Saison Vieille Artisanal - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

UCLABrewN84

California

3.79/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle shared at GRG1313’s tasting.

Pours a murky orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, wood, and a distinct buttery aromas. Taste is much the same with sour fruit flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of woody bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that smells slightly better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:35:14 | More by UCLABrewN84

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This poured out as a hazy orange color with a soapy white head on top. The retention is minimal, leaving some suds around the edge of the glass. The lacing is spotted along the glass. The smell has a very funky sour aroma, but I also pick up some elements of fresh earthy pine and oak in there. There is also some black pepper on the nose as well. The taste is actually much easier going than I expected. It's flavors are soft, there is a subtle amount of wheat that shows up, there is a decent amount of acidic lemon in there as well. It's not too spicy either. The mouthfeel is very light, almost watery. The carbonation is good, it's very drinkable and each going. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 21:51:40 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served in a small taster glass, quick review from written notes.

Straw gold with a generous skim of white foam across the surface, rapid trails of rising carbonation visible in the glass.

Funky traces of Brett yeast in the aroma, minerals, wet hay, and a wisp of sulfur oddly.

Bitter, tart, and dry. Hay and dry earthy vegetal hops, some yeast-derived spiciness. Medium to light bodied, crisp feel. Something unique and different, worth trying.

Thanks Joe for sharing this one!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:40:45 | More by emerge077

kojevergas

California

3.43/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap acquired for $4.99 and served into a generic non-pint nonic glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; Crooked Stave is growing on me.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with fritos in classic american fashion.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head - disappointingly thin - of fair cream and above average retention. Body colour is a clear pale copper-gold. Translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: A bit of pleasant tartness/sourness. Pale malts. Delightful funk. A bit too assertive for a saison. Lacks peppery character. No real yeast character. No alcohol is detectable. Pleasant, but clinical for a saison. Not the rural farmhouse wood-fired saison character you'd expect from a quality brewer like Fantome, for example. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Nicely tart and funky. Lacks peppery character or the subtlety of a good saison. Still, I like the light sourness. Pale malts form the foundation. Not as complex or subtle as I'd like.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but a bit thin and lackluster. Approaches luscious but never quite gets there. Decent palate presence. Complements the flavour profile decently.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable. I do like it for a domestic saison, but it's amateur when compared to saisons like those of Dupont or Fantome. Hides its modest ABV as well as you'd expect. I like it, but I doubt I'd pick it up again. A pretty good offering from Crooked Stave.

B-

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:53:51 | More by kojevergas

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.24/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Shared with my wife while watching old school Star Trek.

Served in my Crooked Stave glass. Thanks Josh!

The beer is golden with a half inch of white head. The aroma brings funk, grass, yeast, earthy grains, sweet fruits, light spice, citrus. Lovely. The flavor follows suit, with a nice, lip smacking pucker in the finish. Earthy and bready. Pretty light in body and a pleasure to sip.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 20:36:11 | More by Huhzubendah

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

to me, this is the epitome of a saison, everything a good one should be. and it gives a prominent middle finger to the countless crappy saisons out there right now. when did saison become the new ipa anyway? not everyone can make one, and not eveyone can chuck some curious yeast into a lousy blonde ale and bottle it, mark it up, write a paragraph about french/belgian heritage, and call it good. this is everything those beers are not. it pours just a litle bit murky, bright blonde in color, with an inch or so of passive white head. the nose is sour as hell, funky as anything, lemony and acidic, almost more of a gueuze in nose than a saison, but the yeast is there. the flavor is nowhere near as intense as far as sour goes, but there is a lovely tartness in flavor too. grassy hops and wheat malt work together well providing some body and bitterness. this takes me somewhere far far away from a denver january, and i love it for that. excellent use of hops here, its not in your face at all, but its maybe more hoppy than most saisons, in the sense it provides some oils and resnious properties which form a nice synergy with the yeast and bacterial stuff. a little lax on the carbonation, but it just lets the flavors absorb better into my palate. light body, its a shame this bottle is so small. i could drink ten of these gladly. yet another work of art from crooked stave, my vote for the brewery to beat these days. wow this is good!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 04:44:48 | More by StonedTrippin

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A new bottle offering from Crooked Stave. Hit the shelves today, hit my belly tonight.

