Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Fermented Saison - Mystic Brewery

busterthecat

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up my reg spot for ~$12. Poured into an Allagash chalice.

A- Pours a dull clear amber color from bottle. A big bubbly white head forms. Sits darker in the glass and is almost opaque. Lots of foamy lacing. A great capping of tight bubbles lingers around.

S- Pretty light in general. Lemon zest, white pepper, hay, and light musky funk. Light and airy. Musk increases as it warms.

T- Light summer fruit, some tart citrus, soft wet hay musk. Oak frames the flavors. Really pick up a good deal of white wine grapes. The flavors really play well with each other and are in a good balance.

M- Light- med bodied. Light and delicate. Lingers softly and well. Slowly dries. Light zest on the palate. Lots of crisp bubbles on tongue.

O- Flavors are very well balanced and it makes for a very easy drink. Really on the border of beer/wine and could make for a good transition beer. Very nicely done. Will be getting another bottle to share.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 02:30:49 | More by busterthecat

Brew33

Ohio

4/5  rDev -5%

03-01-2013 15:01:21 | More by Brew33

danmcg62

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

01-14-2013 02:09:43 | More by danmcg62

cfh64

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

12-31-2012 23:14:35 | More by cfh64

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

750ml into a snifter. The brew appears a clear color of copper. A white finger of frothy head sits across the top with solid retaining powers that lasts almost the entire duration supported by rising bubbles of carbonation. Some finger-like patterns of patchy lace stick to the glass.

The aroma is yeasty with a hint of pepper and clove. Some mildly fruit tinge along with a residual grain sweetness that is bready and a bit wheaty. More notes of peppery spice and wheat come forward as the brew warms up and breathes.

The taste is mildly fruity with yeast esters and alcohol. The expected clove and peppery spices are present. Some suggestions of phenolic character with more fruit emerging like white grape juice and a soft oak quality.

This is a medium bodied brew with an effervescent level of carbonation. This is a pretty solid saison at the base. The choice in barrel treatment brought out a nice subtle complexity that got increasingly noticeable as it warmed up. Id drink this again if the opportunity presented itself.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 18:41:30 | More by stakem

ComRock12

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

09-15-2012 10:39:29 | More by ComRock12

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to the BA who sent me this one as an extra in a recent-ish trade! Shared by myself during BRoss242’s send-off party before he moves! Will miss you man! Upon getting the last turn off the cage loose the cork AND cage ejected itself right at my face grazing my cheek! Be warned! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a golden yellow with a one finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, tart fruit, spice, and wood. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, fruit, wood, and white wine. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. Based on the cork and cage almost killing me, I was worried that this one would be WAY overcarbonated. However, it was not bad at all on this aspect. The aroma was pretty pleasant on this one as you could pick up on the barrels a little bit but didn’t overpower the style. The flavor though was heavy on the barrel it was aged and made it finish quite dry. Definitely glad I got to try this one and share it, but wasn’t the standout of the night.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 11:31:11 | More by thagr81us

rab53

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

09-03-2012 03:22:34 | More by rab53

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A cloudy, yeasty golden orange color with a rather large white head. The nose is a touch phenolic and quite funky. It’s very spicy and also a bit barnyardy. Mild fruit toward the finish. The flavor is also funky and spicy with a strong malt flavor, a touch of wine, and minimal fruit. Maybe a light tannic oak character to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 20:32:33 | More by womencantsail

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Someone shared this at thetomG's place - thanks, as I've been trying to get this version for a few months now. Served in a 3 Floyds tasting glass.

A - White foam settles to a thin cap and thick collar, but minimal lace. Hazy apricot body.

S - Phenolic and mildly gauze-y farmhouse yeast, with light vinous character in the periphery. Some nice pale and stone fruit malt flavors, and surprising little oak for a barrel fermented beer.

T - Taste is pretty similar, with spicy yeast up front, sweet, stone fruit and bready malts mid-palate, and some mild vinous, wet oak, and sour flavors in the finish.

M - Lightly grainy, with pleasant carbonation. Medium-bodied, with well-hidden alcohol.

D - By far the best Mystic Saison variant I've had, and pretty enjoyable. Delivers exactly what it promises, but somewhat forgettable. I'd have this again if it were local to me, but it's not good enough to actively seek out.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 06:05:11 | More by MasterSki

ms11781

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

07-05-2012 23:47:06 | More by ms11781

larryi86

Delaware

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

Thank you DrewShal9 for this!
750 mL bottle, batch 2, poured into a tulip

A- A slightly hazy golden color with a four finger white fluffy head.

S- White wine, apples, earthy spices, pepper, yeast, tart lemons.

T- Oak, wine, earthy spices, apples and other light fruits, slightly bitter finish. The Sauvnon Blanc barrels work very well with this Saison.

M- Light to medium body, lively carbonation, dry finish.

