Saison Style Ale (Sonoma Farmhouse) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Grabbed this bottle in a trade recently as well. One of those that I never would have sought out, but was very glad that it found me. I used this as a nightcap believe it or not as I was just in the mood for the style. Served cold and poured into a fluted pilsner glass, this one was consumed on 04/12/2009.



The pour was very nice, very bright with a rich head of white that came up over the top almost immediately. Really nice retention at first before it faded down into nothing after a few moments. Loaded with carbonation that kept reinforcing it though, this was definitely top notch. The aroma was light, airy, with a hint of light hops and a touch of peach like fruit notes. Hints of light grass and lots of grain as it warms, a touch of sour as well in the nose. Nice smooth, clean and light feeling as I take the first sip, it was really quite refreshing I have to say. Light apple and grass like flavors were the dominant notes here. Really nice and tight flavor profile, I had no issue at all with getting this one down in a hurry.



Overall a very solid, very light and quite session able version of the style. I could see this one as my go to summer beer. Really very, very well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 00:27:28 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, light golden body with a small, wispy white head.

Smell: Aroma of pale malts, candied lemon peel, and a few flecks of toffee with now more than a hint of Grains of Paradise.

Taste: Pale malts and a dash of lemon with the sweetness and spice coming in simultaneously. A hint of yeast, but it really lacks the singularly unique characteristics found in Belgian yeast strains. Very light hop bitterness for the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: An okay beer for drinking, but when held up against the style or its counterparts within the style, well, it just comes across as dull and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2008 18:03:17 | More by ChainGangGuy

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Common Table.

The beer pours a gold-amber color with a medium-sized white head. The aroma has a lot of wheat in it, with some grass from the hops and also some Belgian yeast notes.

The flavor is similar. I get a lot of pepper from the yeast, as well as a little bit of orange citrus and a lot of wheat. There is some hop flavor but not any bitterness.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 04:06:51 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Beer Authority, New York, NY

A: The beer is slightly hazy pale yellow in color. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of lemon citrus and grainy malts in the nose along with some hints of spices.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has lots of lemony citrus and grainy malts in the flavors. There are some very slight hints of sourness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. No dryness is perceptible.
O: The lemony aromas and flavors of this beer are nice except that it seems it could have used some more dryness and spices.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 18:20:07 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours with a brilliantly clear, bright gold color and is topped by a head made up of whipped froth, a fat finger in thickness, that is a pale, off-white color. The aroma is a nice mix of spice, fruit and malt character. I smell notes of earthy spice, ginger, tart-yet-sweet pears, candied orange peel, plums, figs, raisins, honeysuckle, fresh flower nectar, and sweet malt sugars. The darker fruit notes are certainly interesting as I would not expect them in a beer of this pale color.

Lightly effervescent as it hits my tongue, this beer is very light bodied and easily consumed. Soft notes of honey malt mix with a touch of vanilla, a touch of astringency that evokes a certain woodiness. There is some nice spice character here (whether from actual spices I can't say); notes of earthy spices, orange peel, a hint of ginger, some prickly pepper in the finish, and even a touch of green, almost vegetal coriander in the long, lingering finish.

Not a bad beer, but it seems to have missed the mark somehow. It is perhaps a bit more clean than I would like for my personal tastes, but I have a feeling that this will make it more successful and approachable to the average craft beer consumer. I'd happily consume another one, especially on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2007 21:56:27 | More by Gueuzedude

Halcyondays

California

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a lightly hazy yellow, with a thick white head, with good lacing and retention, but doesn't have the rustic look that I look for in saison.

S: Candied apples, pepper, coriander.

T: Taste is quite wheaty and malty upfront. Fermented golden apples are light and a peppery spice character takes over at the end of the sip. Hops add a lot of earth and give it a bit of a rustic quality. As just a beer, it tastes quite good, possibly a 4, but as a saison I am looking for more and I found the complexity and the flavours lacking.

M: Kind of watery overall, pretty low alcohol for this style, refreshing, no real yeast character.

D: An OK saison, but it's a good price and I could see myself having this as a summer drink, but if want an interesting saison I'll go elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2008 06:29:12 | More by Halcyondays

Zorro

California

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In the glass this is a clear sunny yellow colored ale with a very slight chill haze. There is a puffy white head that just doesn't have the staying power of some of the better beers of the style.

