Saison Style Ale (Sonoma Farmhouse) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

magictrokini

California

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is different from the Pinot Barreled version as it is not barreled. Hazy gold pour with a dense white head. Excellent lacing Banana, yeast, straw, and apples in the nose. A hint of pineapple and metal may occur. Smooth, sweet bubblegum and banana in the flavor. Honey, wheat, pears, orange zest, spice, and yeast come around frequently. Slightly musty, but in a good way. Leans toward the trippel in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 17:44:12 | More by magictrokini

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Taco Mac in the Highlands. Poured to a light orange yellow with medium white head that lingered well and left okay lacing. Nose was a very mild, yet pleasant banana, spices and hint of orange. Mouthfeel was full and a little chewy, but led nicely into the malty fruit taste, which improved more as the beer warmed slightly. Rounded off to a nice finish.

Had two and could have had more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2008 03:43:22 | More by kimcgolf

Jettanbass9

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

this was a last second pick up from Capones in Norristown.

Slightly cloudy with a pale pilsen gold hue. a high level of carbonation can be seen as tightly knit bubbles float to the top. A light thin eggshell hued head caps this refreshing looking brew.

Earthy, grainy notes take the forefront but a metallic blast cuts through it all. I searched for some sour notes but only found sweet malts and possibly some earthy/herbal hop aromas. The metallic note is very distracting.

Pilsner grains, sweet malts and an earthy, just barely, pepper character come through. This beer is clean, way too clean for the style. Nothing is offending, too extreme or too subdued but it just lacks any umph.

Mouthfeel is smooth and dry with spot on carbonation. What it lacks in taste makes up in mouthfeel and body. This beer is easy to put down, no doubt about it. There is nothing offending about this brew just not a lot of character. If this were on tap, this would make a helluva contender to pair with just about any hearty dinner or rustic sandwich at lunch. It's clean, crisp profile makes a perfect pair with just about any meal.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 03:11:22 | More by Jettanbass9

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

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

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

stumac

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours a clear gold color with a thin white head. the nose is very bready, very nutty, grain aromas, subtle floral dry honey aromatics. Nice.... the taste is grains, crisp hops, woody. medium body, low carbo

Lagunitas! Why have thou art dubbed thineself with so much brew creations? Have thou not seen the light? Never shall ye see the end of such a treaturous journey as this!

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2008 03:14:30 | More by stumac

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

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

ruckzuck

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - clear golden amber with a nice white head. The clear body really showcases the carbonation rising to the top of the beer

S - yeasty, malty, sweet, with some nice spice aromas

T - very similar to the nose with a bit more pepperyness and bitterness

M - medium bodied with nice carbonation as per the appearance

D - pretty good. Pairing this with some cheese right now with my gf and really enjoying it. A good saison from Lagunitas. Would've enjoyed more funk, but that's alright.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 15:18:15 | More by ruckzuck

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

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

Murchmac

California

3.18/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

San Francisco reached in the 90s today so I reached for this saison

Looks like the urine of a budweiser.

Smells of some sweet honey, not much else.

Tastes of tartness, apples, refreshing on a hot hot day.

Lingering aftertaste of macroness.

Great lawn mowing beer, as its not too alcoholy. Not a bad beer, not great, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2008 04:39:13 | More by Murchmac

brewdogmrb

New York

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

This is a beer that I've actually had before the bottle I'm reviewing, when I was recently on the West Coast earlier in the spring. A friend told me to watch out for the Hop Stoopid, which was an amazing beer, and when I saw another entry in Lagunitas' "Sonoma Farmhouse" series, I was very intrigued. In the bottle out there, it was cheap and attractive, but I was left disappointed. Especially in the massive lineups we were concocting out there, this beer didn't stand out and was even bland. Perhaps trying this beer again in basically the same kind of company was a mistake (part of a tasting that included several Russian River and Lost Abbey beers), because the same thing happened. While this beer was pretty much a by-the-books Saison, it doesn't seem to make much sense to not even give this beer some kind of Hops characteristic or impart some small signature that we have come to know and love Lagunitas for. Basically, this bomber is an orthodox, nice Saison, that hits all of the right flavors on the nose but is disappointing overall -- mild, thin, bland in color and not complex. That being said, this is a killer Summer beer that you could drink all day long, but it paled in comparison to some of the monsters we were grappling with.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2008 23:23:12 | More by brewdogmrb

2.88/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz. bottle

Slightly hazy, pale gold. Medium sized head, composed of medium bubbles. White in color. No legs, some lacing.

