Saison - Funkwerks

Moose90

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at a local establishment, served in a 16oz snifter

A – Good looking beer here coming off the tap line. A big, fluffy white head sits atop a hazy orange body. Head retention is great and lacing is nice as well.

S – Typical saison here, but it has some stronger notes as well. Lots of lemon, fresh cut grass, honey sweetness. Some light pepper and lime.

T – Complex malts, faint sweetness. Juicy, big fresh lemon notes. Great yeast tones as well, this is quite funky, but very well balanced.

M – Big and boisterous for a saison, comes across almost as a tripel, big, boozy, and complex.

O – Just great, a wonderfully bright and complex beer. Nuff said.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2013 03:08:34 | More by Moose90

smakawhat

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap into a Funkwerks globe glass at the tasting room in Fort Collins.

A gorgeous fluffy white head is presented about 3 fingers, and huge staying power. It has caverns and a wonderful peaked whipped top. Body color is an orb glowing lemon unfiltered gem with hints of brown edges towards the sides. When finally settles it leaves a giant puck.

Nose is classic saison but incredibly subtle and balanced. Mild possibly brett with hints of lemon, it comes out as some type of grass garden large floral aroma, dripping with pollen and muted honey. Hits of spiced butter round it all out, with just a touch of heat.

Malts just roll all over the palate, there's some faint sweet bread like character that comes from this also. Big chewy body, hints of honey on the finish. Dense and juicy but in controlled almost as if the beer is kept to be not too aggressive.

I really like this take on this style from these guys, it's quite memorable and one thing that seems to make their saison stand out from all the others. Delicious stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 00:37:01 | More by smakawhat

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewery in Ft. Collins. Served in a tulip/snifter hybrid thingy. Looks like the best saisons. Golden with a huge dose of white, airy foam. Black pepper, mango, pineapple, herb, green apple, and clove stand out from the clean and simple grainy backbone. Bitterness is noticeable, yet smooth and lends to the drinkability. Some sweetness at the end seems a bit out of place. Quite good as a whole, but if this brewery is going to be founded on doing multiple variations of this one style then I think the flagship itself could use a little work.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 17:47:33 | More by bump8628

kojevergas

California

3.13/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a 330ml snifter at Funkwerks' taproom. Serving volume was 4 oz as part of a tasting flight (which itself was largely disappointing). Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a half finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and poor retention. Colour is a semitransparent yellow.

Sm: Light vinegar, earthy notes, pleasant funkiness, bacteria, and heavy yeast. A moderately strong aroma.

T: Nice biscuity yeast, with some vinegar. Where's the funk? Feels sterile and conditioned, not wild. The finish is yeasty. It isn't horrible complex, but there's some fair layering going on. It isn't subtle, either. Some light lemon esters are present. The best feature is the excellent biscuity yeast. I'd like more (i.e. some) bacteria and wild yeast. This feels cultured and exact, to its detriment. It's balanced and decently built.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A bit too thin. It should be more bold.

Dr: Quite drinkable for the style, but too clinical and sterile. What, did they buy wyeast bretts and then call it good? Brew a real saison, and then get back to me, ye nancies.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 20:12:19 | More by kojevergas

blakelive784

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Funkwerks in a snifter/tulip hybrid:

A - presents a light orange golden with half finger of decently creamy head.

S - banana, clove, sweet caramel, cotton candy and stroung yeast. Pleasant.

T - strong banana and clove. Finishes a bit hoppier than expected, with floral and citrus notes.

M - medium bodied crisp and dry. Nearly ideal.

D - overall, a very good saison. Drinkable and high quality.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 00:53:46 | More by blakelive784

mactrail

California

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thoroughly interesting Saison with the usual sharp flavors and a faint whiff of the barnyard. Golden color with slight chill haze in the tulip glass. Not much head nicely carbonated on the tongue. Best feature is the rich, fruity tanginess with a hint of candy. The scratchy Belgian yeast is well in evidence, but seems to mellow as you sip.

