IV - Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille

Chelsea1905

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice light straw like color, with large foamy head

smell of straw, some grassy hops, and some plastic

Taste is initially of plastic, then some nice crisp light malt.

Mouthfeel is light and effervescent.

Not bad, but the plastic notes ruin this from being a great Saison

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:41:42 | More by Chelsea1905

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Moeder Lambic

Lookin good. Golden body and a big thick white head.

Grass, hay, flowers, citrus. Sweet and fruity - peach and melon. Comes off fairly hoppy.

Tastes grassy, has a earthy mustiness to it, fruity and citrusy. Light bits of bitterness and sweetness.

Super smooth with some tingly carbonation. Medium bodied.

More subdued carbonation than a lot of saisons I've come across, but very refreshing and I love the hoppiness of it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 00:24:38 | More by MattSweatshirt

MadScientist

New York

3.03/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Light gold with good clarity. The head produces three fingers of thick mousse-like foam that is long lasting and bone white.

S: Moderately-strong spice with a good bit of that plastic phenolic to it but mostly pepper with some ginger. There is some moderately-light orange aroma and a little earth hops.

T: There isn't all that much to the flavor, just a light orange flavor and faint spice and maybe a little sweet orange peel. There is a little malt sweetness but no Pils malt character. The bitterness is moderately-light. The balance between is about even. The finish has a slight bit of fruitiness and a light bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. There is a slight prickle on the palate.

O: The body is too heavy and the flavor is kind of thin. Very little of the aroma seems to get around the plastic smell that just drowns out the other aromas. This may be an old sample but that doesn't explain the plastic. It comes around a bit as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:56:46 | More by MadScientist

StJamesGate

New York

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bright brassy yellow with speckles (later clouds), active fizz, and loose, steady offwhite froth.
Lemon herbal nose with touches of fresh melon and wax, and a floral perfume layer deeper underneath.
Fresh baguette, white pear and green apple (going from raw to baked as it warms), hint of banana and maybe mango when you pour the yeast then lemon zest, hint of Seville orange rind and woody lemongrass hops.
Carambola and white pepper finish and a surprising flash of vanilla then tight star anise and thyme linger.
Medium, round, soft, lively, some cling, slight chalk, a bit of oil.

Jumps with bright flavors even by saison standards. Not sure I'm on the same page with everyone else: no funk that I notice and I couldn't promise the hops are US though that's what I hear. But it's the unexpected little pops of flavor you don't necessarily expect in a saison that make it.

One of the best, need to watch out for J-J.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 19:26:16 | More by StJamesGate

busternuggz

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 into a red wine glass. No freshness/bottle date.

Nice clear pale golden color with a fluffy, bubbly, delicate 1" white head. Good retention, leaves clingy lacing.

Dried apricots, cracker bread, and fresh black and white pepper in the nose, a little note of honey. Intricate and inviting.

More pepper and cracker on the taste, grass and hay, dried herbs of some kind, like Italian herbs. Moderate earthy funk. Very rustic but light and delicate. Very wheaty. Mostly dry with just a little malt in the middle, ends light and dry. Bready/crackery aftertaste with wet hay and a little bit of a sour twang.

Almost perfect texture, light bodied and crisp with great carbonation, but leaves just enough wetness in your mouth at the end.

This is some old world farmhouse shit, not too flashy but well done and memorable. A good one for lovers of traditional saisons.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:35:33 | More by busternuggz

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a brilliant golden, with about two fingers of foamy white head. Much more clarity than expected. lacing is decent, and carbonation is subtle.

S: Some spice and yeasty notes up front, with some citrus and grassy notes.

T: Cracker-like malt at first, followed by lemongrass and some fruity esters. A touch of spice and yeast on the mid-palate, with a dry, grassy, floral hop finish.

Notes: Moderate in body with a very clean mouthfeel. Well-balanced and very easy to drink. I was hoping for a little more funk, but overall a pretty tasty brew. A bit pricey, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 03:09:29 | More by WYVYRN527

andrewinski1

Maine

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Great white foamy head leaves a lot of sticky lacing atop a clear golden body.