Scent was quite promising. Spicy, citrus, Belgian character. Sugary sweetness and some coriander.

Taste was a let down. Citrus and sweet, with a bit of salt? Crackery middle. Not much here, lacks complexity. Herbal bittering at the finish.

Light in body. Medium carbonation. Dry.

Not too impressed. Taste very simplistic and, frankly, lacking. Lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2008 17:24:30 | More by

MMAJYK

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Quick review from the bar.

A- Bright golden straw color with a light orange hue. Head is 1 finger and sticks around for the duration.

S- Crisp and sweet. Candi sugar and citrus are the highlights with a little bit of "funk" thrown in.

T- Green apples, lemons, oranges and candi sugar.

M- Thin to medium with high carbonation.

D- Pretty drinkable due to the refreshment factor but still a little too sweet for sessioning.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2008 19:17:56 | More by MMAJYK

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

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

JDV

Texas

2.35/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Cloudy yellow orange color and smells like a witbier or a hefeweizen. Light bodied, heavily carbonated, and light flavor to begin, with a bigger finishing flavor after you swallow. A definite wheaty, spicy belgian like beer, which is not my style, but this is decent and drinkable. Almost no bitterness too.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 21:40:00 | More by JDV

errantnight

California

4.1/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow, one of the first times I cannot BELIEVE how off I feel so many people are (including some quite solid reviewers). "Not very saison like" seems to be a common complaint... not like WHAT saisons?

It does not have the rich fullness of some of the super saisons, or the sour notes... but it has the incredibly distinctive saison yeast character going in full spades. There's little to no spice (what there is, is yeast derived), but that's not necessary for the style. And the funk is mild... but compared to the "saisons" brewed that are thick with too much residual sweetness, and improperly and overly spiced... I don't get how this gets knocked so severely.

I really was hesitant to even waste 3.49 on this, given the negative reviews (and my own previous experience with bad saisons), but I found this refreshing, incredibly drinkable, with proper body, and a mild flavor and aroma. Hops are present but complimentary, just balancing and adding a bit of grass and spicy dryness.

Really, an unfairly maligned beer. I would love to serve this in a blind saison tasting in the early going. And at a ridiculously low price point compared to almost every other saison, a beer that I'll be proud to have on hand.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 05:43:09 | More by errantnight

theopholis

California

2.75/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance- Pours a fairly clear, golden- light amber corlor with a nice frothy, white head that ihas some retention, and a good level of lacing.

Aroma- Lots of malt sweetness with hints of corriander. Not much else. Very crisp smelling however. Gets a woody smell as it warms.

Taste- Contrary to the aroma, very little malt sweetness. A very subtle, complex sour-mash A tad in the bittering hops. Not much else. It doesn't taste bad, just not much like a Saison.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with a good level of carbonation. The water they used was far to hard for the style. Probably the root of all their problems.l.

Drinkbility- Not really a Saison, but a nice, easy-drinking, over-priced lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 04:32:11 | More by theopholis

gpogo

California

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

A: Golden color, quite a bit of carbonation

S: Sweet fruity smell

T: Fruity spiced wheat flavor leaving an aftertaste of apples.

M: Light body, no alcohol warmth

D: Easy drinking beer, great for a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

This beer wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was a refreshing enjoyable session. I especially enjoyed the apple aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 00:49:01 | More by gpogo

1759Girl

California

4.08/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Looks dang near exactly like a pint of Bulmers.. golden yellow, clear, quite lively with a fast-dispersing head and equally non-existent head.
The smell is estery and made me long to be in Sonoma at a farmhouse enjoying it in the sunshine, instead of sitting in my flat with the rain beating down outside.
Its a great example of a saison, in my opinion. It is a fresh, fruity ale with a crisp finish. Extremely refresthing. A light green apple hang.
The mouthfeel is just so-so. Light, airy. Not overly carbonated.
Its a very drinkable beer. Clean and balanced. I'd like to make it my expensive-beach beer, if the darn lifeguards weren't so worried about glass bottles.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 00:30:02 | More by 1759Girl

nbree00

California

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was a very drinkable beer, however the finish left me wanting a lot more flavor and spice. Immediately after being poured a very earthy, hoppy aroma comes through, definitely reminds me of a farmhouse ale. The beer is well carbonated although the head dissipates fast. The taste is quite delicious smooth, crisp with the saison style hops and malt. I just wish the flavors were a little stronger, typically I think of a belgian ale as being cloudier and with alot more spice. I guess if you like a milder cleaner style of saison then this would be a good brew for you.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2007 10:22:40 | More by nbree00

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