Existent - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

wrycon

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Heavily carbonated. A dark chocolate rye in appearance. Smells strongly of wood, prunes, some slight citrus tang. The taste is exactly what I want. Coy at first, slightly toasted malt and strong carbonation. Swallow and a torrent of turned bread and earthy funk grabs your palate. Some rye, some bitter... Tastes fungal in a pure way. If I were a richer man, I'd drink this every day.

Like it? Immensely

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 02:47:57 | More by wrycon

timtim

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

another fantastic brew from Stillwater. Dark as night with a tan head that leaves attractive lace. nose is roast, toast, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, spice (star anise? something woody/barky?) and fruity, citrusy, piney, earthy hops. what i like so much about stillwater's beers, and his "dark" beers especially, is that somehow, he gets dark flavors to express themselves brightly (if that makes sense). the roast is right up front and the bitter from the hops and roasty (almost smoky) malts intermingle beautifully. chocolate, coffee etc in the middle and spiced roast at the end. picking up just a touch of peppery tingle too as it starts slick and ends up dry and crisp. clean finish on medium-full body that has just enough conditioning to really carry it. extra points for mouthfeel because he gets these flavors to "pop" like they do in such an elegant, delicate way. the mouth isn't left feeling coated and oily, and the stomach isn't left feeling bloated like so many other beers that touch on the same profiles. related to saison, related to black ipa, related to stout/schwarz. just like the rest of his beers; one foot in tradition and one foot in outer space. dig it. thanks brian. more please!!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 12:44:56 | More by timtim

ccrida

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a goblet, Existent is dark muddy brown with a big frothy light-an head with very nice last, rocky to settling, foamy lace. Very impressive, almost but not quite in top tier Belgian territory for a thick, textured head.

Smell is impressively robust and very 'quintessential' for what is obviously an emerging style of saison noir - pithy citrus and chalk countered with a husky cocoa. Robust without overwhelming, delicious, wow!

Taste is delicious - a saison first and foremost, the fruity esters and dry, mineral laded body, but then the roastiness of a stout. The minty hops keep it nice for me, fuggles?

Mouthfeel is very creamy, dry and light bodied.

Drinkability is very high - this little MD brewery (home-state love, grew up in Ellicott City) is really ripping out some nice saisons, Americanized yet firmly grounded.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 03:36:54 | More by ccrida

elNopalero

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Should a beer inspire such philosophical musings? This one can and does.

Pours into a New Belgium snifter. Dark black with a few good inches of “fluffy” foam. I poured slowly and topped it off as the bubbles died down, then repeated two more times until I had a tight, compacted, thick head on this. Just wonderful. Heady, roasty aromas, lots of chocolate and leather, and a memory of autumn leaves from a childhood in Michigan. I get a lot of sharp roasted cacoa nibs dominating the taste, and a dry, bracing finish. Mild body, wonderfully carbonated (I believe it’s bottle-fermented, and if not then it should be) to the point of achieving a near-lightness that works in counter-point to its bold roast flavors. This beer hits like a roasty stout but has a light saison finish, surprising and complex. On the finish I identify some saison funk, for lack of a better descriptor, especially as it warms. Roasty, funky, effervescent. An incredible brew that I enjoy tremendously. Perfect for good conversation and whimsical pondering. Definitely lives up to its name.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 22:05:30 | More by elNopalero

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nose is cloves, banana, caramel, kind of nutty, cinnamon and a slight hint of coffee. Taste is really similar, almost exactly but the cloves are strong and right up front followed by roasted notes and coffee all rounded out by banana. To me it tasted very Belgian, which isn't what I expected. One other reviewer said that if you blindfolded him and smelled it he'd think it was a stout or porter and I have to agree with that. I'd think a Belgian-style stout. It was nowhere near as heavy as a stout though. It had a very dry finish and was a real nice sipper. This is I think 4 out of 5 awesome beers from Stillwater in my books. Very awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 05:26:48 | More by DonDirkA

argock

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750mL brown bottle into a tall, narrow tulip. No freshness date. Served at 55F. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $11.99.

A: Very murky dark brown with astounding 3-4 finger beige foamy head with exceptional retention leaving a constant 1/2-finger cap of head although the lace is spotty at best.

S: The chocolate and roast notes are strongest up front with some minimally sweet dark fruit notes meeting honeysuckle and herbal hops character with a touch of lemon-orange citrus -- definitely a hoppy but dark saison. All of the aromas grow with warming.