Pours a slight murky copper/golden. Nice hue. Big white head, a bit soapiness. Lacing is quite nice.

Farmhouse aroma, a bit butyric at first. Softens up a bit as it opens, to more floral and grassy. Some wet hay.

Flavors are not as pronounced as some modern day saisons. The spice is light and it doesn't seem like anything else is added in the spice area. It seems rather simple, but quite complex. Very light biscuit underneath. Some floral and perhaps lemongrass.

Tingly, but not heavy on carbonation. A zing at the end, which is quick and refreshing. This one is growing on me. Very drinka....crap, it's gone

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 07:14:42 | More by Mebuzzard

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle $5.99. Bright orange color, big head, crusty lacing up the sides of the glass as I drink it. Hint of orange in the aroma, pepper and spice, pretty good. More citrus in the flavor which is good but the flavor is fleeting. Extremely easy to drink and likely a good summer beer. My only complaint is the cost. American saisons always seem to cost more that Dupont and are rarely better which means no repeat purchase.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:59:30 | More by ArrogantB

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.19/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 2.10.13

A - Pours a bright, cloudy medium orange with a 3/4 inch sudsy off-white head that lingers before going to the edges.

S - Spicy, pepper, floral, lemons. funk.

T - Funky, light floral, black pepper, lemon.

D - Dry mouth, lower carbonation and a light medium body.

O - Nice smelling and dry saison, would buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:22:45 | More by HuskyinPDX

homebrew311

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance is slightly cloudy and gold with bright white head. Heavy lacing left behind. The nose is funkay with notes of steamed vegetables, a touch of lactic acid, a bit of horse blanket, and some citrus at the end. The taste is a bit tart up front with notes of lemon juice follow by the funk and a bit of white grape. Mouthfeel is thin with a carbonation level that, in my opinion, is a little light for the style. The finish is very dry. Overall, this is my least favorite offering I'm Crooked Stave so far. The taste is better than the nose, but it is hard to wrap my head around the nose.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:52:38 | More by homebrew311

Florida9

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Mildly hazy amber in color. Forms a modest, bubbly, white head. Little retention. Light lacing.

S: Aroma is slightly vinous with just a touch of lemon. There is a mild, but perceptible Brett character that comes off as horse blanket. Aroma is earthy, woody, and somewhat "dirty" in character.

T: Taste is more of the same. Malt backbone is fairly light. There is a mild lemon tartness. A little bit of black pepper. But mostly, the beer just comes off as tasting old, earthy, and dirty. Quick finish.

M: Body is thin and watery while the beer is undercarbonated. There is a mild tartness on the front end of the beer, but it quickly washes away. Virtually no bitterness. Dry on the finish.

O: Overall, not a bad beer, but it does manage to come off as if it was a very good Saison that they decided to barrel-age and in the process they muted and muddled all of those wonderful Saison qualities.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:48:46 | More by Florida9

Beaver13

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375 ml bottle. Pours hazy straw yellow with a medium creamy white head that goes to a thin film that laces the glass.

The aroma is funky bitter piney sourness with a little bile.

The flavor is light straw like malts and a little fruit with some brett and a dry medium bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low but prickly carbonation.

Overall, a nice lighter beer. I like the saison, brett and hop interaction.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 01:40:46 | More by Beaver13

GilGarp

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml capped bottle served chilled into a goblet.

Saison Vielle Artisanal is a slightly hazy amber orange color. The head is fizzy and quick to settle leaving little lacing behind.

Aroma is unexpected but enjoyable. I've had some Crooked Stave beers before so I should have known it would have a wild side. Slightly sweet with tropical fruit and slightly sour with wild yeast.

Flavor is our but balanced. It has a light and mild malt bill so that the yeast can really shine. Mildly hoppy as well with spicy peppery saaz, if I'm not mistaken. Yeast lends a tart and sour flavor that is very well done.

