Farm Hand French Style Farmhouse Ale - Brewery Vivant

zoso1967

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Farm Hand pours a light, slightly cloudy pale yellow color with a very frothy white head that rises quickly as I pour, but also disappears just about as fast. The lacing is pretty decent and leaves some nice foam landscapes on the sides of the glass.

The smell is slightly sweet and lemon grassy with some spice and a slight tartness. It smells quite nice, but not as exciting as other examples of the style.

The flavor follows suit with a nice slightly sweet, grainy and lemon grass like flavors that are spiked with spice and tartness. Very clean and refreshing, but lacking the nice farm field like character that the best examples of this style normally have.

The body is on the lighter side of medium with a refreshing amount of carbonation. The finish is tart, spicy, dry and refreshing.
This is a very drinkable brew that would be a great beach beer, especially with the tallboy cans. While solid, it really didn’t excite me too much, but it definitely makes me interested to try more of this newer Michigan brewery’s beers.

Serving type: can

08-17-2011 01:50:05 | More by zoso1967

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Today being New Beer Sunday and being unable to procure any new AMLs, I have decided to make it New MichiCAN Beer Sunday in honor of the day's founder, Malty, who resides somewhere in The Great Lakes/Wolverine State. These (among others) were sent to me by GrappyPunk and I have been waiting for an appropriate time to Crack & Glug them open.

From the CAN: "WHY USE CANS? We set out to build a sustainable brewery and found through our research that cans are a better option than bottles. Cans are much lighter in weight, contain more recycled content, are able to be up-cycled, and use less energy to produce. The canning line also has a much smaller footprint than a bottling line."; "If this was not enough, cans provide better protection from flavor degenerating oxygen and hop flavor robbing sunlight. This is the best package we can provide to bring our beer to you, tasting the way the brewer intended it. Enjoy."; "Belgian tradition. Local mission."; "FRENCH STYLE FARMHOUSE ALE There was a time in old world France when nearly every family farm had a brewery. A necessary part of farm life was to provide a ration of beer to laborers, as beer was safer to drink than the water of the time. Farm Hand is our interpretation of what these rustic beers must have been like. It is light in body, mildly sweet and has a slight cloudiness from the use of simple un-malted grains similar to the period."; "COMPLIMENTARY FOODS Chicken, fish, pasta, Camembert or other soft cheeses. Visit our website for more."; "GLASSWARE Tall, slender glass which will show off the beautiful color of the beer and allows for pleasant sipping."

The Crack went as planned, but the Glug was perhaps a tad heavy-handed as I did not realize how active a beer this was going to be. Man, the foam came up MUCH more quickly than anticipated and even broached the lip of the glass, much to my chagrin. Once things settled to a state of normalcy, I had a finger-and-a-half of rocky bone-white head that looked like JacktheRipper's avatar - dense and smiling up at me. The color was a testament to truth in advertising - it was a cloudy lemon-yellow and the whole thing looked like a lemon meringue pie. The nose was quite musty, almost cheesy in its intensity. Me likee! I have yet to get onboard with Andrew Zimmern, but Anthony Bourdain and his lack of disdain for sharp, "stinky" smells and flavors and rubbery mouthfeel speak to me. I am a US Navy retiree and that kind of thing does not put me off, but Zimmern's grilled horse heads push my upper limits. The nose on this beer might be too much for some, but I dug it. Mouthfeel was big, full, even creamy and the initial slight tartness followed by a light wheat-like sweetness were like a palate cleanser. Look, Ma, new taste buds! Finish tended towards dry and it was an absolutely refreshing beer that would be phenomenal with some soft cheese on crackers under the umbrella on the beach. Put this in your cooler and give me a call! I'll be right over, honey honeys in tow.

Serving type: can

07-31-2011 21:43:29 | More by woodychandler

FosterJM

California

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

663rd Review on BA
Can to Tulip
16 oz

Thanks to Kzoobrew for this one.

App- A very light yellow with a lot of haze behind it. A very large long lasting two finger head with a ton of lace and cling.

Smell- I don't think it was pear but it was close to that sort of scent with a little yeast, a little sweet sugar.

Taste- A very nice little saison. It was a nice wheat base with that yeasty vibe, on the back end a bit of an earthy, grassy note. I wouldn't call it funk though. A little damp and soft.

Mouth- Light bodied and high carbed. A nice soft feel on the mouth with more yeast and damp at the end.

Drink- This was a nice tasty little beer. Saisons are always a favorite of mine and this was different out of a can. Not on the same level as cynical but close. If I were to go to MI, I'd have this one again.

Serving type: can

07-24-2011 17:29:55 | More by FosterJM

ElizabethCraig

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brought back a can of this from our Michigan trip.

Aroma was mild malty with a slight lemon citrus note to it. Aroma starts malty and goes to a sweet, slightly strawlike malt scent. Light and pleasant.

It's a semi-clear beer, slightly cloudy, with a white head - notable size for its pour into a small sample glass. Pale yellow color, like summer sunshine. Nice visible effervescence.