The aroma has a nice dose of fruity apple with some lemon zest. I faintly notice some wheat malt aroma as well.

The taste is dry and wheaty. There is a gently spicy hop flavor towards the finish.

This has a nice fluffy mouthfeel, with great soft carbonation. The body is light and drinks very refreshingly. Definitely going to check out more from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 04:17:19 | More by andrewinski1

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at the cheeky monk downtown. pours standard cloudy pale yellow color with a good lasting white head thats rather thick. smells is way out there in left field, which i like a lot. floral yeast, peppery too, with notes of mustard, or dry mustard seeds, and vinegar. very very funky. flavor is less strange, but equally delicious, yeast is excellently flavorful and there is also some complimentay flowery polleny hops in the finish. i really enjoyed this beer, and it was really drinkable. carbonation was bright and the body was roughly medium. if it wasnt so expensive i would have definitely got another. would also be curious to try the bottled version. good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2012 18:30:27 | More by StonedTrippin

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Authentic Belgian saisons are a thing of Beauty. So much character that starts fruity and malty, carries through a plethora of of complexities before arriving at dry and acidic refreshment. It's not right, making it look this easy.

Hazy straw in appearances, the beer starts with a controlled eruption of cream and fizz as the head quickly pulls away from the beer underneath. The bubbly foam quickly regenerates time after time with simply a gentle swirl of the glass, quickly collapsing onto itself with rocky patterns.. Mild on lace, I would have expected more. Still, this is nearly an ideal look for saisons.

Zesty aromas of bright citrus, spice, and sparse sweet notes. Largely bready, but backed by estery scents of lemon peel, green apples, spiced pear, and white grapes; the dry spice of white pepper, mild clove, vinous alcohol, and slight medicinal plastics show exquisite balance to the nose while creating mouthwatering intrigue. Quite a perfumy and floral head start to the session.

Malty sweetness is low lying and takes the shape of thin honey, dry crackers, and a dash of powdered sugar and dough. Herbal components from yeast spiciness and hops blend together for varying lemongrass, white pepper, honeysuckle, and flowers in balance. Fruity esters complement the balance with citrusy lemons, dried oranges, and white grapefruit and grapes, but then there's the sulfury taste of green apples, pears, sparkling white wines, and seltzer water than continue the introduction of new flavors with every sip.

Extremely refreshing as the light body is accented by the effervescence that pulls the beer from the tongue and encourages a pleasantly acidic and dry malt finish with only an herbal bitterness to linger... and fruit... and spice. Who cares?! as long as the beer is this pleasant, let the pleasant and effortless aftertaste commence.

When reaching for a taste of Belgium, this beer has it all- fruit, spice, dryness, effervescence, hops, and alcohol- all in exquisite balance and with effortless refreshment.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 04:52:57 | More by BEERchitect

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light gold straw color...minimal head. Aroma of slight fruit rind, yeast, bread, dull berries. Rich flavors, some roughness, dark bread, rye, subtle soap but not bad...just a base flavor, floral, minerals. Overall not bad, but not so tasty I'll seek it our or even get excited.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:42:56 | More by DenverLogan

oline73

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared a bottle with my wife at Brugs Beertje while we were in Brugges.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden amber with a finger of fluffy off white head that fades to a layer on top of the pour and leaves some lace.

Smell: Sweet malt with some herbal hops. There are some fruity undertones that make the smell slightly perfume like.

Taste: Not quite as complex as the smell. Fruity notes are not as present here. Still getting some mild apricot. The herbal flavors are there. The finish is bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I would have enjoyed it if the fruit notes continued from the smell to the taste. Still a good saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 21:41:25 | More by oline73

impending

California

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

B+

750ml into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear pale golden yellow, vigorous carbonation, clinging clumpy froth, excellent lacing.

Aroma as if a bière de garde. Musty but no funk. Slight sweetness but much fruit. Chalky

Taste surprises with an upfront hop citrus. A twang of dryness and pepper introduces the finish. Aftertaste fades mostly away instantly, fine for pairing with food but less so as a main attraction. Light to medium bodied crisp mouthfeel. Best saved for a hot afternoon thirst quencher.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 04:54:59 | More by impending

abrethanson

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this bottle up at High Times in Costa Mesa.