O- This is a really nice barrel aged Saison, wish I had another bottle. Easy to drink and just enough complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:20:49 | More by larryi86

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-16-2012 15:44:47 | More by standardcherry

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked and caged bottle purchased at Julios. Pours a translucent yellow-orange with a loose, white head that dissipates into a skim. Nose is fairly clean with some buttery notes, light toasted malts and a slightly bready character. Taste follows nose with the addition of wheat and grains, and a hint of wet cardboard. The sauvignon blanc barrel is suggested, but not overly prominent. Mouthfeel is light in body, but the carbonation is way too assertive and comes off a bit coarse. There's also a fair amount of acidity. A decent saison - fairly clean, but the carbonation is too over the top. The sauvignon blanc barrel is a nice complement to the style and something I'd like to see repeated.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:00:32 | More by Jwale73

FUNKPhD

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-07-2012 17:55:16 | More by FUNKPhD

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very loud thwop after the cork pops worries me for a second, but when no eruption happens I settle back a bit. Finally pouring the beer, I watch a pasty white fizzy and bubbly head ruse up to about a finger and a half before fading fairly quickly at first, but settles at about 1/2 a finger and stays there for a while. Bits of messy lacing remain on the sides of the glass. The beer itself is slightly hazy, with a honey orange nice looking colored beer.

Nosing it brings more experience of a typical saison... at first. It comes with a light Belgian golden malt profile, slightly toasted malt, and even a bit of wheat. That gives way to very light floral spices and citrus from the typical saison yeast, but in this case it's much lighter than typical. my nose picks up a nice fruity aroma, with hints of peach and white grape, and those fruits give way to a light musty vinous white wine like aroma, actually the white grape fruit and wine really ramps up as my nose adjusts to the rest of the aromas.

As I take a sip, my taste buds thank me with nice floral flavors of floored fl-ruits (had to keep the alliteration). Fruits are the main attraction this time, a big apple and pear like fruit flavor explode out the gate, even a bit of peach as well. The white wine and white grape flavors are fairly dominant in the same context, with the juicy fruit flavors, and a light musty vinous flavor. Malts run in the background but let their presence be known, again light Belgian golden malts, saison flavors, light farmhouse but not much. Juicy tasting for the most part, with hints of floral hops coming through with a hint of bitternes, then a bit of barrel. Light toasty buttery barrel is fairly light but enough to be noticed like a wife's 3 inch hair cut. Finish is fairly dry, although the overall taste profile is mostly dry anyways, saison flavors lingering with lots of stone fruit, light musty vinous white wine, juicy malts and fruits, and just a hint of barrel lingering.

Mouth is med bodied, quite a bit of carb that comes through well.

Overall nice, a great saison profile that doesn't fall into the same step as most and just brings farmhouse rustic malts and hints of spices and citrus fruits from the yeast, and it adds lots of nice stone fruit flavors, musty vinous white wine, and just a hint of barrel. Quite drinkable, esp for 7% abv. I could drink lots of this and have no problem killing the entire 750 myself, and I wish it was a bit cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 02:07:04 | More by jlindros

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours sparkling gold with a two-plus inch head of stark white. Tattered sheets of lacing and a solid coating on the surface for the duration.

Green apples, cotton candy, clove-dusted-honey-drizzeled biscuits and grape must start the nose. Vineous, fruity, and chock full of Belgiany goodness.

Light to medium bodied with an expansive, pillowy mouthfeel. Crisp and a bit splintered.

Honey-laced apples, wine-steeped bubblegum, fresh cut grass with wet hay, and a trace of husky malt leads off the palate. A sweetish, almost candied apple profile runs through as well as a less-than-dry white wine vineousity.

Finishes with some lingering honey, apples, and wine-soaked oak.

Probably the best Mystic brew I've had yet. If this beer had some brett in the barrels and aged until dry and tart I would be hoarding this.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:29:29 | More by brewandbbq

wethorseblanket

California

4.25/5  rDev +1%

04-22-2012 20:48:15 | More by wethorseblanket

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Thanks Thorpe, this was my favorite out of the 3.

Beer is yellow and clear with a white head of small and medium bubbles, some lacing. Nice retention.

Aroma is white wine, grapes, mild oak.

Beer is light to medium in body, sweet but not too sweet, a dry finish, a decent beer. The set itself was a little disappointing and the overall beer was fine, I may try them again in the future but I'm not in a rush.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 18:58:30 | More by drabmuh

wildcats10

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +18.8%

03-31-2012 04:49:28 | More by wildcats10

EZE123

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

03-31-2012 04:15:21 | More by EZE123

guezarka

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -5%

03-24-2012 04:10:40 | More by guezarka

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

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

Crystal bright golden color with a large creamy head - pour carefully. The head lasts and maintains at 1/2 finger high, leaving large streaks of foam on the glass.

Bread and lemon nose. Complex flavor with bread, lemon, white grapes, earthy, with a buttery oak character. Crisp with a lively acidity.

Medium-light body with a bold carbonation. Refreshing and champagne-like with a strong barrel character. Plenty of complexity to keep you on your toes.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 13:06:39 | More by CliffBrake

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle shared by Thorpe.

By far my favorite of the three Mystic saisons sampled. The balance and subtlety of this beer was completely absent from the regular version and Cabernet barrel, and this version also lacked any of the off flavors of the others. Mild oak throughout the body with strong lemon and white grape fruitiness blending with peppery earthiness. Medium bodied, high carbonation, and a refreshing dry finish. Good stuff; based on the batches sampled, seek this out and pass on the regular and cab.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 19:57:12 | More by yourefragile

mbs11

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

03-16-2012 18:02:53 | More by mbs11