Mouthfeel is light in body and nicely carbonated. A relatively easy to drink wild ale.

Overall a very well made beer. In most ways it's not what I would consider a saison but, knowing a little bit about Crooked Stave, it totally makes sense.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:49:55 | More by GilGarp

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Clear dark straw colored body with a tall but thin white head.

The aroma leads with funky Brett, white vinegar, lemon, and a sulfuric hard boiled egg scent.

The taste is funky with lemon, pepper, and oak. It's tart but the flavors are muted.

Mouthfeel is light and clean with prickly carbonation.

It's a very easy drinker. Take away the light sulfuric aroma and take the intensity of the flavors up a notch and this would be killer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:59:20 | More by Vonerichs

KajII

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a murky golden orange with a small (less than 1 finger) white creamy head that diminished quickly, down to a scattered film and medium collar with excellent streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a funky Belgian yeast and a light grain malt with notes of citrus (lemon), a fruity ester (peaches and pairs), lemon grass, cheese and dust.

The taste was very yeasty with a strong citrus backbone and had a mild grassy feel along with a hint of lemon early on, and then become very lightly bitter with a mildly sour ending. The flavor only lasted a short time after the swallow, with a light sour bitter taste fading slowly off the taste buds into the background.

Mouthfeel was a bit above light in body and rather dry in texture with a medium carbonation.

Overall this was an extremely tasty Saison, which I also found to be very refreshing and easy to drink. I think I may just have found my new session brew...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 18:56:33 | More by KajII

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

thanks to ablackshear for for the extra bottle!

poured into crooked stave tulip glass.

Appearance: medium golden bodied beer with a huge white head. Nice staying power on the head and leaves a spotty lace. Eventually drops to a thin cap.

Smell: bready, grainy, wheat, and hay malt. A touch of musty funk. Mellow oak barrel / wood / earthy notes. Yeasty and a hint of fruity notes.

Taste: starts off with a nice mild tart citrus note. A little bit of malts balance out the beer with some wheat and grainy sweetness. Fruity yeast and mild funk that is earthy and musty. Hint of oak barrel. Finishes with a mild hop bitterness and a hint of pepper spice. Complex and delicate flavor profile of this saison! As this beer warms the funk and fruitiness start to build up and become much more prominent flavors of the beer.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Really drinkable. Good carbonation levels, but I could use just a little bit more carbonation. Its soft and gentle carbonation. Very clean beer. Also bright and refreshing beer. Finish is semi-dry.

Overall: A really simple yet classic example of a saison / farmhouse ale. This will be a great hot weather beer, once summer rolls around. I expect nothing less than high quality beers from Crooked Stave and they prove it again!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 23:49:32 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a tulip

A- A very hazy beer. A light orange color. A one finger of a white head with great retention.

S- Wheat an a lot of it. A belgian yeast strain. A slight clove and spiciness. A sour, pungent beer that will clear out your nose.

T- An intense sourness out of this brew. A puckering dark fruit flavor as well as cherries and lemon. A lot of grassy, wheat flavors. A very helbal beer and a big flower presence. A subtle but nice oak flavor from this beer. A slight oniony spicyness, a lot of clove, black pepper and some banana peel. Nice stuff. An impressive flavor profile from a low gravity brew.

M-Puckering. Medium carbonation. A refreshing beer considering its sourness. A silky feel and a lingering sour aftertaste.

O- A very nice beer. A complex flavor profile that remains sour, drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 22:54:39 | More by TwelveOunces

denver10

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Updating my review for this, now that I have tried it a couple more times.

Pours a golden yellow with a a nice frothy dirty white head. Aroma offers some tart lemon, wood, and the brett providing a touch of dirty sock/barnyard. Flavor was woody, a little funkiness, and some tart lemon, like I was biting into the rind of a lemonl and some prickly pepper in the finish. Mouthfeel is crisp and active, super drinkable. Overall, fantastic brew. The more of this I have drank, the more I like.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 22:54:53 | More by denver10

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.01/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

375ml bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden color with two fingers of dense head. Active carbonation is apparent throughout the beer.