T: The flavors and aromas are entwined with raisiny toasted bread and light chocolate working so smoothly together with a light citrus and earthy herbal hoppiness. The flavor is long and fades to mostly chocolatey breadiness with some herbal, lightly funky Belgian yeastiness. A masterful brew -- drinks very complexly but flows lightly over the palate. I will admit it doesn't taste like many other saisons I have tried, but I am going to give far more dark saisons a try. This beer is more what Cascadian Ales are trying to be -- dry, crisp, drinkable, with an essence of roast but plenty of hoppy flavors and malt presence.

M: Crisp yet plenty of body for the style. The carbonation is appropriately very active and scrubbing with dryness, but not severe dryness almost to the point of astringency like several other Stillwater saisons I will leave nameless. I know that's kind of the point, but it's not that pleasant to me. This beer, on the the other hand, is artful in its feel.

O: A huge surprise for me. I wish it fit with saisons a tad more but the flavor is intense, complex yet feels effortless to consume. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 03:25:04 | More by argock

MrCee

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So darkly brown it is almost black. It delivers a nice frothy head. Boldly carbonated in a way that makes it sit comfortably on the tongue for nice savor. Great malty flavor that does not overpower and yet is not to wan. Other beers match this type but not the near perfection that this one achieves.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:08:28 | More by MrCee

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750 ml bottle into medium sized Duvel tulip glass.
Pours a dark brown with large brown head.
Aroma of roasted malts, nuts, lactose, slight sweet malts.
Medium carbonation and significant mouthfeel.
Flavors of dark malts, malt balls, slight chocolate, espresso, caramel, bitter hops, cola, semi-sweet chocolate, persimmon fruit, white grapefruit, brown sugar and raisins. Overall quite complex, certainly not a European style farmhouse! Overall damn tasty and full bodies, challenging yet relatively easy to drink for an American farmhouse/dark saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 02:47:23 | More by DenverLogan

mmercede

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just had it on tap at Capone's

A: Black at first glance which shows some dark brown hues in the light. Very small head with no lacing.

S: Pretty light aroma. Some roasted grain and chocolate malt. A balanced hoppy smell on the back end.

T: The taste surprised me after the appearance and aroma. Starts off very dry with light chocolate and caramel flavors with a slightly milky taste. Finishes with complex saison yeast flavors and a great hop profile. It hides any semblance of alcohol completely. I was very pleasantly surprised!

M: Surprisingly light bodied for the color. Perfect levels of carbonation to accentuate the flavor.

D: This beer is a true sleeper and could be enjoyed any time of day. The alcohol is completely masked and the wide range of flavors are quite refreshing. A very interesting take on a sasion.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 01:42:03 | More by mmercede

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A spectacular pour, with a densely packed tan head laying atop the coffee colored liquid; plenty of stickage and lace

Smell: The beer has the black bread aroma of a schwarzbier along with the citrusy hop character of an IPA

Taste: Black bread with an underlying smokey character, up front; joined by the the pithy citrus from the hops by mid-palate; in the back, well after the swallow, there is some yeasty complexity that could be described as adding a sour hint to the mix of flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderately high carbonation

Drinkability: There is a lot going on in this beer, though I would like to see a bit more of a Belgian character in the yeast profile and the mouthfeel; still, this is really worth seeking out

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 02:20:47 | More by brentk56

Bung

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml Dark mohoghanhy pour, large frothy light tan head. Sticks ok.

Aroma, yeasty with some red fruit, light brown sugar and spice, little funk. Fainter roast and cocoa.

Taste, the roast, citrus, yeast and chocolates work really well together. Finishes pretty dry, cocoa but lingers well with a nice herbal hop presence.

Fairly active heavy side of light. Goes down easy, really no alcohol.

Similar to a Saison Darkly and another of these dark farmhouse ales I enjoyed immensely.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 03:41:20 | More by Bung

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.34/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle into tulip.

Dark, opaque black/brown pour. Booming three plus finger light tan head. Lacing is large bubbled gobs around glass.

Dark stone fruits, grapes, apple skins, candied sugar, spicy yeast with some light roasted coffee. It's truly up and down between dark and sweet and light and spicy. There is a cherry syrup in there somewhere like maraschino syrup; slightly tart with a sweetness.

Chocolate covered cherries, candied sugar, spicy yeast, plums and figs, some caramel and burnt toast. This is truly different. It's almost a soured/spiced Belgian Dubbel. It's very original and very good.

Light to medium body, high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:08:16 | More by korguy123

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the Bilbo Baggins event with Brian welcoming Stillwater to Virginia. Brian described this as being inspired by a combination of a schwarzbier, IPA, and farmhouse ale.

Served into a wine glass. Pours nearly black with a one-finger tan head. Large carbonation bubbles with some pretty good lacing. The nose is quite earthy with a bit of light roots. Some slight resin as well. Maybe a bit of birch.