I drank some. Sweet mild malt, finishing to a mild sweet malt foavor. Very little hops flavor (to contrast with my husband, he tasted strong hops and no malt) other than a slight bitter earthy note right on the top. Finishes hoppier as it warms.

A nice, mild, light easy-drinking ale - I would have liked to have had more hops character come through, through by no means would I turn down an additional glass... ;)

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 11:59:34 | More by ElizabethCraig

SupaCelt

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed yellow with copper glints. A small head rises and falls. No lacing. Light. Simplistic. The color is quite lovely to me eye.

The nose is funky as expected. Very welcomed pilsner malt corny notes and perhaps light wheat character blossom. The slight dimethyl sulfate sulfur/can o' corn character adds its touch. Very farmy. A little unAmerican hopping for good measure. Farmalicious funkadelia.

The taste is light, yet complex and quite refreshing. A very drinkable malt base with definite farmhouse ale characteristics floating about within creates a strangely complex and very enjoyable flavor. Presumably German/Czech hops finish the swallow leading to the notably crisp finish while the lingering funky remnants continue to dance. This is a nice session selection for enthusiasts who can appreciate the style and history of this brewing.

The mouthfeel is light and appropriate within style guidelines. This is, and has generally been throughout history, a highly consumable beer made to refresh while not causing a staggering drunkenness. This is drinkability in fine form.

Overall, this is a solid brew. The style is relevant now and, as you well know, it is also rich in history as it hearkens back to a time when ales such as these could be found in all their uniqueness in farm houses across Wallonia. It is said that farm workers happily lapped them up while still managing to keep sharp for labor. This particular variety is very enjoyable to those who can appreciate deviating from the norm a bit. It is drinkable to be certain. This has serious gateway potential and is every bit as enjoyable as some of the more overly popular herd beers that consistently draw herd acclaim with seemingly less merit. Jump on a can of this or go get one pulled off the tap. Just don't expect an orange wedge covered in fruit fly feces to adorn your glass when you get it.

Serving type: growler

07-21-2011 05:43:41 | More by SupaCelt

ebby82

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought this from the brewery on my visit last week.

Pours a very hazy light color into a pint glass. A frothy head.

Aromas are of slightly funky Belgian yeast, a small hop presence, and a general sweetness.

The taste is light; very slightly acidic, a minimal hop presence, with a nice, tartness.

The mouthfeel is light, its not very carbonated, but this does not detract from my enjoyment.

Overall, less hoppy than I prefer with a saison, but very drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: can

07-20-2011 17:23:49 | More by ebby82

ssimpson89

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big, foamy, soapy head. Golden straw color with lots of small bubbles. Looks like a light beer.

Yeasty aroma with a slight ammonia smell.

Tastes of lemon zest. Light and funky, not sure this is a good thing. Missing the sweetness mentioned on the can.

Light, almost watery mouthfeel. I does have a nice crisp finish with good carbonation.

It was OK, but not in the same league with the best American brewed Saisons.

Serving type: can

07-16-2011 03:28:23 | More by ssimpson89

Lillenk

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had on tap at Grill One Eleven.

Appearance was nice. A lot lighter in color than I was expecting but very clear (no haziness) with a nice white head.

Smell was pretty average. When I think of a saison, I usually think of very earthy, robust wheaty, grassy smells and there wasn't much of that going on at all.

Taste was pretty light. Not a ton going on. A little bit of the earth tones that one would expect but very dim and light.

Mouthfeel was very light. Quite a bit lighter than expected. It was very easy to drink but I don't think very typical of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 01:26:24 | More by Lillenk

EricCioe

Montana

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This pours a dull, flat straw with a quickly rising and falling white bubbly head. On the nose there are less than zesty lemons, wet grasses, and green apple. It's not bad but it lacks that extra-present vividness I like from beers of this neighborhood. In the mouth there are wet grains and grasses with a bit of zesty lemon and hop kick further back. Again, it's not bad but it lacks presence. The body is very good, though, light with nice carbonation carrying down the pretty good flavors for a clean finish.

Overall, this isn't my favorite saison by any means, but it is good enough to make me want to try other Vivant brews. If things were a bit more refreshing and a bit less muted, they might have something very good on their hands. As is, it's merely pretty decent.

Serving type: can

07-06-2011 01:37:50 | More by EricCioe

pb9613

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brewery Vivant has been getting a lot of hype in West Michigan so I was excited to try their take on a saison.

Appearance: Pale gold with a simple white head. There is very little cloudiness from the yeast

Smell: Malt overtones with a slight hint of hops.

Taste: Light malt flavor with a hint of hops. This has a very subdued pepper flavor with very little tartness

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and quite a lot of carbonation. The lack of tartness and pepper makes this saison uninteresting.

Overall: I was excited to try this saison but ended up disappointed. I think this recipe came from a middle class farmhouse in Belgium who could afford the better things in life and not have to make their own beer.

