Of Love & Regret (Import Series Vol. 1) - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

mverity

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is golden brown to tan in color, with a thick light tan head and above average lacing. Smell is sweet, earthy, and yeasty. Taste is fantastic: herbaceous, woody, with a roasted barley up front; leathery and tangy sweet; all while a honey/brown sugar/banana sweetness shines through. It seems to be too sweet at times, but the sweetness yields to an earthy/yeasty spiciness.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 05:18:33 | More by mverity

Ale-ienation

California

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy orange with a white head and minimal lacing.

S: Very herbaceous with some sweet spices; sage, rosemary and cinnamon. Belgian yeast is present too, with perhaps just the slightest touch of brett/funk. Very unique.

T: Sweet malts up front with a lot of spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, clove. Moderate yeast presence, with a clean finish where the floral notes become most apparent; sage, rosemary.

M: Light bodied with vibrant carbonation.

O: Very interesting take on a saison, and quite unique in general; the spice flavors make for an intriguing twist on a classic style.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 02:12:59 | More by Ale-ienation

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

People are crazy. This is more saison than spiced beer.

Pours out a brownish orange with a half inch of head, minimal lace.

I don't smell the wheat malt but barley comes through, the botanicals come next, floral and very nice. The yeast and some lime come in at the end.

Wheat, lightly toasted barley and lime start this off. Some nice floral notes and grassy hops come in the middle. A hint of yeast and spices are noticed, lime lingers in the aftertaste. Slightly high in carbonation, but still pretty smooth going down.

I could drink this everyday and be pretty damn happy! Another excellent farmhouse brew from Stillwater!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:38:13 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

kojevergas

California

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Like the label art, which depicts a man about to stab another man who's coddling a lover. Imported by 12 Percent LLC; thank god it's not the Shelton Bastards. Product of Belgium. "Belgian Saison Ale." Cost was $6.00 at an L.A. bottle shop. Expires 08/18/17. 7.2% ABV confirmed. 11.2 oz brown glass bottle with dated gold pressure cap served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; I love saisons and I'm in the mood for one. Will this beat Fantome La Dalmatienne? I doubt it.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated. I left the yeasty sediment in the bottle initially and then added it later.

A: Pours a one and a half finger beige-light khaki colour head of no real cream or froth, decent thickness, and above average (~3 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a hazy nontransparent caramel orange-brown. Translucent. It's not much to look at, admittedly. Sort of a rotted peach colour. Thin light lacing as the head recedes. The colour's a bit off for the style.

Sm: I definitely get wheat and brett yeast. Grassy hop character. Heavy floral notes, but in a spicy herbal sense rather than emerging from hop character per se - though there is a separate floral hop character. I'm terrible at identifying flowers, so I won't try - but the notes here are evocative and balanced. I get muted fermented peach, probably from the yeast. Perhaps clove as well. Some earthy musty notes. Light cinnamon spice. Spicy yeast, definitely. Light apple cidre; I'm talking real farm-made rustic apple-squeezed cidre. Tea-like. Its earthy authenticity convinces me the aroma is not influenced by artificial ingredients or flavouring; I like the rustic character. A rather intriguing moderate strength aroma; I'm caught by pleasant surprise. More and more cinnamon comes through as it warms. Complex and different, though I wouldn't call it unique.

T:/Mf Heavy flower and herbal notes, with some earthy grains forming the body. Light floral hop character, but hops are mainly grassy and rustic. I definitely get a farmhouse feel from it, but the bretts are quite restrained - so much so that it ceases feeling like a saison per se. Milky caramel malts there in the body. Biscuit malt. It does have a Belgian-inspired malty build, but something's a bit off for a Belgian; maybe it's that out of place wheat. It's got a cidre-like crisp refreshing character, which I quite admire. Carbonation is good, as is palate presence. It's got a rolling smooth feel, with dryness on the climax to coax out the more subtle notes. Subtle honey. Quite perfumey and floral. Candi-like, though I wouldn't go so far as to say I get Belgian candi sugar. Light berry fruit character which really works well here. I could use more of that spicy yeast feel; the cinnamon and clove are pretty buried here. I quite like it. Well balanced and built; a different take on a saison but a rather good one. Complex and subtle.