Scent of honey and flowers with a nice floral spice to it. Fairly strong cinnamon and coriander and a lesser scent of black pepper. Herbal and earthy this smells like a Saison should, of a spring field of flowers, a little bottled sunshine and promise of renewal.

The flavor begins sweeter than expected and with a definite honey flavor to it. Lots of flower pollen flavor this could almost pass for a light mead. Mildly spicy in the mouth but the mead like sweetness is a problem and takes from the dryness that you would normally expect from a Saison. After your tongue adjusts to the sweetness there is a little lemon herb here along with a hard mineral water flavor. Bitterness is present but the sweetness hides it.

The mouthfeel is at best good.

An OK beer but not one that is going to make me forger Hennepin anytime soon. Worth a try but not worth stocking up on.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2007 04:06:01 | More by Zorro

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.63/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very slightly hazy gold colour, with masses of streams of fine carbonation. The huge lines of bubbles are easily the most prominent aspect of the beer. Big frothy ultra-fine head of white foam. Looks like a fine beer.

Light wheaty, barnyard and spice characters on the nose. Hint of hefeweizen to it, a bit of fresh herbal characters and perhaps some cut grass. Pretty nice, pretty fragrant.

Unfortunately, the palate is a major let down. Thin, insipid maize or rice lager sweetness with a very faint hint of dirty, dusty bitterness. Very short, the only deposit it leaves is a vague yeast bite on the back palate. Mouthfeel is quite smooth, which is a plus, but given the rather insipid and unpleasant flavour, it doesn't have a lot to work with.

A disappointment - this could well have been a promising beer given the fragrant nose - but it's just a major let down on the flavour side of things, leaving it as a very insipid beer to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 22:41:36 | More by lacqueredmouse

Gusler

Arizona

3/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On Tap @ Papago
The beer resides a clear gold with a portly creamy white head that fades leaving the lace to form a thin veil upon the glass. Nose has a fair to middling malt aroma, slight hint of hops, citrus like crispness, start is somewhat sweet, with a touch of bitterness at the back, top is light to moderate in feel. Finish has a prickly acidity, the hops understated but present with a sour and dry aftertaste, seems to pick up on all fronts as it warms to the glass and room, fair drinking beer, certainly not as good as expected from “Lagunitas”!

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2007 20:33:11 | More by Gusler

Georgiabeer

Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I'd say this tastes more like a summer ale than a Saison. Where is the snap? The pepper? the fruitiness? The depth? Not the worst beer out there, but as a Saison it dissappoints. Pours yellow with a light white head that sticks around as a swirl of foam. Constant stream of bubbles, but no lacing. Smells dry and herbal, but not spicy or fruity. The taste is also dry and herbal, but also far too light- more like a small beer than a Saison in flavor. Needs some pepperiness, fruit, or hint of sweetness to jazz it up. Crisp, but not snappy, dry. Okay for a quick quaffer in the summer, but not what I reach for when I reach for a Saison.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2008 22:56:28 | More by Georgiabeer

beertunes

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I don't have much experience with this style, so I may re-review at a later time. This was a very active beer and the publican had difficult time getting a good pour. After finally getting the beer it was a very sharp, clear yellow with a thick, bright, white head that dissipated at a medium pace, leaving lots of sticky lacing.

A lovely spicy, yeasty aroma greeted the nose. In a change for me the aromas were stronger and more pronounced than the flavors (this may have to do with how active the beer was causing it to be a little flat by the time I could drink it). The favors were were subdued compared to the aromas and I was slightly disappointed by this.

Again, without a lot of time with the style, I' calling the body and drinkability average. I found the body slightly thin and the drinkability to be very good, but this may be typical of the style and not representative of the beer.

A good beer, worth trying, from a brewery I like.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2009 22:02:00 | More by beertunes

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very clear dark gold color. Head is little to none and there is no yeast.

What is this? Maltyness from Lagunitas?! Malts dominate the nose, but not sure that they picked the right style to start doing that. I get honey, hawaiian bread, malty sweetness and flour.

Definately strange. Might be the most malty saison I have ever had. Not much funk and some...but not much hops. Kind of wheat-esque hay tasting. Earthy.