S: I can smell the funk as soon as I pop the cap. I get a musty funk with a nice tropical fruitiness and a touch of cheese. Oddly, the cheese reminds me of Smartfood popcorn. There is a light acidic smell in the background.

T: This beer is quite fruity - I get clementines and mangoes upfront, though the beer stays dry with a bit of musty Brett character. I do get a bit of cheese in the finish.

M: Medium thickness with a nice carbonation. The carb is on the low end for the style, but I think a higher carbonation would be tough given the low ABV and sweetness.

O: I really enjoy this, though it's a bit straightforward. Fruity, lightly acidic with a mild funk. I could use a bit more character from the yeast. Maybe this would develop into a nice beer with some age.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:44:57 | More by coreyfmcdonald

spoony

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From a 375 ml bottle into a tulip.

A-The beer is mostly clear and orange-hued amber in color. A one-finger head of white foam recedes rapidly into a thin cap. Some carbonation visible.

S-Smell is a nicely balanced mixture of tart lemons, grass, and slightly peppery notes. Crisp and inviting.

T-Taste follows the smell, but taste is turned down a few notches. Whereas the smell is pretty tart with a good whiff of wet hay and grass, the flavor is only mildly lemony and the sharp, grassy flavors have been muted. I also get a light hit of biscuit. The whole thing is almost pils like.

M-The feel is light to medium in body with lower levels of carbonation than a typical saison.

O-This is not a bad beer; the smell is quite nice, in fact. However, the flavor profile is a little underwhelming for the price of the brew (I think I paid six bucks for the 375 ml bottle), so I dock it points in the overall score for poor value. If money were no object, I would rank this highly as a session type beer due to the enjoyable mouthfeel and lower ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:39:01 | More by spoony

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle to HFS sniffer

A: golden hone in color with a white head that goes away fast and leaves little to no lacing around the top of the glass, there also seems to be lacking in carbonation. It is semi opaque and slightly cloudy but it looks fairly clean in terms or the range of saisons.

S: there is definitely some funk in there it smells like white wine almost and the oak barrels have a heavier presence then I have seen. it is also very bready the best I can describe it is like a grilled cheese I don't know whether this is a good or bad thing but it sure seems to be atypical.

T: It has an interesting array of flavors. First of all there is definitely some of that bready yeast from the nose that is the dominant flavor, but there there are also some fruit notes that are slightly sweet and juicy i can't tell specifically what it is, but my best guess is apricots. It also does have some white wine notes from the barrel aging, but it is subtile and in the background in the finish.

M: It is pretty light and slightly crisp upfront. It maintains the lightness in a thin and watery feel though that makes it drinkable, but that is too be expected at such a low abv. I would like it to be a like more crisp and have a barnyard feel to as that is missing from the taste as well.

O: This has a decent appearance but a very odd smell. The taste is not bad but it seems like a random mix of flavors that does not seem to be cohesive at all if they were this beer could have a lot of potential. The feel is light and easily drinkable so its sessionable but there is nothing special about it. Interesting beer none the less may be worth a try

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 18:53:26 | More by Pinknuggets

RoninTK3

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Gold/orange with a bit of white head that quickly dissipates.

S - Apples, kiwi, sweet fruit, a bit of funk. A bit grassy.

T - Lots of peach, apple, and kiwi. Very fruity and quite a bit of tartness. Not much of the typical saison characteristics other than a bit of funk. A sour/resiny aftertaste.

M - Light, lot of carbonation, very refreshing. Resiny.

This is a nice, refreshing beer with lots of fruit and tartness and a touch of funk. If it was easier for me to get I'd imagine it could be a go to summer beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 01:21:28 | More by RoninTK3

gueuzedreg

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

following what some of the reviews have said, this beer is everything that a saison should be. great yeasty barnyard smell. drinks really smooth. buttery, what i expect a good saison to be. i am glad crooked stave has put the time in to show all of the other billion saisons out there what one should taste like. this brewery is something else. but like everything in colorado; we want you to know that everything sucks here. don't bother...

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:06:05 | More by gueuzedreg