The taste adds in some nice bitterness with earthy and pine hops. Some really nice earthy notes. Slight wood and birch characteristics. The finish reminds me a bit of that of Life & Limb, which I'm thinking is due to birch in that one. Feel is light to medium with a nice, dry finish. This is really intriguing and tasty; looking forward to being able to grab this in bottles fairly often.

Serving type: cask

11-13-2010 15:24:11 | More by Thorpe429

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Served in a tulip, the beer pours dark brown with a very small tan head that went away quickly. There is a lot of lacing left behind on the glass. Aroma is very nutty, and the brew also smells like caramel, chocolate, bready malt and coffee. It tastes like roasted and bready malt, spice, nuts, dark chocolate, and a bit of dark fruit and orange peel. There's also a lingering roasty, nutty finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick with low carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's smooth and goes down easy. I think it's a pretty good brew, regardless of what style it's supposed (or not supposed) to be. This is the third brew I've tried from Stillwater, and I've enjoyed all of them so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 23:36:12 | More by bluejacket74

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A gentle pour down the side of the glass produces a huge, four finger head of light brown foam on top of a dark brown body with just a touch of light showing through. The head settles slowly and leaves good lace behind on the glass.

S - A musty aroma of brown sugar, caramel, and some funky dark fruit notes.

T - Thick, dark caramel up front with some notes of chocolate and molasses that come out in the middle. The beer finishes with black cherry, burnt caramel, and some licorice.

M - Medium-thick body, high carbonation, and a fairly dry finish.

D - A very different take on the world of saisons. The combination of dark malt and lightly fruity yeast works quite well and the light funky character really makes everything pop. Very nice, this brewery is really starting to remind me of other idiosyncratic saison brewers like Fantome and St. Somewhere.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 01:27:17 | More by nickfl

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells fantastic! It doesn't smell like any other Saison that I've had though, if I were in a blind tasting, I would consider this aroma as coming off of a porter or stout. Chocolate is the first thing I get, with pumpernickel black bread and a touch of light funk on the tail end of the aroma.

Very dark brown with ruby highlights where the light strikes. It has a light mocha froth head and lacing comes in the form of nice rings around the glass.

Existent is a beautiful beer! Upfront I get chocolate with a hint of sage. It lasts through the finish but is accompanied by this kind of gritty floral taste in the mid palate to the drying finish. Moderatly high carbonation with a smooth medium body. Tasting this reminded me of why I like Saison so much, and this has a nice twist on the style. I'll be enjoying this one for a while as I take my time with it.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 22:45:12 | More by tlazaroff

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was pleasantly surprised by and really enjoyed this beer. I didn't have low expectations or anything (I got a batch of cellar door that had, I guess, an abnormally large deposit of white sage, fell in love with it) but from the first sip I was sold.

It's almost like a hollowed out ten fidy from Oskar Blues - whereas that might pour like motor oil, this one's a little less syrupy. It was complex and very drinkable. Can't wait to have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 19:34:53 | More by petacutlasaurus

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle. Bought from Bottle Revolution. I think it was 12 or 14 bucks.

Appearance: Pours very dark-- black. Lots of reddish highlights even in not-very-bright light. Light tan colored head. Falls in sheets, but only some spots of lacing. I guess this is what a black saison looks like. Their packaging continues to impress.

Smell: Mildly roasty with a hint of cocoa. Some earth and grass. Sort of subdued, but not bad.

Taste: Very interesting integration of earthy, ourdoorsy, saison flavors and the well measured roasty notes. Its got a significant contribution of flavor and bittering hops which tend toward spicy and citrus. Its like an earthy, hoppy, dry porter with the yeasty goodness of a saison.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, but soft and very smooth feeling. Dries out nicely on the finish.

Overall: So, not much in the nose, as I think some of the more subtle notes are washed out by roast. The flavor however is pretty great. Very interesting flavor combinations. It feels like a dream. I hate to give such a high rating to these more gimmicky beers, but this one is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:00:18 | More by rapidsequence

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

.existent. Stillwater Artisanal (yes, I was fooled into thinking this was some under-the-radar, Stillwater, MN brewery) American Farmhouse Ale, 1 Pt 9.4 fl. oz. (750 ml)
Alc. 7.4 % by Vol.
"Existent represents the philosophy behind Stillwater Artisanal. We strive to define ourselves through our passion and sincerity while accepting that not all aspects of life are readily explainable. To manifest this ideology we present an ale of intrigue. Deep & dark though deceptively dry, braced by a firm yet smooth bitterness and accented with an earthy hop and mild roast aroma. This is an ale for you to define…"and if you gaze for long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."---Nietzsche.