Dr: A drinkable saison with a high price-tag, but one that's different enough to warrant trying. One of the better American (okay, product of Belgium my ass, Stillwater) "saisons" I've had, if you consider this a true saison. I'll love finishing this bottle. Hides its ABV quite well. A surprisingly good beer from Stillwater, and one that makes me want to stop skipping their beers at the store. I'd definitely pick this one up again, maybe for some light 1-2 year aging. I'd recommend it to friends, but for my money Fantome has this beat.

B

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 04:55:48 | More by kojevergas

Trilogy31

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Flip top bottle pours a red garnet hue with slight hazing. Fluffy cream colored cap that settles to a tight finger of foam. On the nose fruity esters pop, spicy belgian yeast, cardamom, apple cider, clove and a little cinnamon with slight sour barnyard notes. The taste brings brings more of the nose but a bit muddled and thin, doesn't shine on the palate the way the nose brings complexity. I pick up a little numbing szchuan peppercorn as well - interesting. Very nice until you start to drink it, expecting great ended up being just good and not worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 02:34:03 | More by Trilogy31

Prince_Casual

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: Popped the 'grolsch' top bottle and away we go... beautiful copper color with nice 1/2 inch head, pours beautifully.

S: For some reason I was expecting more of a "farmhouse" ale and I guess shame on me as expectation is the mother of all disappointments. No yeast at all, reminds me of the "natural soap" area of my grocery store... in a ???? way :-D

T: Essential oils dominate, there's a lot of herbal stuff going on here, if you like stillwater you'll like what they're working with here

M: Reminds me of drinking herbal tea with booze in it, for whatever reason. Lots of earthy notes, it's like drinking beers from a "mellower" earth.

O: A great beer to try if you like herbal teas /scented soaps/ want to step outside the <lager-ale> framework. Over the top in all the right ways.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 07:01:22 | More by Prince_Casual

mactrail

California

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

The first sip is an eye-opener. Makes me long for a lovely, simple yeasty Farmhouse beer instead of this over-spiced pretentious concoction. It's exactly what you would expect from Dogfish Head.

The chamomile is overwhelming. I am coming to the opinion that there is just no safe level of chamomile. Not to mention the lavender. The smell is like something you'd find in your wife's underwear drawer. Taste is seriously resiny, flowery, perfumey, and overly herbal. Honey from the rosemary farm.

From the 750 ml swing top bought at Bine and Vine in San Diego for an extortionate $17.99. And then I read the fine print: "Product of Belgium."

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 03:39:33 | More by mactrail

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml swing top picked up in Ithaca, NY
the beer pours a murky, dull brown with an off-white head that slightly laces. the nose presents big notes of bread and herbs reminiscent of lavender and white sage. the beer almost smells like a perfumed soap... using the aforementioned herbs for aromatics. the taste is just as potently herbal with a sweet, malty backbone pulling everything together. the mouthfeel is medium bodied with adequate carbonation. The initial sweetness of the beer fades and finishes slightly drier with residual herbs sitting on my palate, lingering in the aftertaste. this is a tasty beer, but I'm not running back to the store to grab another bottle. it's definitely not my favorite Stillwater.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 12:48:22 | More by ThePorterSorter

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a light hazy amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of candy ester with light soapy notes with light sweet notes. Taste is a pretty good mix between some soapy notes with good candy-like ester notes with light residual sugar and light dry malt aftertaste. Body is fuller then average with good carbonation. This particular bottle may be a bit tired but very nice nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 20:40:23 | More by Phyl21ca

LeRose

Massachusetts

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

Very enjoyable, easy drinker. Refreshing lemonade-like characteristics without being overly fruity, although there are definite fruit notes. Some flowery aroma and floral flavor, nice hops flavor almost IPA like. Maybe a little too carbonated, but would drink again. Deep bronze color on the pour, very bubbly white head, some nice lacing. Very much alive with the carbonation - not quite "fizzy" but close. Nice hit of acid on the back.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 16:39:29 | More by LeRose

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Koningshoeven chalice. The swing-top is stamped 13/05/12.

