-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Sensory Series V.2 - Small Black
Stillwater Artisanal Ales
- From:
- Stillwater Artisanal Ales
- Washington, United States
- Style:
- Saison
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.62 | pDev: 10.22%
- Reviews:
- 38
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 03, 2018
- Added:
- Jul 23, 2013
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ygtbsm94 from Utah
3.31/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Nose light cocoa, yeast, & coffee, malt, faint ash, cola, & anise. Taste slightly sweet roast, faint sourness, chocolate, spicy, tobacco, licorice, faint oak, medium body. A little bit of a conflict between the two styles (Schwarzbier & Saison) which makes the beer sloppy.
Feb 10, 2017Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio
3.54/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Enjoyed form the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This interesting saison pours a dark black with brown cola highlights and a nice head of off white tan tinged foam that settles to a thick ring, light thin pool, and subtle lacing. Nose of subtle herbal hops, yeasty goodness, dark berries, and subtle cocoa and brown sugars. Flavors follow the nose with dark fruits of cherries and subtle sweet brown sugars married with a nice saison yeast profile on a blanket that layers itself front to back with tart cherries and light burnt sugars on the rear of the taste. Subtle hop notes makes their presence known on the rear as well but are muted by the tartness and yeast strain. Decent mouth feel, light carbonated with a coating medium mouth feel and a tart finish. Nice for the style. Overall a nice saison.
May 03, 2016Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia
3.42/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: prominent and soapy 2 finger head, red and brownish black, much like soy sauce in the light
S: subtle hints of chocolate and roasted malt, married with the zip and zest of a typical saison, creates a subtle cherry nose, also tiny suggest of traditional citrus flavored; lemon, pleasant
T: the fullness and deepness of a coffee stout is apparent right away, (sans the bitterness of course, more subtle cherry notes created by the deepness of the malt and zippy tartness of the yeast, tartness is magnified by the roasted malt, impressively enough the roast is not overbearing
M: dry, though not memorably so
O: pleasant, well balanced, not overly assertive in any specific way, would be a safe bet if your not much of a risk taker and you're looking to branch out
Mar 18, 2016S: subtle hints of chocolate and roasted malt, married with the zip and zest of a typical saison, creates a subtle cherry nose, also tiny suggest of traditional citrus flavored; lemon, pleasant
T: the fullness and deepness of a coffee stout is apparent right away, (sans the bitterness of course, more subtle cherry notes created by the deepness of the malt and zippy tartness of the yeast, tartness is magnified by the roasted malt, impressively enough the roast is not overbearing
M: dry, though not memorably so
O: pleasant, well balanced, not overly assertive in any specific way, would be a safe bet if your not much of a risk taker and you're looking to branch out
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York
3.56/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.56/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours very dark walnut (SRM 25) with ruby highlights. A frothy chestnut head reaches three fingers, lingers, and then drops to a quarter of an inch sustained. Patchy lace coats the Cisco Fisheye pint glass.
The aroma contains burnt sugar and soap with a hint of chocolate.
The flavor is sweet and modestly spicy with toffee and bread dough in a short, mild finish.
A light-to-medium body accentuates a soft texture without any alcohol present. Carbonation is light.’\
This is an easy-drinking, but uninteresting saison. It is refreshing at the end of a cool, sunny summer day.
Jul 19, 2015The aroma contains burnt sugar and soap with a hint of chocolate.
The flavor is sweet and modestly spicy with toffee and bread dough in a short, mild finish.
A light-to-medium body accentuates a soft texture without any alcohol present. Carbonation is light.’\
This is an easy-drinking, but uninteresting saison. It is refreshing at the end of a cool, sunny summer day.
Rated by akademiklee
2.86/5 rDev -21%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.86/5 rDev -21%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Not my flavor pallet but I'm new to the saison world and never had a black.
May 12, 2015Reviewed by Norvelljeff from Iowa
3.84/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
3.84/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
Look is dark black with a red hues and a full white/tan head.
Smell is kind of hoppy? Defiantly some earthiness in there.
Taste is light and very earthy with noticeable hops. Nothing outstanding here.
Feel is a little slippery.
Overall it taste very good but I don't think i would pick it up again if I had the chance.
Mar 09, 2015Smell is kind of hoppy? Defiantly some earthiness in there.
Taste is light and very earthy with noticeable hops. Nothing outstanding here.
Feel is a little slippery.
Overall it taste very good but I don't think i would pick it up again if I had the chance.
Reviewed by carlos_fleico from Massachusetts
3.98/5 rDev +9.9%
3.98/5 rDev +9.9%
355ml bottle poured into a wide-mouth snifter.
A: Pours a black, dark color, similar to a porter, but thinner, not nearly as viscous. About three fingers of an off-white head with low retention - dissipates quickly, leaving some lacing behind. Just by looking at it you can tell it isn't a stout or porter, because of the firmness of its head. (3.75)
S: Smell is very pleasant. Some roasted malts (less than you would expect for a beer this color), wheat cereal grains, a very refreshing and delicate tart citrus-like aroma, hints of cocoa. Hints of earthy hops, herbal and yeasty. (4.75)
T: Follows the nose on many aspects. Roasted malts right upfront, but not nearly as aggressive as it is in stouts or porters. The saison funkiness (a little stronger than usual) kicks in right after, with a spicy, peppery touch. The hints of cocoa are definitely noticeable in the taste as well. (3.75)
M: Light-bodied, high carbonation, dark sweet bread aftertaste. Very crisp and fizzy. (4)
O: Very interesting beer. Its "saisoness" comes pretty much all from its tartness, because the citrusy hints are very subtle, pretty much limited to the aroma paired with some tartness. I'm glad I tried this brew. (3.75)
Sep 14, 2014A: Pours a black, dark color, similar to a porter, but thinner, not nearly as viscous. About three fingers of an off-white head with low retention - dissipates quickly, leaving some lacing behind. Just by looking at it you can tell it isn't a stout or porter, because of the firmness of its head. (3.75)
S: Smell is very pleasant. Some roasted malts (less than you would expect for a beer this color), wheat cereal grains, a very refreshing and delicate tart citrus-like aroma, hints of cocoa. Hints of earthy hops, herbal and yeasty. (4.75)
T: Follows the nose on many aspects. Roasted malts right upfront, but not nearly as aggressive as it is in stouts or porters. The saison funkiness (a little stronger than usual) kicks in right after, with a spicy, peppery touch. The hints of cocoa are definitely noticeable in the taste as well. (3.75)
M: Light-bodied, high carbonation, dark sweet bread aftertaste. Very crisp and fizzy. (4)
O: Very interesting beer. Its "saisoness" comes pretty much all from its tartness, because the citrusy hints are very subtle, pretty much limited to the aroma paired with some tartness. I'm glad I tried this brew. (3.75)
Sensory Series V.2 - Small Black from Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
127 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!