Existent - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

clickpush

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into pint glass. Flat looking body with large foamy bubbles that reduce to tiny halo. Smell is piny with hints of roasty funk. Very hoppy smell. Taste is similar with lingering viscous, roasty farmhouse. Still hoppy without being bitter. Mouthfeel is flat and lacklustre. Chewy finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 03:32:34 | More by clickpush

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a massive layer of foamy head. Good retention with little lace left. Color is a deep brown, near black.

Aroma: For how dark this is, it still smells like a saison, just a bit roasty. Barnyard funk, lemon zest, spices, and a dry roast.

Taste: Orange peel and dry roasted malts, yeast, cloves, lemons, chocolate, some spice, and farmhouse notes. Interesting.

Mouthfeel: Roasted, smooth, and fizzy. Medium bodied with a higher amount of carbonation. Ends really dry.

Overall, a really interesting take on a saion. Not a big fan of it as it is too roasted for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 20:52:17 | More by mothman

jrbuch

New York

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served in Brewer's Art Goblet.

A: Approx 25 SRM. Extremely dark for the style with almost no head. Surprising for an American Farmhouse Ale.

S: For a AFA, I would have expected a lot more. The smell is faint but sweet, roasty and some pear. A mild hop presence. Minimal esters

T: Roasted and chocolate. Some hop. More like a porter

M: This beer doesn't have enough body or carbonation.

D: Overall a fine beer. Not an American Farmhouse Ale. More esters, less harsh malts but equally dark, stronger carbonation with a heavier mouthfeel could help here.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 23:14:27 | More by jrbuch

mdfb79

New York

2.93/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From 01/14/11 notes. Had on tap at Rattle N Hum in NYC.

a - Pours a black color with one inch of tan head and moderate carbonation..

s - Smells of roasted malts, smokey, floral notes, and

t - Tastes of smokey roasted and toasted malts, light floral notes, and something weird I can't quite place, like burnt caramel or toffee. Not that great.

m - Medium body and low carbonation.

d - This was listed as a Black Saison, and I wasn't a big fan of it. The taste just seemed a little off to me and the smell was average. Wouldn't look to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2011 00:15:25 | More by mdfb79

Docer

Washington

2.95/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: (4.0)
- Poured a beautiful dark murky brown with a fizzy, planet-like crater-filled valley of light mocha head. It took a short time for it to settle down to a bubbling dark brew, that seems like it is alive and ready to go.

Smell: (3.0)
- I can't help but notice a slight homebrewy odor of aceto, or green apple-like cider notes.. but it isn't heavy enough to kill the beer. Esters, roasted chocolate, grain, prune, fig, and spice.. slight clove touch. Almost a touch of purple grape juice.

Taste: (3.0)
- Certainly one of a kind. Roasted chocolate.. tart esters, grape, dark tea leaf, fig, tobacco.. smooth dry malt character leaves an earthy flavor. Perhaps a light early grassy hop addition.

Mouth Feel: (3.0)
- Leaves the palate a bit dry, and chalky. Overall a medium bodied beer that is rather well carbonated. Slightly chewy.

Overall: (2.5)
- The beer isn't bad. It certainly didn't hit the spot as I was expecting from the fancy packaging and marketing even all the way over here in the northwest. It's much like a very good homebrew, but a farmhouse ale that falls short compared to the pros. The highlight was certainly the look of the beer.. but the rest fell short. Not worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 02:06:16 | More by Docer

MaineBrewing

Maine

3.04/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A - poured a dark brown almost black with mahogany hue when held to the light. Two finger light tan head that seemed very loose dissipated quickly.

S - nice sweet malt with hints of caramel, peppery spicyness. Slight licorice character.

T - taste is interesting. Brown ale ish in malt character with a bright citrus hop. Very prevalent yeast character throughout, almost an autolyzed flavor. Weird baked cookie notes in the background, if that is such a thing, tastes like it. Finishes really dry. Seems to be missing somethin, there is a pleasant fruityness that just can't find it's way through.

M - light body with dry finish, too light for the appearance.