A: Huge foam erupts upon opening and settles quickly. Pale, translucent amber.

S: Obnoxiously spicy. It smells like heather and herbs, as well as unidentifiable spices.

T: Interesting. Like a gruit. Excellent mouthfeel is substantial, titillating, lightly carbonated. Spice burns wonderfully and lingers. The flavor is heavily herbal, lightly fruity, and vaguely malty. It brightens as it warms, strangely, picking up the barest hint of citrus.

O: Overall, spicy, herbal, and lightly candied sweet with a shadow of fruit. Tentatively recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 06:40:36 | More by AgentMunky

madtrixter787

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Ommegang tulip with a very large head that develops to very nice lacing that lasts throughout. Smell is of fresh grass, very floral, earthy, some hop spiciness. Taste is very nice, a wonderful spring saison with the herbs well balanced. Great carbonation and mouthfeel hit the style quite well. Overall another delicious offering from Stillwater.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:36:42 | More by madtrixter787

MadScientist

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: a light copper with a reddish orange hue. The creamy off-white head settles to a thin cap and last for a long time.

S: The smell is very herbal and floral with chamomile and lavender readily identifiable. There is a slight potpourri quality but the Belgian yeast still makes it though with a light orange fruity ester and a peppery note. There is a soft wheat aroma as well. I'm not getting an hops through all the herbs and tea.

T: The flavors are well balanced mainly orange, herbal and floral. The peppery phenols mix with the bitterness from the heather; if you've Fraoch Heather Ale you'll recognize it in there. The malt gives a light sweetness and an off dry finish. The balance is moderately bitter. The aftertaste is herbal and slightly bitter.

M: The body is medium-light with moderately-high carbonation. There is a light prickly astringency that can be expected with tea and spices.

O: A very interesting beer with a lot of flowery, herbal components that are well balanced. The brewer achieved the goal of a beer that captures the impression of spring. It's a bit sweet and a bit dark for a Saison, but as a specialty it works. I probably would have purchased this beer if I know what I was getting into with a beer brewed with heather, chamomile, lavender and dandelion. I really should brew up a beer with some heather in it one of these days.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:21:31 | More by MadScientist

daledeee

Iowa

3.15/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A 750 ml bottle

Nose is like herbal tea.

Appearance looks like stirred up mud.

Taste: Well....I could swear this tastes like some of the herbal teas I have had. I read the notes on the bottle before I review and sure enough chamoneille. I knew it. There is also some malt and yeast, but this is basically beer tea. Very organic tasting. I like different beer, but this simply does not appeal to me.

Mouth feel is medium carbonated. Didn't notice much alcohol. I don't know. This one is a little out there for me. Too minty. Actually, upset about this one. Paid $14 for a beer that really is not good.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:52:11 | More by daledeee

NumberNone

Maryland

2.93/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From May 2012 tasting notes.

11.2 oz btl poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass

A: Pours a light brackish brown. Thick off-white bubbly head that keeps. Good lacing and carbonation. Lots of particles floating around.

S: Strong earthy-type smell, some hops, lemon, herbs and spices, yeast.

T: Lemony, with a touch of spices and other citrus flavors. Light tasting with earthiness. Yeast. As I got closer to the end, yeasty sediment took over and it became harder to drink.

M: Grainy, can feel the particles on the tongue. Slightly thinner than expected.