This is not a bad tasting beer, but definitely not a good example of the style. Lagunitas surprised me with this one...both for the fact it is heavily malty and that it does not taste that great. Will pass on this one next time.

BTW...Came in last in a blind tasting we did with DuPont, LeMerle, Phantome, Boulevard and Hennepin

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 04:17:02 | More by twiggamortis420

champ103

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a straw yellow color. A two finger head forms and leaves some patchy lace.
S: Very light doughy and biscuit malt aromas.
T: Follows the nose. Not much their really. Just some dough and biscuit malt again. Kind of dull.
M/D: A light body that is thin and watery. Not difficult to drink at all. Smooth and easy going.

Not the best saison that I have had. It just seems kind of blah. Nothing I would recommend, but it is not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2008 14:43:50 | More by champ103

GClarkage

California

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

03/12/07- Received from BA member and friend Talisker.

Presentation- 22oz bottle with no freshness dating. Poured into my Pilaarbijiter flute style glass.

Appearance- Urine-straw colored gold. About as clear as you can get. Can virtually read my computer screen though the liquid. A first a spritzy champagne like head which fades totally after a minute or two. Tons of prosecco style bubbles rice to the surface. Leaves behind marginal lace.

Smell- As I will get to in the taste. This is an all out witbier from the nose. Sugary white pepper with a dash of corriander. Sweet scented with maybe even a nose of grain.

Taste- Classic wit. Light powdered sugar sweetness with shards of lemon rind, white pepper and a touch of corriander. You farmyard aspects whatsoever. Seems a bit watered down.

Mouthfeel- Almost champagne style carbonation. Lots of gassy bubbles. Light mouthfeel and a bit watery as stated above.

Drinkability- Don't get me wrong. This is a perfectly acceptable american wit version. Just not anywhere near a saison IMO. Overall it's pretty tasty and queching on a hot night like tonight. Just not to style me thinks.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 03:54:21 | More by GClarkage

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the new Lagunitas tap room/Beer Garden on 7/18/09. Served in a logo plastic cup.

A - Very effervescent pale golden body with solid one-finger, rocky bright white head that settled into a quarter inch of retention and yielded lots of sticky foam all around the cup.

S - Initial aroma blends subtle spices and barnyard funk with hints of clove, hay, yeast and light citrus notes. Some sweet honey notes and an inkling of easthy hops also emerged as the liquid warmed up.

T - Very subtle yet flavorful farmhouse ale with spicy, yeasty notes suggesting clove and hay. A subtle earthy hop character emerges, reminiscent of fresh mild herbs. Finishes with a very slight sour funk accompanied by a light citrus hop bitterness.

M - Light bodied with a light syrupy texture and lively carbonation, resulting in lots of bristle all over the palate. Finishes with very mild funky and bitter notes on the back of the tongue.

D - Excellent, sessionable farmhouse ale with lots of subtle flavors that all blend together quite nicely. Nothing really stands out to the point of domination.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2009 00:07:05 | More by ffejherb

GbVDave

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served in a 16oz pint glass at Map Room 9/15/07.

A: Served a pale yellow color that was pretty actively carbonated. Also observed was a tight, bright-white head.

S: Fruity, yeasty, and a little bit funky. Not much in the way of barnyard or horse blanket.

T: Lightly toasted malt, with some slightly tart fruit, and a pinch of funky yeast.

M: Smooth with just the right amount of bitterness.

D: Pretty decent, but as a saison, I found this to be pretty darn average.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2007 14:33:04 | More by GbVDave

Floydster

California

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 ounce bomber from Cooke's

Did not have a glass at friend's house to pour this into unfortunately

Not bad, but too many citrus hops going on with a sour aftertaste

Color was very golden when pour into a dixie cup to determine its texture

Probably the worst beer I have from this brewery

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2007 21:06:12 | More by Floydster

ehammond1

California

3.68/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Clear golden yellow with a somewhat small near-white head that doesn't leave much stick down the glass.

The aroma is that of a classic saison: some lemon, distinctive yeast, a bit of black pepper, and a bit of hay and grass.

The flavor is similar to the aroma and quite classic. The lemon and yeast are the main elements, with a bit of distinctive pepper and grass character.

Medium bodied with lower to moderate carbonation.