O - this is weird, not in a good way. The flavors from malt and hops are subtle behind a massive yeast character. Not the best experience, probably wouldnt seek out another. Not a drain pour by any means, just not that good.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:48:25 | More by MaineBrewing

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

25oz bottle into a pint glass and some..

Existent is black from a far but deep burnt brown up front with some red peeking through with some light. A hard pour produced zilch. There was also no hiss when the cap was popped.

Smell is a hoppy brown beer, I would not really classify this as a saison as roasted malts and some tootsie rolls come out. A fair amount of earthy pungent hops ans some chocolate//cocco. Can't really pick up any yeast.

Can't really pick up where this beer is going, many directions, Im leaning towards hoppy brown with a Belgian kick. Some nutty characteristics of a dubbel, bready belgian yeast influence, chocolate and roast from the malts. Dark fruits are tame and give off some berry flavor.

Feel is tame, not spritzy enough, this kinda comes off flat. Body is medium and carb is almost non existent, yep I went there. The liquid semi coats the tounge with malt galore and some berry.

After about seven ounces or so, this wore on me and I still had 18 ounces to go. This was a chore and I drank it all cause I paid for it. A 12oz bottle would of been fine.

This is something strange and different. I don't know if I like it or not. Points for creativity though. It's just that I don't know what this beer is trying to be.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 04:29:30 | More by onix1agr

farrago

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours maybe half a finger of the loosest foam you could imagine, the bubbles are large and impossibly thin, wispy lacing, if truly any. Very dark brown to black colored liquid, doesn't seem to possess any cloudiness, hint of orange or yellow around the rims and glass bottom. The nose has a grassy to herbaceous core but really is driven by cocoa powder, malt, powdered dark chocolate, all dry and dusty, slowly blends in orange peels, licorice and scone, maybe a brush of raw nuts, any fruit indistinct, same for florality. Medium-bodied, the weak carbonation makes it feel more stern and unyielding, pours itself into the mouth sort of like wet concrete. Very dry with the same bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee bean fueled attack, about the only thing "wet" might be the grapefruit to orange citrus, even as sour as it is. Earthy enough with peat moss, lichen, fallen forest floor matter component, yet this too can't avoid the dryness of the high grade roast and toast. Minimal bread or yeast accents. Perhaps a slight uptick in fruit, this cherry, apricot, red grape in nature. It's as if it does not lack length per se, more so it just stops. Leaves you with this nagging feeling like you are missing its intended message.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 03:57:27 | More by farrago

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. Poured into a tall TH glass a dark, cola like brown black color with a HUGE 5 finger head, carbonation much?! Much darker than I thought it would be. Nice lace left after the 5 minute waiting period as the head settles. Roasty, coffee, and some chocolate in the nose. Light/medium mouthfeel Sweet, green apple, roast, and dark chocolate in the flavor. Not bad but might be a little young.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 12:27:18 | More by kbutler1

laituegonflable

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark, dark brown colour, just murky where the light catches the edges. Head is beige, thinly dispersed with some decent trails of lace. Retaining a thin film. Not bad.

Smells underfermented, really, and not at all what I expected. Acetyldehyde largely, with just a mild undercurrent of roasted malt. But yeah, there's a fault there and it smells neither dark nor spicy enough as a result. A bit off.

Taste is better - certainly more character here. Fairly sweet to start, with a hint of acetyldehyde but then chocolatey and a hint of licorice on the mid. Fruit note on the back is more blackcurrant than anything else, with a touch of rye and some black pepper. Yeah, retains that sweet fruit, floral note over the top and could use more bitterness - either roasty, hoppy or funky in origin - I don't mind.

Decent mouthfeel, but leaves a little filmy and not quite chewy enough. Still feel it's maybe a bit underattenuated.