O: When I opened the bottle, it pretty much exploded, something I wasn't prepared for. It's definitely an interesting earthy-type beer, though as I continued drinking it, I liked it less and less. Perhaps I poured it a bit too vigorously and allowed too much of the sediment to get into my glass. Perhaps I picked up a bottle that had gone bad (I couldn't find a date on it). Perhaps my palate's not ready for this one. Anyway, I wasn't too fond of it, but I'd be willing to give it another go in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 10:55:48 | More by NumberNone

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stillwater's inaugural "Import" series of beers kick of by capturing a taste of Belgium springtime in pint form. With strong botanical overtones, the beer delivers saison-like underpinnings with decorated spices, fuller body, and enough malt flavor in support.

The inquisitive ale pours with hazy rust appearances. Burgundy and chestnut colorations project brown and red hues with a dense haze. The beer builds a meringue-like head that caps the beer with a strong confidence that defies collapse. The beer laces the glass beautifully and becomes a testament to the quality of the beer with each sip taken from the snifter.

All the medow-like aromas from dandelion, chamomile, and lavender swirl into a heavily perfumed nose. Its culmination reminds me of freshly picked pine needles. With its rosy alcohol scent, even a hint of juniper, gin, mint, and Zinfandel come to mind. But the nose is also balanced by the light toasty character of fresh baking breads, lightly kilned barley, and Grape Nuts cereal.

Bold flavors seem to act in reverse order from the nose. First, the starch-heavy taste of whole wheat bread, toasted barley kernels, and lightly buttered toast. While medium sweet to taste, the flowery additions rise at mid palate and give a slightly fatter taste because of the fuller herbs, spices, and botanicals. Even side notes of cedar, fennel seed, and juniper twigs weave into the varying flavor profiles. The layers of taste reveal a grassy and tea-like bitterness that supplants hop bitterness for an odd closure to taste.

The protiens from wheat keep the beer medium bodied and richly textures early on. Full carbonation emerges from the bready texture reluctantly and keeps the beer fuller, longer into the session. But the beer reaches semi-dry status late due to fleeting malt presence, growing bitterness, and rising alcohol warmth. Finishing with spicy wine-like tannin, a thin coat of chamomile seems like light olive oil on the back of the throat.

With nearly gruit-like spiciness, the beer takes a pine-heavy balance from nose to finish. The decoration of wild flowers, herbs, and spice informs the taste of pine in high form. I'm not sure if the beer represents Belgian spring, but I does take my imagination to botanical gardens in the U.S. deep south.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 17:57:43 | More by BEERchitect

vfgccp

New York

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Towering head of bone white foam. Great retention and ok lace. Nice copper gold body.

S - Sage, allspice, and potpourri with a slightly savory edge.

T - Bright body with green plant stems, dandilion, and rosewater. Semi-sweet sage center with a dry, lingering floral finish.

M - Assertive carbonation balances out what would otherwise be an aggressively floral profile.

O - A saison brewed on the floral end of the spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:40:59 | More by vfgccp

mltobin

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a small bottle of this over in Westchester NY.

Poured this into brew from Stillwater into a wine glass. The appearance is a hazy orange tone with a couple fingers of an off-white head. Looks quite nice, excited to try this. Of Love and Regret smells of ginger, lavender, yeast and some citrus. Sipping on this and I taste lemon, more yeast, spices such as that ginger. A very interesting taste, most certainly one that is spiced, and has other characteristics prevalent in quite a few Belgian style beers. Mouthfeel is medium, very crisp and sharp. Overall, a solid beer for sure. Kind of expensive, but worth checking out at least once IMO.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 01:18:41 | More by mltobin

alysmith4

District of Columbia

2.58/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Strange, strange beer. Not bad, just not something like I'd normally go for. There was an odd spiciness to it, and I finally figured out what it was towards the end: tamarind! This isn't something that I'd like in my beer (or my food, for that matter), and I found that it really distracted me from the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 19:22:53 | More by alysmith4

impending

California

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

B+

Pours a scrumptious butterscotch, towering yellowish tan head recedes and the froth hangs.

Aroma is spicy pungent, mildly sweet, the floral components are mildewed. Ginger and just the right amount of dirty sock.