On tap at Root Down in Denver. Very drinkable and refreshing. A good example of a Saison with complex flavors leading to a slightly woody, dry finish. Not very hoppy but some bitterness. "Lemon and mashed potatoes filtered through a paper bag," is how the conoisseur on the next stool calls it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 02:08:27 | More by mactrail

adnielsen

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tap @ Funkwerks. Light lemon yellow orange appearance with a medium sized white head that dissipates pretty quickly. Spicy, yeasty, peppery, and citrusy light bodied nose. Initially black pepper followed by lemon and orange citrusy elements in the flavor. The wild yeast is spicy and very tasty. Peppery and spicy finish. One of the best American Saisons that I’ve ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2011 18:24:18 | More by adnielsen

ottovon

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

enjoyed at funkwerks.

A: a hazy, golden straw color with a white head.

S: a nice spicy yeast aroma. there is nice tropical fruit aromas and some white pepper. there is straw in there as well. i get hints of lemon and citrus, as well as some hops.

T: nice spiciness mixed with tropical fruits. there is some white pepper and coriander in there. starts out with a slight sweetness and finishes dry and with a touch of bitterness. there is some citrusy hop presence (orange and lemon).

M: thin with high carb. can feel the carb run through your mouth.

O: a really good saison. probably my favorite american saison.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 01:29:07 | More by ottovon

JayS2629

Alabama

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very complex yet mild. As many layers of flavors as there are, everything is balanced in a very mild, subtle way.

It pours a cloudy orange color with a huge white head that sticks around forever and leaves big rings of lace.

The aroma is of raw, earthy funk notes penetrating through crisp, biscuity malts, grassy tones, and fruity elements of melon, tangerine, and green bananas. Some tart sour notes of green apple and lime with hints of clove, and black pepper.

The taste is mellow melon and grass on a bready background of raw wheat, honey and biscuit. Apple, pear, sour grapes, and green banana phenols touch the surface with fruity notes that mellow earthy, funky herbal notes of rustic barnyard flavors. Lemon and lime melt in there in noticeable notes.

Crisp, with a dry tart finish.

Overall, an excellent, tart and funky complex beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 00:35:39 | More by JayS2629

jar2574

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drank at the Kitchen Upstairs in Boulder.

Cloudy orange color, decent lacing and head. Smells and tastes of lemon and citrus hop flavors with mild grassiness. Not aggressively hopped though, the hops are pretty mild.

The mouthfeel is a little lacking. There's not enough barnyard funkiness, or, if they wanted to try to opposite direction, there's not enough citrusy zest. The result is sort of an in-between good, but not particularly memorable saison.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2011 13:58:00 | More by jar2574

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at the brewpub.

Pours a hazy light golden orange color with dark golden yellow edges and a one finger frothy white head that slowly settles into very thin ring.  Minimal lacing.

Slightly earthy, funky arom with hints of barn, hay,straw and grass countered by bready yeast pale malt and crisp light fruit.  Hints of apple, pear, tangerine and orange peel.

Medium bodied and fuller than expected  with a crisp dry presence up front that is countered by earthiness, bready yeast and light fruit.  Lots of citrus orange peel as well as some zesty peppery spice. Well balanced with an excellently masked abv giving off only a slight alcohol presence.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2011 00:31:35 | More by corby112

Kemmerlin

Colorado

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: filtered golden color with a decent long lasting white head.
S: malty aromas caramel and slightly soured yeast. Has a powdered sugar smell mixing in the back.
T: caramel maltiness biscuit and light clove mixed with a slight orange flavor.
M/d: medium bodied tight feel minor sourness added. Decent session beer but not my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2011 19:11:41 | More by Kemmerlin

emmasdad

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We took a trip up to Fort Collins last week to hit a few breweries. Sadly quite a few were closed so we hit this one out of necessity; fortunately for us, this one was quite good across the board. Poured a golden-orange color with a rocky white head. Aromas of black pepper, Belgian spice and yeast. Medium bodied and spicy, nicely tart with flavors of citrus, black pepper and yeast.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2011 02:58:27 | More by emmasdad

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to SteveO for this one, cheers!

Pours a hazed hay color with a thumb+ of pearl colored head. Chill haze remains, stellar head retention & lacing

S: Apple skins, lemon zest & not much else

T: Apple skins, white pepper, white grape & a bit of honey suckle up front. Slight dry grassyness, a bit of lemon zest & pears as this warms, plus some coriander. Finishes with pears, lemony hops, white pepper, ginger & tangerine

MF: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation, nicely blended & balanced

Great drinkability, this is a great take on the style. This is my first Funkwerks beer, I must have more! The spices make this beer so interesting & drinkable

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:57:09 | More by russpowell

rawfish

California

3.86/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Peachy juice hue, pour carefully or in no time you can have a glass of rocky white foam. Terrific retention and clumpy lacing left on the glass.