Some decent character here, but also some fairly serious flaws.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 22:15:43 | More by laituegonflable

wyattshotmaker

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured into a tulip, essentially black with a tan head. very nice lacing.

nose is dark fruit, slight leather, tobacco. pretty good.

roasted malt flavor upfront, fades into some slight dark cherry flavor, coffee, really dry. slight metallic finish, can't really put my finger on it exactly but this doesn't sit well with me. this doesn't do that much for me. really dry and nothing to balance out the roasted malt flavor.

effervescent mouthfeel, but i don't think it really complements the "darker" flavors of this beer.

this realy should be listed under the belgian strong dark category. i'm kind tired of every niche belgian style beer being listed under the saison category.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 05:13:50 | More by wyattshotmaker

Sanford

Missouri

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Fun confusing beer. Gentle pour produced great frothy soapy head. Dark brown body and tan foam. The head took a frustrating amount of time to recede...I wanted a drink! I have been sipping over an hour and each pour has brought big foam, but not much lacing has stuck. Interestingly fruity, though a bit reticent nose. taste...some farmhouse funk, more with warming; some fruitiness: fruity tart, fruity sweet...when colder I thought I could perceive some malty sweet qualities, yet finishing dry, and now an hour later I can't...find any malty flavors, which I think is appropriate. As the beer has warmed I am experiencing a medicinal kind of astringent finish...hops, bitterness and not flavor, which again, I think is probably more correct than not. Correct or not, it's no doing it for me.

Honestly, I think I liked "Existent" more right out of the fridge. A great 750 to share, but 2/3 of the way through, I'm loosing interest...don't get me wrong I am going to enjoy finishing it, as it is late enough that I am not going to open anything else.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 03:19:25 | More by Sanford

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

750mL to tulip. Sampled in March 2011. $8.50 for the bottle.

A: Large three finger foamy head, medium dark brown in color and long lasting. The color of the body is black with amber brown hints along the edges when backlit. Otherwise completely opaque. Fair lacing. Besides the black color, this beer looks pretty good.

S: Roasted (if not lightly burnt) grain, cocoa powder and a nuttiness reminiscent of walnut oil. Grassy hop aroma.

T: The aromas listed above make their way to the palate, as well as a pleasant fruit character and a dry, almost tannic woodiness (although I've never heard anyone say there is wood treatment involved).

M: Medium to light body with below average carbonation. An improved mouthfeel would help elevate the flavors.

D: Among the better Stillwater offerings I've had to date but have yet to be blown away. I'm just not digging the novelty of the black saison. The color of a beer alone doesn't make it taste outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 10:35:47 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle brought back to Sydney from the US and shared with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a deep brown colour, with a bubbly and slightly unsubstantial head of pale mocha. Patchy, speckled lace forms as it's swirled, but the body is pretty light, and the head doesn't particularly lend itself to persistence. Not bad, but not all that great.

Nose is... rather thin and a bit lacklustre. Weak, filmy hints of cold coffee sit above a estery tartness, giving green hints of acidic apple. Some brown bread comes through as well. Very little spice, and very little coherence. It feels quite thin, and aimless.

Taste is a little better, but the thin characters of brown bread, mild roast and the subtle acidity are just pressed together a little better here—there's not quite the emptiness extant on the nose. The acidity works a little better here, just giving a slight slickness to the flavours on the palate, letting them slip towards the back. Still missing some spice, which would really help it along.

It's interesting enough in its way, but I wanted it to be truly good. I have for some reason hyped up Stillwater in my mind, and to date they are yet to give me an exciting reason for this. Again, it's decent enough, but it's also slightly odd—and slightly odd doesn't cut it: make it either really good, or really odd.

That's how you'll win me over, Stillwater.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 03:38:50 | More by lacqueredmouse

oline73

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap in a pint glass at Max's

Appearance - Pours almost black with some light coming through at the edges. Smooth tan one finger head goes away almost immediately, there is some lacing.

Smell - This one is quite roasty with hints of hops and a little bit of spice from the yeast.

Taste - Burnt roast definitely dominates here. There is an herbal hoppy flavor in the background. I don't detect much that would tell me this if a farmhouse.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with a delicate smooth carbonation.

Drinkability - This one tastes like a hoppy stout to me. That being said I liked it, but I don't think I'll be looking for any more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 03:29:53 | More by oline73

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

No dating or batch number of any type found on the bottle or label. Poured from 750ml to stemless wine glass...

A- Pours a hazy dark brown with a very large caramel colored head that is very foamy and really sticks to the glass as it settles. Head wasn't really stable, but also didn't die immediately.