Appearance - Pours a hazy golden egg yoke yellow with pure white 2 finger head. Very nice lacing is left around the glass. Carbonation continues to rise long after the pour. The appearance may be the beer's best part. Very clean and crisp each element seems well put together like the golden ratio.

Smell - Very citrus up front with a hint of vanilla and sugary sweetness at the back end.

Taste - The taste is consistent with how it looks - clean and crisp. Definitely a more citrus focused farmhouse ale. A lot of lemon, grapefruit and citrus rind throughout balanced with some Belgian yeast and spiciness. Banana bread too. Fairly dry with hints of straw but not a lot of funkiness detected which was disappointing. Citrus rind bitterness apparent at the end.

Mouthfeel - carbonated, citrus, and dry

Overall - Refreshing beer. Like most Saisons it would be great on a warm summer day paired with picnic foods. Was hoping for more funkiness and complexity. Overall very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 03:25:04 | More by abrethanson

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured fro the bottle a hazy straw color with two fingers of bright white head. Left little lacing behind.

Light herbal aroma of lemon, clove, yeast and white pepper.

The taste was yeasty with clove, lemon, white pepper and light tropical fruit. Finishes clean.

Lighter bodied and slightly dry with a moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 22:53:07 | More by Monkeyknife

shanblur

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Local Option in Chicago. 10 oz pour in a wine goblet. Translucent straw color with a moderate white head. Barnyard funk on the nose with some grass and herbal notes. A nice flavor of lemon, with some spice and floral notes. Very smooth mouthfeel with a gentle carbonation. A great saison.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 19:02:17 | More by shanblur

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Thorpe, shared by him at a recent tasting served in a tulip glass. Beer is orangish, hazy, thin white head, some lacing, some carbonation, moderate retention, looks good.

Aroma is mildly funky, grassy hop aroma though, earthy too.

Beer is sweet, light in body, hoppiness in the second half of the palate, nice finish, decent, a little bitter a little dry, a nice hoppy version of a saison.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:25:36 | More by drabmuh

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip at TJs. Reviewed from notes.

Hazy straw-colored body. A huge fluffy head that sticks around indefinitely leaves a mix of delicate and thick lacing after every sip.

Aromas of white pepper, black pepper, clove, all from the yeast, as this is an old school no-adjunct brew. There are also notes of perfume, sweaty feet, and wet hay. The flavor of the beer adds in a bit more of the perfumey characteristics, somewhat reminding me of cat litter. The yeasty spiced notes diminish in the presence of these flavors.

Smooth and lively, this beer is light enough to be crushable, and in fact, I had to slow myself down because I didn't want the experience to end as quickly as it was going to. Quite a good farmhouse ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 14:30:35 | More by NittanyBeerFan

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike.

The beer is moderately hazy and light orange hued with a half inch of thick, white head. The aroma offers malt, dank hops, notes of tropical fruit. The flavor is more hop forward than is customary for the style, with hops taking the place of the usual yeast and/or funk presence. Really light and easy to drink. Flavorful and delicious. A bit of a departure for a saison, this is something I enjoyed and would have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 22:45:38 | More by Huhzubendah

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow color with an off white head. in the aroma, earthy and lemon citrus. In the taste, earthy, yeasty, and a citrus bite. A bitter and lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry earth and citrus aftertaste. Big citrus and lighter body, quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 21:34:26 | More by OWSLEY069

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas during last week's trip to Belgium. Reviewed from notes.

Served in a Jandrain-Jandrenouille goblet.

Pours a nice golden-straw color with an enormous foamy white head that refuses to fade and leaves thick clingy lacing all the way down the sides of the glass. One of the best-looking beers I have come across.

The nose brings forward a bit of light pepper and a good dosing of hops. Good floral hopping there. Straw and a bit of light fruit and pair. Really complex and interesting. Beautiful blend of malt, hops, and yeast.

Light body and very dry finish. Fairly bitter. Really a tremendous saison. Most impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 11:23:22 | More by Thorpe429

mrandypandy

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml capped bottle purchased at Hop City, in Atlanta.