And look, there's Freddy right there on the label. Never thought I'd see the day, Nietzsche on a beer label. Let's open it up and drink it down.

Dark brown, lush, creamy tan head, pock-marked and rocky. A sight to see.

Aroma, soft and spicy, yeasty and lovely. Cocoa and cream, mmm, mmm, mmm.

Taste: chocolate malt, and mild fruit control the flavor. Never sweet, though, a round and dry ale. A beautiful flavor emerges on the palate, delights the senses, and lingers a bit. Even-handed, sufficiently dry, with further flavors lurking below the original blast, slowly emerging. Some dark fruit crawls up, raisin and plum. Despite it, dry and spicy. Dark caramel malt, chocolate malt, fruity esters…drinkable and dry.

The dark saison is a new category. I may have only had one other commercially produced version (see De Ranke Noir de Dottingies), and had never fathomed the style until I tried a friend's homebrew version. I like it. So fascinatingly flavored. So complex and delicious.

Bottle's end: still scrumptious. Mmm, these guys are good.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 01:00:51 | More by feloniousmonk

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Existent pours black into the glass, with a big, frothy light tan head on top. The foam dissolves slowly leaving behind a netted pattern of lace on the glass.

The aroma is sweet and malty with notes of bread, toffee, dark fruit, grapes and a touch of grass.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is slick and soft with mild carbonation. The flavor is mainly malty with some fruity notes. It begins with chocolate and caramel, followed by dark fruit, nuts and a touch of spice. It finishes dry with mild grassy bitterness. Once gone the dark fruit and chocolate linger.

Very tasty beer with great creamy mouth feel. Not really what I was expecting for a farmhouse ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 23:16:43 | More by WanderingFool

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours cloudy fairly pitch black color with a nice 2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, pear, pepper, clove, apple, caramel, toffee, herbal, earth, and light yeast spices. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, caramel, pepper, toast, clove, tobacco, earth, apple, raisin, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, apple, caramel, toffee, pepper, herbal, clove, earth, tobacco, and yeast spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic flavor complexity and balance; nice roasted malt/peppery spice balance; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, slick, lightly chalky, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent black saison! Great robust roasted flavors with nice yeast spice balance; very smooth and lush to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:09:31 | More by superspak

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice beer, had on tap at Churchkey in DC.

A: Dark, dark brown with purple highlights. Small ring of head.

S: Roasty nutty character overall. Belgian malt mixes with sweet and savory malt notes and dark fruit.

T: Great balance. Belgian style bases of malt and yeast go together with pecan/walnut, roasty malt, burnt dark fruit, and more. Nice beer.

M: Medium feel with light-medium carbonation.

D: It's nice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2011 00:06:30 | More by Dreadnaught33

koopa

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at Capone's in Norristown PA.

Appearance: Pours a dark chestnut brown with a 1 finger off white crown that displays moderate retention and lace.

Smell: Moderately roasted malt, chocolate malt, a slight cherry fruity note, and a tinge of alcohol.

Taste: Same as nose but more pungent all around.

Mouthfeel: A fairly nice medium body with active carbonation.

Drinkability: Fairly easy going down but the mouthfeel and alcohol presence limit it.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 21:47:13 | More by koopa

StaEva

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Incredibly complex beer. Called an American Dark Farmhouse Ale, and it is truly an enigma to experience.

It pours an unexpected murky-brown tea-with-cream-like color. Gorgeous and murky.

I get the faint perfume of rose in the middle of the hop bouquet, along with very subtle roast, and grassy hop aromas. Very complex, again.

Tastes of the faintest roasted coffee and mellow dark chocolate flavors, but they're very mild and restrained and well balanced within the style. A good bit of grass and yeasty-toast.

Nice dry finish, medium carbonation, slightly thick mouthfeel. I like it.

This is truly a complicated style, and Stillwater is not about super-refined brews. I hope Brian keeps going exactly in this direction.

Yes, it IS worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 03:16:41 | More by StaEva

tbrown4

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Max's (Baltimore) on tap

A - Mostly pitch black, thin tan head, thin sticky lacing

S - Light coffee and chocolate aroma

T - Nice and roasty, not too coffee or chocolately. Slight bitter middle that sticks through the end, then quickly disappears. Kind of reminds me of a stout. Not as much of a spice as I'd expect.

M - Decent carb feel and bite, thin and just enough to coat the mouth with flavor

D - Incredibly easy to drink. No alcohol hints at all. Could put back 2 or 3 without thinking about, which is dangerous at 7.4%

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2011 01:01:09 | More by tbrown4