Black pepper, pear, powder, tangerine and green grapes. Slightly musty with hay and lemongrass. A delicate balance of spice and fruity esters, slightly funky as a detect a bit of soft white cheese.

Grainy with some wet hay and lemony wheat as the white fruit notes begin to rise with green apple and pear, slight herbal bitterness and musty funk mingle with a soapy coriander and clove, some mineral undertones begin to hit the palate as the beer warms. Scrubs dry.

The yeast really makes this beer feel a bit heavier as it warms. The carbonation is ideal, the drink pleasant and drying though it got difficult to handle this bottle solo.

A quality saison no doubt, the spice, fruit flavors and yeast are all very delicate and balanced. I could see the spice profile getting tightened up a bit the musty flavors and mineral twinges really being to hurt the drink as it warms. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 06:13:08 | More by rawfish

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Incredible true Belgian taste exudes from the glass of this Funkwerks brewery. Where many American brewers' ales are kinda Belgianesque, they seem to be on training wheels. This Saison is poppin' wheelies and gettin' air.

With its peachy straw hue, the rustic ale offers up a rocky, ivory-stained head. Spider webbing lace results from an intricate weave of clinging foam. Its high retention and firm yeasty haze continue to sing praises of well designed farmhouse ales.

Spice, malt and fruit sculpt the aromas- starting with pear, apples and lemony esters; these scents join forces with stern earthy notes of hay and fresh grass. Light citrus tones bounce off of a soft wheat backdrop and conclude with a light creamy malt tang and vinous white wine.

Fruit overtones kick off the flavor show with oranges, white grapes, apple skins, and lemon peels. A semi-sweet foundation of powdered sugar and dough soon recede to allow for a spicy middle palate of freshly grated ginger, coriander, freshly cut grass, and baled hay. Musty and vinous to close, the farmhouse ale leaves you with impressions of white pepper to close.

Its dry and spicy texture starts early but really kicks into gear as the malt sweetness and bread textures fade. All that's left behind is an effortlessly smooth hop bitterness, warm alcohol, and a bone-dry peppery-ness.

When a brewery doesn't have to contend with American-style beers and can simply focus on Belgian styles, the discipline in taste is obvious- this is just a more mature ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 05:50:56 | More by BEERchitect

srhoadsy

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served chilled into a fluted tulip.

Pours a hazy straw color with 2 inches of foamy white head that quickly recedes leaving a heavy surface layer and lacing.

Aromas of sour grapes and citrus with a musty, spicy background.

Tastes of sour grapes, citrus zest, clove and pepper. With that musty, leathery and spicy funk indicative of the style.

Medium bodied with a crisp, dry finish and milder aftertaste than you would expect.

Overall, a very nice example of the style. Complex, but not overwhelming. Crisp and refreshing, as it should be.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 00:59:31 | More by srhoadsy

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a Southern Tier Pumking tulip glass.

A: Pours a light orange, hazy body. Bright, white, huge head. This one looks mega carbonated. Great head retention - clings to the glass and runs down the side slowly.

S: Funky yeast esters. Black peppery spice. Exotic fruits - guava, pineapple, papaya, mango, passionfruit. White wine grapes.

T: Spicy black pepper straight from the nose. Strong saison yeast and a little funk, but definitely not too much. The fruitiness is there at the finish, but it's not as strong as the nose suggests. The grapey, white wine taste is evident.

M: Light-Medium Body. High Carbonation. Prickly.

O: A very nice example of the style. I love the complexity that comes through from the exotic fruits, balanced with the black peppery spice. Very pleased with what I've had from FW thus far.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:48:04 | More by Justin_Neff

dbossman

Nebraska

4.29/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Apricot hue with a huge, over-the-top, frothy head--the head looks like the meringue on a pie

S: Lots of barnyard, musty, hay-like, cheesey, fruity, leathery aromas; this is so funky--I am pumped

T: Fruity--almost hoppy--up front with a funky undertone: hay, barnyard, mustiness, cheese, mmm

F: A little bit thin on the finish but plenty of creaminess

O: Such a funky, fruity, awesome saison

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:28:46 | More by dbossman

Yokoono76

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A: hefty head, 3 fingers, some lacing, hazy light golden color.