All the spices listed are present but not overt. The wet hay too is pleasantly subtle. Zero bitter zero dry. Cinnamon and cardamom subtly appear throughout the sip, tastes as if a winter warmer. Medium smooth creamy mouthfeel.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 07:00:03 | More by impending

SLeffler27

New York

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Develops an enormous, pale, orange sherbet foam that overwhelms the Saison DuPont pint glass before slowly transforming into a rocky texture and leaving patches of lace. Pours gem clear a brilliant, copper penny color with abundant, random, tiny bubbles of carbonation. Yeast was left in the bottle.

The aroma contains strong yeast and earthiness with lots of spice, light hops and a soft, caramel malt background.

Spicy. There are lots of varied spices including clove and coriander. Earthy following the nose but more bitter than anticipated. Pepper comes late as does sweetness. There is a long, spicy, dry finish.

A medium body with velvety texture and alcohol as expected. Carbonation is light and prickly. This one ends very dry.

With lots of character, Stillwater’s offering is easy to drink and helps one wind down. This could easily go well with pasta or game. It seems to me like what an imperial saison might taste like.

For the second pour I allowed the yeast into the glass and found it had little impact on the aroma and, while adding some fruitiness, it generally muted the flavors. Of Love and Regret is better if the yeast is left in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:05:16 | More by SLeffler27

ccrida

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl bottle poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, Of Love & Regret is hazy dull auburn with a small white head (in spite being a bit of a gusher, after allowing it to warm to about 60F) that leaves very light, scattered lace.

Smell is herbal and floral. Spring mountain meadow, nailed it.

Taste is also floral and herbal, but not in that overdone potpouri way that I find many flower brews end up being; this one is well balanced with the earth, spicy and fruity esters. A touch phenolic as well. There's a pleasant note of sage.

Mouthfeel is dry, fizzy and light bodied.

Drinkability is pretty good. I like the concept, and think the nose was spot on. Taste was a little less dialed in, and overall, it was nice to try.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 05:10:04 | More by ccrida

BilbosNuts

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 330mL bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a hazy, sunburst orange/amber color. A thin white ring of foam clings to the sides of the glass on top of the beer. There is a minimal amount of carbonation as it appears quite still.

S: The aroma is loaded with various spices and herbs, making it very tea-like. Lavender and chamomile are definitely present as is a rosemary-like taste. There is a touch of floral hops but the herbs mostly dominate the aroma.

T: The taste is similar to the aroma in that the herbs and spices dominate anything else that tries to come through. Again, it is very tea-like with copious amounts of lavender, chamomile, and other various spices. Floral and leafy hops are present but any sort of malts are hardly noticeable.

M: It has a body that is on the lighter side with a minimal amount of carbonation. This has relatively high alcohol, but it isn't noticeable at all.

O: This was most certainly a unique beer. Definitely more of a herbal and spice forward drink than traditional hop and malt beers. Worth a try and I'm glad I did, but I don't think I'll be revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:27:08 | More by BilbosNuts

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

Poured a hazy, bright orange-amber with a finger or so of foamy white head that retained well, leaving some doily lacing on the glass. Lots of pronounced spice in the nose, bready yeast, touches of fruit esters. Taste is definitely spice-driven, kind of exploring the whole spectrum, with chamomile the dominant factor; yeasty profile, with a medley of fruits and vegetables, with notes of melon, pear, and sweet potato most dominant to me. A little thicker than medium in the mouthfeel, with some booziness in the finish/aftertaste. Pretty solid beer; could be a lady-pleaser, as my wife couldn't get enough of it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 04:20:12 | More by Rifugium

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a slightly hazy yellow-orange with a one finger slightly off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, spices, herbs, fruit, and subtle tart. The flavor was of sweet malt, spices, fruit, and herbs. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I was a little letdown by this one as I went into it expecting a nice and complex brew, but found it to be very one note with the spice and herb character going on in both the flavor and aroma. For what it lacked in complexity, it made up for it with the refreshment aspect. This is a good thing when you aren’t craving something to challenge your palate. Worth trying to get your take on it, but that is about it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 11:34:14 | More by thagr81us