S- A lot of the fruity esters shine in the forefront of the aroma, but they are closely backed by a roasted component. You get a tiny bit of the saison yeast funk with a floral hop character, but it is very subtle. Lastly, a bit chalky

T/M- Very roasty; clashes with the yeast a bit. There is also a prominent alcohol warmth that stings the back of the tongue and sits until your next drink. The bitterness is somewhat harsh and astringent from very grassy and spicy hops... I will say, as this warmed up, the alcohol burn went away and a sweet caramelly taste really came through. It got less harsh and became much more complex- too bad I only had half a glass left of the 750ml until I discovered this. Medium carbonation on a fairly light beer that ends pretty damn dry...

O- A little cluttered. I liked it, but it could have used a bit more balance and overall identity. The roastiness was certainly an interesting take on a saison and I always enjoy something like this when it is a different take on a familiar style. I would buy this again down the road.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 12:48:20 | More by TheGordianKnot

BSLemoine

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It took a bottle with my man Freddie on the front to get me to finally review a beer!

750 mL Bottle purchased 1/19/11. Served at 50 F, reviewed until 60 F.

A - Nearly pitch black and completely opaque. Cream colored, thin, lacy head. Almost no apparent carbonation.

S - Roasty and nutty nose. No fruitiness save a light citrus nose. Slight herbal hopiness.

T - Dark roasted coffee, tart and broad fruitiness. Slight earthy dank.

M - Medium (+) thick and velvety mouth feel with a balancing acidity and bitterness. Very little carbonation. The tart and bitter linger.

Not a bad beer but underwhelming. I was hoping more from a Nietzsche inspired beer (although Nietzsche thought beer made people stupid so go figure). Light aromatics and a less than complex palate, however the body was quite nice. I would drink it again, but I prefer many other Dark Saisons (I agree with the comment before that this is really more of a Belgian Stout).

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 01:31:26 | More by BSLemoine

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap into a 10 oz. mug at Pratt Street Ale House.

A- Dark brown with ruby undertones frothy khaki head and fairly good lacing.

S- Some sweet funky maltiness and fruit

T- Coffee, bitter chocolate, funky fruitiness (perhaps plum) caramel sweetness, very mild hopiness, and a little smokiness

M- Pretty thick mouthfeel that finishes dry. Very filling beer

O- This is the first saison I have ever had. Definitely an interesting beer that tasted like a funky fruit infused stout. Not sure I could drink more than one, very filling beer and lots of funky sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 04:11:02 | More by Hoptometrist

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into a wine glass.

Pours a dark brown that's almost black with a small brown head and a tiny bit of lacing. Nose is very light and mellow, there is a slightly spicy note and some dark malts.

Taste is more on the spicy side with some tart and sharp notes and a bit.of an earthy Smokey flavor on the finish. Mouthfeel is full and creamy and overall its quite good!

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2011 23:02:37 | More by kingcrowing

jrallen34

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another server recommendation at Churchkey, this one was quite a bit better...Dark brown, with a light tan head...The aroma has tons of toffee, bread, grain, spice....The taste is roasty, with lots of chocolate, spice, star anise. The feel is warm from alcohol.

Interesting, worth a shot but nothing out of this world

Serving type: cask

12-12-2010 16:03:28 | More by jrallen34

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at Bodega. Served in one of the new tulips, right on!

A- A saison that's deep and dark? Sure is. Its a hefty onyx black with a fine, frothy light tan head. Lacing is fairly decent but nothing crazy. The pillowy foam looks soft and inviting. This beer looks creamy and stout like. Quite deceptive.

S- Quite the spicy aroma. Its full of lemon notes that are countered by darker stuff like roasted malts and dark fruits.

T- A flash of tartness starts things off in a crisp way. Lemon and lots of grass. It gets very peppery also. The flavors are all very light and subtle. Lots of belgianesque dark fruits. Tart black currants and black cherries. The finish yields lemon that follows a light, dry cocoa flavor.

M- Fuller bodied, especially in the world of saisons. Dry and crisp. Very spicy with a bittering finish.