S: very fragrant! Fruity, citrus, floral.. Lovely aroma!

T: fruit, sweet apple, pear, some banana, subtle spice in the finish.

M: very pleased with this! Warming, moderately carbonated, works well with flavor. Almost creamy, fantastic!

O: I was highly impressed with this beer. Balanced, complimentary flavors just an overall excellent saison! I will be buying more! Very pleased. Great mouthfeel, excellent flavor! Fantastic!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:47:25 | More by Yokoono76

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle into a tall tulip

A: Pours a slightly hazy, light golden color with four fingers of dense head on a very careful pour. Woah, this beer is carbonated. Head retention is extremely good.

S: Macintosh apples mixed with clove starts out this very spicy aroma. As the massive head slowly dies down, I get modest amounts of peppercorn and a bit of lemon zest.

T: Similar to the aroma, I get Macintosh apples and lemon zest upfront. Bready malts are fairly strong for the style with a bit of caramel sweetness. Clove and spices are fairly restrained, but easily apparent.

M: Medium thickness with extremely high carbonation. A bit distracting.

O: Not a bad Saison, but not terribly good. I'd prefer more citrus and funk.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:37:12 | More by coreyfmcdonald

mevett89

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: significant white head with nice lacing. Beautiful straw color.

Smell: floral and citrus hops with sweet maltiness.

Taste: malt in the forefront, followed by those floral and citrus hops, with some bitterness in the aftertaste. Nice fruitiness from the yeast and some delicious spice in there too.

Mouth Feel: medium-light body, decent carbonation.

Overall: pretty darn good, everything is nicely balanced, the flavors are largely subtle, and all very tasty. This is not my favorite style of beer, but Funkwerks does it very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:47:49 | More by mevett89

denver10

Colorado

4.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Re-reviewing/updating my review on this one now that I have had the opportunity to drink much more of it since my initial discovery.

Pours a hazy orangey-yellow with a big, frothy white head and very nice lacing. Aroma has the belgian yeast show itself offering some ginger, clove, a little citrus, and a touch of some sweetness from the malt. Flavor is super tasty with the belgian yeast offering some spiciness, ginger, citrus, hints of some pepper (though offering no prickliness) and a little sweetness, perhaps even a tease of some breadiness, underneath it all coming from the malt. A crisp, active mouthfeel. Super drinkable. Overall, one of my favorite beers and very likely my favorite bottled saison. A beer that has definitely been a bit of a creeper for me, liked it initially but slowly grew to like it more and more with each subsequent try.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:39:24 | More by denver10

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF 7

bottle #6 from quirkzoo

As the picture shows, this pours a light golden orange with about 3/4 of the glas filled with light fluffy white foam that is slowly disappearing. The aroma is a lot of citrus, lemon zest, orange some mango along with some yeast, clove and banana.
The taste is mostly citrus, a lot of orange and lemon zest, this just tastes downright good. Very light bodied, lively carbed which goes well with the flavor. This reminds me of a saison but more citrusy than ones i've had lately. Given quirkzoo's location, and some kickass saisons i've had from Funkwerks, i'm going with something from them…

the reveal…
Funkwerks Saison! I had a feeling. This is such a good, drinkable brew. According to BA this is a year round beer which makes me wish I lived next door to the brewery. Love the style and love what they're doing there.
Thanks for the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 06:39:15 | More by mikereaser

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to egrace84 for sharing this bottle. thanks elloit!

poured into tulip glass.

reviewed from notes on 8/14/12.

Appearance: opaque yellow bodied beer with a huge white head. curtians of lace on the glass.

Smell: Yeasty, hay, funk maybe a hit of citrus.

Taste: just like the nose! The big flavors in this beer are the straw/hay notes, yeast, and breadiness. Mild funk with a touch of citrus lemon and orange zest.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with high carbonation. Crisp carbonation while the mouthfeel remains clean, smooth, and delicate. Does finish dry.

Overall: This beer is very true to style. Well made saison.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 17:15:23 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT