping.

Dr: Certainly drinkable - though I've had saisons at 9% or higher that made it hard to put my glass down. This doesn't quite fit that bill, but I do like it in a general sense. I hoped for much more, but this is a good entry in the style for newcomers. I'd probably order it on-draught at a pub, but I'd pass if I saw it on the shelf again. Maybe one of the better beers I've had from Pretty Things, but if my memory serves me right that isn't saying all that much. I was ready to gush over how good this was, but I was disappointed ultimately. Pretty good stuff, but not great.

Low B-

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 04:52:10 | More by kojevergas

outoffocus

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%

06-01-2013 22:15:18 | More by outoffocus