D- Pretty nice. This one is one of the better dark saisons. I think it would be worth it to buy a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 21:57:08 | More by MbpBugeye

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle courtesy of lackenhauser pours a surprisingly dark brown color with a big, fluffy tan head. Nice retention, moderate lacing.

Nose is honeyed brett with a little bit of cocoa powder and carob. Sour fruits and SweeTarts. Very complex.

Taste throws out some wicked funk...lots of wood, some brett and a bit of tartness. A really well executed beer, has a little bit of everything. I’ve never been a big fan of black saisons, but this is the best one I’ve had in this pseudo-substyle. The roast and the tart combination is still a little odd, but they don’t seem to contrast as much here. I’ve had a few Stillwater beers now, and I’ve been pretty impressed with all of them.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 23:48:33 | More by twiggamortis420

Reaper16

Alabama

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle served into a tulip glass

Pours a dark, roasted chestnut brown. Sit this down in front of me without telling me what it was and I'd think it was a porter. 3/4 of a finger's worth of sand colored head; creamy looking, but not very dense. Huge swaths of lacing all around the glass. Obviously, this isn't exactly a textbook appearance for the Saison style. But its one good looking dark ale.

Ah, but the nose immediately reveals that this isn't a malt-forward ale. This beer is primarily yeast driven. I don't want to discount the roasted malt character here. The abundant roasted coffee is the single strongest component of the aroma. But there's a lot of other, yeast driven, components here. A medley of soft spices, some dry appleskin, and plenty of flower petals. There's an earthy hop presence backing things up as well. Existant isn't as phenolic as most Saisons are, nor as fruity. While I like how this beer smells, it smells like a porter that's been brewed with a Saison yeast strain, rather than a Saison that has some roast character. That balance should be the other way around.

The balance between farmhouse ale and roasty dark ale is better achieved on the palate. The Saison elements come first: clovey spice, a dash of red fruits, a touch of phenols on the finish. The roast character is really interesting here. I always appreciate roast, especially when it offers a contrasting bitterness to any hop bitterness that may be in a beer. Existant's roasty bitterness is no exception; it plays off of the earthy European hops very well. I'm such a sucker for roast + hop. But this roast character doesn't really play well with the Saison flavors. It doesn't amplify or accentuate the Saison flavors, and frankly the roast contrasts in a negative way with the phenols a little bit. Still, this is a Saison that taskes risks and reaches for something unique. Just because it didn't work out perfectly doesn't mean that it doesn't work to some degree. I'd say this is a solid Saison, and unique one.

The body size is on the fuller side of medium-bodied, but considering the dark malts in this beer it makes some sense to have a thicker-than-normal body. At any rate, it is offset somewhat by the active carbonation. What takes this mouthfeel over the top and into 4.5 territory for me is how dry it is. Saisons should be dry, there shouldn't be much residual sugar at all, there should be a high level of attenuation. Existant has that requisite dryness, even with all of the dark, roasted malts packed into this beer. That's impressive to me. Overall, this is a solid, solid Saison. It's a grand experiment, and I enjoy the results even if they didn't produce a great beer. Pick this up if you're at all curious about how roast can work in a Saison, or if you like the idea of a Belgian-yeast porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 04:19:21 | More by Reaper16

Bendurgin

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. This one pours dark brow with a big rocky biege head that settles to a thin layer of foam with some sticky lace.

A little bit of pepper in the aroma with some a little bit of a grape skin aroma to it. A little bit of char here too. Has a bit of a grainy flavor to it. A little bit of peppery yeast and some char round out the flavor.

The body is deceptively light and the carboantion is a little softer than I would have immagined. Overall nothing bad here. I may be a little bias here because I would generally take your standard saison over this one all the time. This one is still well made

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 03:49:44 | More by Bendurgin

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a murky red brown with a thick, persistent light tan head leaving massive lacing. Aroma of yeast, light malt, some roasted malt and a hint of root beer element. Taste starts with a subtle mix of dark malt and dark fruit with some roasted elements. Finishes fairly dry with a somewhat astringent hoppiness. I liked the underlying flavor, but the finish was a bit too dry for me. Very glad I tried this, but I like other Stillwater saisons better.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 03:29:25 | More by LiquidAmber