Autumnal - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.81/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle - $10.99 at Bullock's Wine & Spirits in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a rustic brown body, opaque, with a hefty layering of off-white suds.

Smell: Sugar-encusted, toasted dark bread, embodying a scent of caramel just as a blitz of tartish, ripe fruits, citrus, banana, and piquant phenolic spices (along with a drip of alcohol) pop in.

Taste: Moderately toasted bread crusts and fresh grains, with a sweetness of dark caramel and brown sugar. Has a herbaceous streak running through it from the hops, along with a little bitterness boosted by the suds. Soon, the wheat opens up, as does a little tempered roastiness. A portion of sawdust mingled with white peppercorns. Splash of fresh lemon juice. Hint of pear, prune, and bruised banana. Drying, zestful, tartish finish with some sweetness remaining.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: A nice, respectable ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 22:36:27 | More by ChainGangGuy

andrewinski1

Maine

3.26/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a tulip. There is a dark brown body with very little clarity. There is a nice one inch medium tan head. There is some mild sticky lacing.

The aroma has some mildly fruity spice with some subtle maltyness.

The taste has a rich nearly roasty malt flavor. The slightly spicy yeast is placed mostly at the finish. This is just a little too malty for my liking.

This is medium bodied with crisp carbonation. Not bad but I prefer many of Stillwater's other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 02:50:53 | More by andrewinski1

Apostlebrews

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a dark amber in color. The carbonation is evident in the pour as it left about three-fingers worth of head. Lots of lacing on the glass. Fortunately, the head dissipates quickly.

Lots of spice, yeast, and sweet fruits on the nose. As the beer warmed, I could pick up some caramel in the aroma as well.

The taste is a Belgian bomb of sugar, spices, and dark fruits. Slightly sour. Grape, ginger, and figs are the dominant flavors up front before the Belgian funk shows up. This beer has a creamy caramel finish that took my by surprise. With all the carbonation that hits the tongue up front, I wasn't expecting such a creamy finish. The carbonation fades in the mouth and allows this beer to end with a smooth coating on the tongue.

At first, I wanted to write about how this is a decent beer, but sort of forgettable, and then I remembered what I learned about farmhouse ales. These are brewed to "get by" on the farm. They aren't meant to blow your socks off with a bag of tricks. They come from a time of simplicity and hard work. They're rustic. And when I think about that, I think Autumnal successfully embodies this style. It's not the best beer I've tasted, but it's satisfying. I think that's all it needs to be.

Check out more of my reviews at thebeerapostle.com

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:27:19 | More by Apostlebrews

champ103

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Avenue Pub

A: Pours a dark orange/reddish hue. A two finger white head forms. Plenty of lace is left behind.
S: A big bready malty aroma up front. Sweet malts and a honey like sweetness. Then a musky yeast. That is it, nice but pretty simple.
T: Muddled sweet malts. A honey sweetness, and yeast. Some fruity esters as well. I like it, but not a lot of definition with the malts.
M/D: A medium body and crisp carbonation. Crisp and smooth at the same time. Easy and enjoyable to drink. I can sip on a few without a problem.

Enjoyable and I like it. Though seems like a muddled Bière de Garde. Still worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 03:35:46 | More by champ103

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from tap at the Barley Oak in Mandeville, LA. Poured into snifter, a ruby brown pecan color. No head but a thin lacing exists. Look is flat and ordinary. Smells of slight sweet caramel malts and some slight mild hop. Meh. Taste is really nice. Sweet caramel malts but slightly bitter and ever so slight funk/earth. It has a slightly dry finish and bitter on the tip of the tongue. Really nice unique maltier saison. I like this brew. Its mild but flavorfull at the same time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 22:34:00 | More by DrinkSlurm

dgilks

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy amber colour with a tight, creamy, light tan head. Good lacing and nice head retention.

Fruity with lots of clove and cinnamon. The fruits are harder fruits. Not bad.

Classic saison flavours of fruit and spice. Slightly higher than normal malt character which is expected.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Fine.