A- Initial pour is a clear golden-orange, medium white head with decent lacing. Subsequent pours get a bit more hazy.
S- Slight belgian yeasty esters with a hint of spice and fruity undertones. Could be a bit more pronounced.
T- Solid. The standard belgian yeast, citric fruityness and spicy flavors come through with some grassy/earthy tones. Hoppy in the finish.
M- Medium to light body. Good carbonation with a touch of dryness.
O- Excellent Saison/Farmhouse Ale. I've had it on tap and in bottle, and honestly tap was better. That doesn't mean that the bottled version is bad, it's just the tap version had some more complexities and a slight sour/earthy funk tinge to the finish that the bottle lacked. At any rate, either version is highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 00:46:46 | More by mrandypandy

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle @ Moeder (St. Gilles), Brussels

A: Copper color. Fairly hazy.

S: Citrusy notes that are probably cascade hops. Fruity esters abound. Quite a bouquet.

T: As the smell, with a dry fruit-lingering finish.

M: Light body, high carbonation. Kind of like a saison.

O: A highly drinkable beer. If I had to classify, I would say this fits into saison territory, due to light body, hops, dry finish, and fruity yeast. Think: IPA + saison. Well balanced all around. Keep in mind that I tried this in Belgium, so exports may not be as fresh, since hop flavor fades over time.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 19:58:31 | More by jibbyvonjibb

Beerenauslese

California

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Body is clear gold, except towards the end of the bottle, when it pours cloudy with sediment. Poured to a half-inch head, the head quickly dissipates to a ring of foam. Leaves some lacing on the glass.

Smells of wet hay, citrus peel, some hops.

Tastes light and citrus fruity, some grapefruit flesh and rind, and some spice. Taste is rather mild.

Body is light and carbonation is moderate with a fizzy mouthfeel. Body also seems light.

This is a very light saison that could be refreshing under certain conditions, like a very hot day. A little lacking in body and carbonation, IMHO. On the other hand, it is one of the most acidic, citrus-tasting saisons I've had, so that could be used to advantage for a pairing with seafood, salads, spicy asian food, etc.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 03:16:35 | More by Beerenauslese

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sun-faded lemon peel with less than Belgianesque carbonation. The bubbles eventually find their way to the underside of a blindingly bright white crown that has an attractive moonscape surface and plenty of stickiness. Very little lace melts away.

The nose is lemony-herbal, surprisingly musky and just a bit funky. It's probably the hops and might the yeast as well, but we aren't talking Brettanomyces horseblanket by any means. Each sniff smells better than the last.

IV doesn't taste quite as good as it smells, but it isn't far off. This easy drinking summery ale is reminiscent of a quality table beer whose ABV is a little higher than most beer used for that purpose. More malt would have resulted in more flavor intensity for longer than the flash that is currently being experienced with each upending of the glass.

Cracker-like malt barely holds down the bottom end. Top notes include lemon zest, bitter grasses and hints of white peppery spice. The brewer says that nothing other than malt, hops, yeast and water is present. Old school all the way.

The mouthfeel was headed for a 3.5... but I've now reconsidered. This stuff is a cinch to drink and is immensely quenching and refreshing. The sparkly (but not too sparkly) quality of the carbonation is right where it should be.

IV doesn't do anything different from most well-brewed Belgian farmhouse ales, it just does the typical things very well. Plenty of hop flavor and bitterness means that this bottle is on the fresh side. That's good, because age is unlikely to do it any favors. Recommended... if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 21:50:11 | More by BuckeyeNation

GRG1313

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No date on bottle.

Light slightly hazy golden amber with a nice pure white head that fades a bit quickly.

Nose is green bananas and light lacto to my nose with nice pear tones. Hints of fruity yeast that goes to a perfume character. All in all quite pleasant.

Mouthfeel is fresh and bright and has the thin but rich quality of a wild ale I've come to expect. A bit light on the carbonation.

Flavors are green and herbaceous but pleasant, with white pepper, celery and light salt.

Finish is a bitter green pepper hop balance and appealing and long. Overall nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 12:17:21 | More by GRG1313