A classic saison that lacks a bit in appearance and mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 22:15:49 | More by ehammond1

Overlord

California

2.58/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Did not care for this beer.

Pours a semi murky yellow. Somewhat of a hefeweizenish look to it, and the smell is wheat, grass, and bready yeastiness. The taste is pure wheat and yeast. Overwhelmingly so. There isn't a lot of depth or crispness to the flavor, and it grows bland within a short time.

Will not look for in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2008 08:49:00 | More by Overlord

Reidrover

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Venti's Taphouse Salem..full Imperial Pint.
Golden ,bright straw coloured ale with a good sized pure white head.
Nice breezy saison/pepper aromas..but not too strong
Veery nice semi-dry taste..not too sweetv ,just right
Very nice on the tongue..not too carbonated
Overall a good drinkable attempt

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 05:08:05 | More by Reidrover

cjgator3

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle.

A- Pours a golden orange color with a thin white head that leaves a moderate amount of lacing.

S- The aroma features faint malt and citrus notes and yeast. Not much spiciness or funk that I have come to love in Saisons.

T- The taste also lacks many of the characteristics that I enjoy in Saisons. It is more malty with hints of citrus and lacking the spices and hoppy finish.

M- The taste is light bodied with a high amount of carbonation.

D- Not bad, but it is definitely lacking in overall character.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2008 03:36:51 | More by cjgator3

flexabull

California

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bright straw gold color with a nice big white fluffy head.

Aromas are yeasty, and bright. A bit of clove and other spices on the nose.

Beer has an overall light and crisp character. It is tart, dry, and slightly fruity. A touch of green apple, a bit spicy like a wit like in flavor, with a yeast flavor as well.

Mouthfeel is good. Pretty well rounded and full even for a fairly light beer.

Beer is easy drinking and enjoyable. I liked it. It just doesn't seem to be along the lines of a traditional saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2007 02:18:17 | More by flexabull

atsprings

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Tyler's in Durham, served a crisp clear straw yellow with a thin diminishing head. Aroma is some slight spice and sweet malts. The taste is all the spice and yeast flavor I'd expect in the style, quite generic for the style with nothing standing out to make it memorable. The beer is certainly crisp and refreshing as the style calls for. This is just another American-made Saison that does not hold a candle to true Belgian ones and Hennepin.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2008 01:49:24 | More by atsprings

scottfrie

California

4.15/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the brewery 8/20/2011.

A: Served a very light clear yellow with a long lasting white head that eventually faded into a fuzzy film that left some streaks of thin lacing down the glass.
S: Tons of fruit on the nose. I get sweet and strong notes of peaches and golden fruits with a touch of hay.
T: Super fruity like the nose with flavors of peach and lemon. I also get chalky yeast, a touch of minerals, bubblegum, lemon zest, bread and grassy hay. Flavors are light and refreshing.
M: Soft carbonation but airy, medium-light body, and a refreshing mouthfeel. The finish is drying but not too dry.
O: This is one fresh and bright smelling/tasting saison. There was a good balance between fruit and hay. Glad to see they’re making this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 03:14:37 | More by scottfrie

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cracked open with a *shist!* from the cap on this 22 oz bomber. ABV 5.2% No whacky write up...just a plain label on a bomber.

Filtered golden hue pours with a frothy thick inch high pillowy ivory airy cap that settles to a splotchy coating. Overly filtered? Yes. Dirty saisons are the order of the day.

Aroma contains a healthy dose of Belgian yeast strand, some notes of candi sugar and maple syrup malt backing. Slightly vegetal along the lines of leaf and green grass after rain...sorry to be too poetic.

First swigs: Buttery mild table sugar sweet. Dry start and dry finish followed by delicate hay presence. Lacks a broad spectrum of flavors that normally are associated with saisons. Musty ginger ale focus.

Feel is a touch on the frothy side of foam. Slightly too frothy for personal tastes.

Last swigs: To compare to the Saison Dupont reference? Not funky and lightly sweeter. Mouthfeel cushion is not welcome. Overall, a narrow noble effort. Some delicate leathery spots but misses the funk-o-delic leather that creates a world class saison

Saison beer is good. Happy American saison beering.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 06:12:15 | More by blitheringidiot