A solid beer. Nothing amazing but it is an interesting take on the saison.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 13:36:12 | More by dgilks

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an effervescent caramel with 3+ fingers of khaki head. Slightly murky, great lacing, average head retention

S: Jammy, pears,the nose fades as this warms.

T: Pears, slight date flavors, some herbal hops & green appleskins up front. Leafy hops, more appleskins, some white grape & jammy notes as this warms, some boozeyness & maybe a touch of chardonnay. Finishes dry, fruitty, & a bit jammy

MF: Light bodied, slight carbonation

This didn't wow me as much as some other offerings from these guys. Not bad, glad I got to try it...

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 01:52:10 | More by russpowell

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating(but I believe this was from last year). Pours slightly hazy red orange color with a small 1 finger off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Aromas of big grape, apple, apricot, pear, herbal, caramel, earth, floral, pepper, and yeast spices. Some pretty nice aromas with decent balance and complexity. Taste of grape, apple, pear, herbal, earth, floral, pepper, caramel, toffee, bread, and light yeast spices. Lingering notes of apple, pear, grape, caramel, toffee, bread, earth, floral, and light yeast spices on the finish for a short bit. Very malt forward over the spiciness; with a minimal amount of cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly slick and slightly prickly mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a pretty good saison. Not nearly as spicy as I was hoping for; but had some good flavor balance and complexity. Enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:43:27 | More by superspak

cosmicevan

New York

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

explosive opening, beer went EVERYWHERE! after the cleanup I was able to enjoy the brew from my stillwater wine glass. brew was a deep purple with lively carbonation and a creamy head with streaky lacing.

zingy saison with a touch of ginger and dark fruit. kind of a cross between a BSDA and a saison.

flavor also carries a ton of grape. way more BSDA than saison.

creamy and tasty. a bit on the thinner side.

overall I dig it. this bottle has some time on it, but tastes fantastic. grape and dark fruit. lovin it, but this aint no saison un the traditional sense but a very good beer none the less. I would definitely have this again. much more enjoyable than I remembered.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:43:26 | More by cosmicevan

merc7186

New York

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Dark Brown Hue, Passes Little Light, Thck White Head, Some Lacing

S: Light Malts, Light Yeast

T: Yeast, Plum, Tart Cherries, Light Belgian Sugars

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Dry, Lightly Sweet

Overall, pretty accurarate to the description up above.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:49:37 | More by merc7186

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a cloudy, burgundy color with a two-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. Nice rings.

S - It smelled malty and slightly woody with some spices and floral notes.

T - Spicy up front, then in turns to bread crust, dark dried fruits, rich malt and toffee.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a pretty good dark saison. Stillwater does great saisons and this is no exception, even if I did drink it out of season.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 01:37:47 | More by zeff80

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampling a cellar temp 750 ml bottle poured into a snifter.
Opening the cap the beer is a gusher but not too bad. the appearance takes a small hit for the spillage or gushing.
Beige foam oozes out of the bottle onto my desk.
Beer pours a rich deep mahogany with garnet tints on the edges and bottom of the glass when held up to the light.
Large creamy beige head billows up 3-4 cm on the pour but settles fairly rapidly to a sturdy edge layer and some wispy islands on the surface.
Aroma is sweet malt with toffee and molasses mixing with plums and black cherry. Some bready yeast notes and a bit of musty blanket buried in the nose.
First sip reveals an average body and fine prickly carbonation, smooth texture and an overall physically pleasing beer to drink.
Flavor is also malty with dark fruit and molasses moving to some bready yeast and finishing with red grape and a little bit of musty grass. Dries out a bit on the finish too.
No hints of alcohol anywhere and the beer is fairly complex.
Im actually getting a little smoke on the finish after working through most of the bottle, that is interesting and unexpected.
Overall a decent complex beer. NOt my favorite style but still an enjoyable experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 04:32:18 | More by sulldaddy

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Russet brown, rich amber when held to light, clear with many, many streams of fine bubbles rising to a billowy & creamy light khaki head. Great retention & really good lacing. Second pour yields a firm dose of cloudiness. More of a murky chestnut brown.