Serving type: can

07-03-2011 15:01:59 | More by pb9613

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brewery Vivant Farm Hand
A - Pours a clear pale yellow with an inch of bright white foam that faded fairly rapidly. 4
S - there is an aroma of lemon and light grains, not alot else going on 3
T - Bready, grain, lemon zest, there is a bit of pepper and its sort of soapy 3.5
M - crisp carbonation, light bodied to medium bodied 3
D - I'm just not a fan of this one at all. Its ok, but not one I would pick up again. There seems to be some sort of astringency in the flavor. 3

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 04:54:27 | More by mikereaser

britbrew10

Michigan

1.85/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is a lemony saison with an almost offensive, polarizing taste.

I wanted to like it because I enjoy Vivant's other canned offerings and their beer at the brewery is great. This one however is a huge disappointment.

P.S. Gives me a real dirty Busch Light type of buzz.

Serving type: can

06-06-2011 03:27:11 | More by britbrew10

Wadsey

Indiana

2.1/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Brewery Vivant's Farmhand

Served in New Belgium Tulip

A: Aggressive pour yields unacceptable head that looks nothing like a cloudy mountain, has no retention and leaves no lacing. Does not look like a Saison. Beer is hazy and pale gold with decent effervescence. 

S: Opens with a whiff of creamed corn, then lemonheads candy and earthy yeast. Sorry, no "horse blanket."

T: Sweet, toasted and crackery malts, a touch of spicy yeast, hay. A little tang. Definitely malt forward. There is something off in the malt bill that I find gross. It tastes stale. Finish is neither clean nor crisp. Still no horse blanket.

M: Medium body and low carbonation. Grainy and semi-dry. Mouthfeel is weak. 

O: I've been exploring Saisons lately, and that certainly cast the shortcomings of Farm Hand in sharp relief. Sloppy. 

Thanks hurfer for the opportunity. 

Serving type: can

06-04-2011 02:34:30 | More by Wadsey

ahking

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lemony, candied apple aroma wafts from a slow pour to the glass. Highly carbonated, really makes the flavors dance. Tastes of lemon zest, cut grass, floral hops. A touch too sweet, but the carbonation keeps it crisp and refreshing. I really like. This style of beer and this one doesn't disappoint. A little too sweet but very drinkable.

Serving type: can

05-23-2011 02:01:22 | More by ahking

david131

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- A hazy orange liquid with a bit of a gray aspect. The white head is quick to rise and fall leaving a small ring and a small splotch.

S- Lemon, farm blanket, and some light fruit. Definitely not the most outstanding take on the style, but it is enjoyable.

T- Bready with some lemon zest, fruit, and a touch of horse blanket. Simple. Effective.

M- Creamy smooth with just the right amount of carbonation and a nice, dry finish.

D- A very enjoyable beer that I would love to see widely distributed in cans- especially in the summer months.

Serving type: can

05-06-2011 03:39:59 | More by david131

TCgoalie

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from 2/4/11.

Light yellow in color with no head and hardly any carbonation.

Smells of banana, lemon zest, wheat, and a buttery character.

The taste is much like the smell with the addition of some spice and some grassy pine hops.

The mouthfeel is solid for the style. Slightly less than medium in the mouth but still has a full feel.

This is session worthy and gets quite a bit better as it warms. Not the best saison I've had and may be off from the normal style...but I like it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2011 01:53:00 | More by TCgoalie

GRPunk

Michigan

2.7/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap poured into a becher glass.

A- Straw yellow with light carbonation. It started with a 1-finger, white head that left decent stick on the glass.

S- Reminded me somewhere between a decent pilsener and a euro pale. Lots of doughy, malt backbone with spicy hops and some peppery notes.

T- Much as the aroma suggests. Sweet, doughy malts combine with spicy hops and slightly peppery tones. Not very farmhousy.

M- There's a bit of a bite provided by the spicy qualities. Very dry with a clean finish.

D- It's pretty "meh." Presented as a "farmhouse ale," I'm thinking Saison or Biere de Garde. Even lighter on the spectrum, it doesn't fit these qualities. More of a Euro Pale Lager or Blonde Ale, maybe. While not a bad beer, it's very poorly categorized by the brewer or even misrepresented on the menu.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 03:28:31 | More by GRPunk

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Vivant, seriously guys. I love a saison, and this is not a saison.

It looks like a saison, it smells kinda like a saison, but it taste nothing like one. Way too sweet, no hay or barnyard smells, no fruity spice, just clover yeast bite.

I wouldn't order this again, it's not bad, but it's also not worth seeking out.

Vivant- make the beer as sexy as my server and I'll be back.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 16:55:31 | More by olympuszymurgus

jale

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into a becher glass.

A: Pours a clear light straw almost yellow color with a finger of white head.

S: Some sour grain.

T: Slight tartness followed by clean hop bitterness. A hint of earthiness. Dry finish. Not complex. Just a hint of some belgian yeast.

M: Nice carbonation Light body

D: Would drink another

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 13:18:41 | More by jale