Farm Hand French Style Farmhouse Ale - Brewery Vivant

jadedlilmonkey

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

01-08-2013 10:40:13 | More by jadedlilmonkey

Alextricity

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into my itty bitty sampler mug at World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Appearance: Yellow. Maybe a slight haze, I don't really recall. Head bubbles away pretty quickly. Decent.

Smell: The funk you'd expect from a Saison, maybe with some banana notes as well... bready.

Taste: Follows the nose. I'm not normally big on "funky" beers for the most part, but Vivant never seems to do me wrong. The Belgian "twang" is there significantly at the start, but the finish is extremely refreshing, which bumps up the rating a tad.

A respectable beer. Good, not great. A super refreshing beer with a nice finish.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 16:39:30 | More by Alextricity

tectactoe

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Saison from a can? Yes, please! Farm Hand pours a golden apple juice color; a vibrant shade of yellow casts over it with a transparacy all throughout while a mild chill haze abducts the center of the brew. Very volatile on the pour - a big, soapy, bone-white cap froths up quickly and shows decent retention, albeit poor lacing.

The aroma is "farm-y" indeed, with a nice collage of scents coming together; musk, cheesy funk, light apple skins, thick yeast, bready malts. Seemingly effervescent and crisp, although I wish there were a larger fruit compontent. The funk of the brew isn't on par with Brett, it's more muted, less tart, and actually a little bit more damp and musty. Nothing super powerful or robust, but still a solid collection of refreshing saison aromas.

Farm Hand is a little more vibrant on the palate, esepcially when talking about the fruitiness. Funky apples, lemon zest, and white grape skins are the first things to hit my tongue. They're far from sour, but still provide a subtle, yet sharp hint of tartness that only gets stronger as the beer gets warmer. The taste confirms the fact that this beer is definitely a nice, refreshing choice for a hot day.

More bouts of musty funk hit immediately after the fruit spike, along with some wet woody (though I don't believe this ever touched wood), faint, spicy esters, and even a touch of barnyard. Again, not quite reminiscent of Brett, but this brew still has a decent funk to it. It's dry as hell in the finish, like licking a cactus, with a highly carbonated, thin body and a crisp mouth feel.

In a market that's saturated with tons of great saisons, this one doesn't quite stack up. It does, however, still provide a nice, simple example of the style with a pleasant amount of yeast, funk, and fruit, while remaining readily available (in Michigan, at least) and highly affordable. Nothing excellent, but a great choice for what it is.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 16:59:00 | More by tectactoe

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-12-2013 01:02:35 | More by HarmonMW

Bjohnston

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Another one received from jrbrukt in Cuzco's NOOB BIF. This one pours a cloudy pale golden color similar to a Belgian wit. It had a thick white three finger head that disapated quickly. Aroma is somewhat muted exhibiting faint malts, some slight pepperiness and citrus. Taste follows the aroma with a somewhat of a citrus rind at the front of the mouth, punchy carbonation cleans the palate and invites another taste. I like it alot, just wish the yeast was more expressive.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 19:41:45 | More by Bjohnston

iL0VEbeer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.7%

05-07-2013 22:02:28 | More by iL0VEbeer

drewone

California

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-07-2013 06:56:11 | More by drewone

barnzy78

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

16oz can shared with my father-in-law, pours a super pale straw color, hazy, with a bubbly white head that fades very quickly. Aroma is fruity, tart, a bit sour, grassy. Tastes are interestingly different, tart & refreshing, not much for flavor, faint peach & grape perhaps, lemon, grassy hop, peppery finish with some astringency to clean the palate. Thin body, higher carbonation helps it a bit. Overall, I'm not sure what to think of this, with nothing to compare it to other than its Belgian counterparts. Good for a hot day, but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 11:26:29 | More by barnzy78

Shatter

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

04-29-2013 15:25:02 | More by Shatter

beerhawk41

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.7%

04-29-2013 00:57:11 | More by beerhawk41

Thaddeus

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Appearance: Light yellow, with an average sized frothy head. Light bodied beer with a thin, lively mouthfeel.

Aroma & Taste: Citrus and "barnyard" notes to it with light malt. A sour beer with a slight sweetness to it. Light beer that would be good for a day in the sun, which is what it's styled after.

Serving type: can

04-26-2013 16:14:55 | More by Thaddeus

MichaelNickerson

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - slightly cloudy, pale yellow with a frothy foam

Smell - extremely sour and citrus aromas with some bread yeast notes

Taste - smooth, lemony notes followed by a domination of yeast qualities

Mouthfeel - somewhat oily with high carbonation. Extremely smooth and slight crisp, refreshing qualities

Serving type: can

04-25-2013 16:11:54 | More by MichaelNickerson

finstadp

Michigan

3.54/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

As I am not a big beer drinker, I was pleasantly surprised with the Farm Hand French Style Farmhouse Ale from Brewery Vivant. The appearance was yellow and murky. It had a sour aroma. The flavor was very full and hoppy. There was a strong yeast flavor coupled with a tart flavor as well. I very much enjoyed this beer and thought the can style for their craft beers was very intriguing.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 19:03:09 | More by finstadp

Buckeye982

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

04-24-2013 01:23:24 | More by Buckeye982

Kerrie

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16.2%

04-22-2013 01:11:06 | More by Kerrie

TastyIsBeer

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.2%

04-18-2013 01:33:30 | More by TastyIsBeer

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-12-2013 20:24:37 | More by Tucquan

atone315

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +25.7%

04-12-2013 00:37:08 | More by atone315

RadfordBrewing

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-11-2013 23:25:33 | More by RadfordBrewing

Noyt

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

04-09-2013 03:35:18 | More by Noyt

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

04-07-2013 02:03:39 | More by hotsudge

alelover

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

03-31-2013 01:59:36 | More by alelover

jbierling

Michigan

2/5  rDev -44.1%

03-29-2013 12:56:05 | More by jbierling

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

03-28-2013 23:05:03 | More by Gonzoillini

centurian62

Michigan

2.65/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I generally find it hard to rate local brews with low scores, but this one was not in my wheel house. I actually enjoy farmhouse style ales but this one was a bit too bitter for me. The aftertaste left way too much bitterness and lasted way too long. I had to choke down the pint as I paid for it and I wasn't going to waste it. Generally when I think of Saison or Farmhouse Ales I think of fruity or spicy beers but not this bitter. It was lackluster at best and not in the style of a good farmhouse or saison in my opinion. This was the 2nd time I tried it and there, unfortunately, won't be a third time.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 15:25:50 | More by centurian62