S: Caramelly sweetness & bread crust malts with a backbone that is nutty & biscuity. Herbal, leafy, & grassy hops in a laidback rather than forward manner. Good bit of dark fruit. Hint of peppery spice. A bit malty & sweet for stated style but fair strength and nicely pleasant.

T: Herbal, leafy, grassy, & almost vegetal hops fight it out in the open with lots of caramel sweetness. Again, hops are strong but relaxed. More flavor and character than bitter. Dark bread crust and toasty / nutty malts weigh in on the side of sweetness. Some yeasty phenols show up in the middle. Approaching the end some dark fruit emerges & then a bit of roast. Hint of peppery spice. Finish is roast & a touch of hoppy resin/earth.

M: A bit under medium body with carbonation quite strongly balanced yet very finely textured & soft feeling. Smooth but too well attenuated to be creamy. Flash of sweetness at the open and then it is drying from herbal & earthy notes with a touch of soft astringency and a bit of spice. Firm but not aggressive. Ghost hint of alcohol warmth way back in the throat.

D: A big Alt with a touch of Belgian flair more than a dark saison. Just not spicy & earthy enough. Could also be more dry / less sweet. Too malt focused for a saison. Not even a hint of tart and/or funk. A bit too oddly herbal. Still it is tasty and it really grows on you. Nice and interesting. 4/7 Sticke, 2/7 dubbel, 1/7 saison. Something like that.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 00:47:55 | More by SickGnar

mactrail

California

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark ruddy amber in the Affligem chalice. First glass was very foamy. Second has a nice dense head. Very sudsy mouthfeel. Beery and herbal smell, but not strong.

First sip is a sharp eye opener, but it mellows out. The yeasty Belgian flavors bloom into a pleasant bitterish, malty flavor. Some fruit. Only slightly sweet, but the tartness is restrained as well. Seems really well balanced. A shifting and complex stew of flavors-- tobacco, pear skins, persimmon-- but all very subtle. The bitterness seems to more from the yeast, but the lable cites three European hops. Not any floral hop scents to be found, according my taste buds. Certainly not bitter like so many other examples of the Saison style.

A lot of the pleasure of this is in the big, creamy mouthfeel along with the rambunctious flavors. If this is what "rustic" tastes like, it's really good. 750 ml bottle from Best Damn in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 06:30:59 | More by mactrail

runbirddrinkbeer

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tried this from a 750 ml bottle. Pours hazy brown with four fingers of off white head. Some lacing.
S-fruit and caramel notes dominate. Some funk.
Taste-Malty sweetness with little hop bitterness present.
Mouthfeel is amazing smoothness with fair sustained carbonation.
Overall a decent interesting offering which paired well with Sauerkraut and spareribs. Love the Saisons, (especially the more yeasty sharp tasting offerings )Would buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 00:41:54 | More by runbirddrinkbeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a lightly hazy orange-ish to amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, earthy and nice yeastiness, and a sweet fruitiness mixed in. In the taste, earthy, fruity, and even a small tartness. A small bite and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry earthy and fruitiness in the aftertaste. Nice fruitiness, earthy, refreshing and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:10:28 | More by OWSLEY069

elNopalero

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was my Super Bowl beer.

It pours a cloudy auburn tan with thick foam topping. There’s a funky saison aroma, in a good way. It’s slightly musty with yeasty esters. Flavor is along similar lines, light estery yeast with a subtle roast around it and some hoppiness. I don’t pick up a signature ‘barnyard funk’ but maybe some hints of wet leaves, or maybe that’s the power of suggestion. Nice hoppy finish on the end.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 19:49:59 | More by elNopalero

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color with a nice two finger cocoa head. Very good lacing on my CBS snifter. Light brown streaks when held to the light. The nose is really well done, roasted malts, pepper, coriander, as well as an earthy vibe to it. Really smooth, and very pleasant. The taste is a little less spicy than the nose, with the caramel malt and hops coming through to the front. Feel is medium full with a nice dry finish. Overall, this is a really nice farmhouse ale. I would definitely have this again. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 23:12:27 | More by jayhawk73

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a medium dark hazy brown color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of caramel malt with balance sweetness is quite interesting. Taste is a nice mix between some caramel malt with light residual sugar notes and some light fruity ester. Boyd is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Well brewed with easily drinkable characteristics thought lacking a little bit of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 17:59:53 | More by Phyl21ca

oberon

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Sessions last night.Poured nto a stemmed glass a somewhat murky russet/amber with a nicely formed light brown head atop.A decent amount of funky yeastiness with some phenolic-like spice as well.Not as funky on the palate with spiced notes and mild tartness,an odd dairy almost cheese-like flavor I got in the after taste wich is something I have never encountered I gotta say.It's funky but not to the heights I was expecting,it's good and a bit odd.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 17:31:31 | More by oberon

argock

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750mL brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $10.99.

A: Caramelly russet with 1-2 fingers of soft beige, foamy head with good retention but spotty lace.

S: Very nutty, earthy aroma coupled with pear and apricot aromas. The hopping is light and a little floral and spicy. The yeast really accentuates the earthy nose.

T: Flavor is much more roasted than the nose with still plenty of nutty, leathery malt character but with more sweeter caramel and then roast through the finish. The sweeter fruits and floral nature don't come through as much in the flavor. The finish is pretty dry with a lot of woody malt notes in the aftertaste.

M: A good feel with plenty of carbonation to maintain the dryness and crispness but it feels like too much to me and some more creaminess and less sharp carbonation would do this beer some good.

O: I like Existent better as it takes the unique roast farther than Autumnal, but this is by no means a bad beer and I am glad I tried it. While there is less roast character, the earthiness of this brew surpasses the other Stillwater saisons I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 04:00:21 | More by argock

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Review #2100. I honestly have no idea why, but I got the urge to take down my sole Stillwater bottle whilst watching some YouTube videos from the 40-drinking crew. Good times. This stuff pours a clear sunset russet topped by over a finger of dirty ecru foam. The nose comprises hay, light dusty caramel, light orange peel, and a slight tinge of cocoa powder. The taste holds notes of orange zest, light lime zest, clove, light rye bread, banana, caramel, and a few drops of maple syrup. The fruit and malts clash a bit, never really melding all too well, but also not completely ruining things. Strange, really. The body is a straight medium, with a moderate carbonation and a lightly grainy feel. Overall, a pretty good saison, but one that doesn't quite come all the way together for me. It's still not bad, but it's missing that something to put it over the top.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 07:55:51 | More by TMoney2591

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750. Solid amber pour, a long lingering off white head.

Aroma, yeasty and tart fruit. Little caramel, malt and mustyness.

Taste, a faint tart quickly gives way to caramel, some yeasty spice. Some green-ness to it. A faint toast and cocoa, then earth. Finish is nice.

Light side of mid bodied, good carbonation. Drinks easy.

They are doing some interesting things with Saison variations down at Stillwater. Would like to see more follow suit.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:41:00 | More by Bung

u2carew

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle.
A) Pours with a big head. Hazy brick brown body. Sticky big bubble lacing on the drink down.
S) Pungent. Wet blanket with an eerily sweet caramel aroma.
T) Light citrus notes. Earthy. A slight sour. A distinct hop finish - leafy and "green".
M) Medium light body. Dry and tannin in the finish.
O) A very unique and quite tasty saison. I would definitely drink another one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:07:09 | More by u2carew

MrELovesBeer

Vermont

4.08/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two for two with Stillwater. Last try was the Our Side, the Mikkeller collab. This time the Autumnal which I had after having a mediocre rotisserie chicken...and some M&M's...so wasn't able to try a food pairing but I'm digging it as a post-dinner beverage just the same. Loved the ruby color and lovely carbonation. Smells like port wine in a barn, like a dark saison I guess. Caramel, pepper (or maybe I'm thinking pepper because of the aggressive carbonation?), and some bitter pith-like flavors mixing it up in here. My lager-wife loved this one, so I think it's a great crowd pleaser. Definitely would take this to a dinner party. Got enough depth but can be accessible to most drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 01:14:39 | More by MrELovesBeer