Island Reserve: Saison Farmhouse Ale - Cisco Brewers Inc.

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle courtesy of cosmo4u pours a very hazed gold color with a massive, foamy white head…glistens like soap bubbles. Poured gently, but even so was super-foamy and took forever to recede.

Nose is very spice-oriented surprisingly. Grains of paradise and nutmeg come to mind as well as orange and/or lemon peel. Grains seem pretty neutral and hops don’t seem to be much of a factor.

Taste is better than I thought it would after the smell, I am not really a fan of grains of paradise. The spices are more subtle (though still pretty notable) and the biscuity malt plays a more prominent role. Smoothes out almost to the point of watery though and the over carbonation is annoying to say the least. I really don’t get much of the brett or other 'microflora' noted in the description, perhaps the spices are too overpowering to notice? I must admit, I like my saisons without any spices added...why fuck with an already exceptional style of beer? It’s not bad as far as spiced saisons go, but overall I’m not a big fan of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 00:28:50 | More by twiggamortis420

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a cloudy hazy dirty orange color ale with a medium size foamy head with minimal retention and not much lacing. Aroma consists of light Brett notes with some rustic malt and light acidic notes. Taste is a mix between some Brett notes with acidic undertones and lightly sweet malt with light rustic notes. Body is full with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. This one is a weird one one with Brett notes that off and the malt backbone isn’t well balanced. Peppery yeast notes or prominence of ester are also hard to detect.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:17:37 | More by Phyl21ca

MasterSki

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Chris (spycow) got this at Lush - didn't even know Cisco distributed here. Served in a Struise cervoise.

A - A finger of white foam settles to a thin cap, thicker bubbly patches and collar, and minimal lacing. Hazy orange body.

S - Lots of lemongrass and lemon thyme, perhaps a bit of saffron, and peppery yeast. Too much lemon - reminds me of Goose Island Marisa (i.e. Pledge in beer format).

T - Taste has some suntan lotion mingling with lemon, pale malts, and peppery yeast. It's not as kitchen cleaner-esque as the aroma, which I appreciated greatly. Finishes a bit like a lemon lozenge.

M - Medium bodied, lower carbonation, and a lightly sticky finish.

D - Just too much lemon and not enough Saison here. If this were called "Lemon Tart" or "Lemon Sorbet" then I'd probably rave about how wonderfully they captured those flavors. Unfortunately, as a farmhouse ale it's not very satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 05:06:18 | More by MasterSki

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle courtesy of chrispoint. Thanks!

A: Hazy light amber body under an inch of creamy off-white head. Ok retention and lacing. Solid.

S: Pickled ginger, pure and simple. I like it, but it's quite disappointing in terms of complexity.

T: Ginger, mint, malt, and more ginger. Sweet, spicy, and unique - but not necessarily in a good way. Dry finish. Really underwhelming.

M: Lively medium body. Smooth, soft, and very nice.

O: What a let-down. I'm a huge fan of Cisco's Woods series, and this Saison sounded like another winner based on the description. Unfortunately it was nothing but a boring spice-bomb. Maybe with some time its flavors might mellow and meld, but this bottle was just boring at best.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 21:09:29 | More by woosterbill

UCLABrewN84

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pour for New Brew Thursday's 3rd Anniversary event held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, spices, and yeast. Taste is much the same with an herbal flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some interesting aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 00:58:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy orange/light brown, trace head, fine lacing

S: floral, yeast, lemon peel + zest

T: lemon peel, big floral, yeast, earthy grassy finish

M: med body, smooth, solid carbonation mouth

O: Very nice offering from a good brewery. Enjoyed this special brew.

QUITE GOOD, WORTHY!

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 20:07:55 | More by BeerLover99

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 10/28/11 notes. Thanks to jslot38 for sharing this one. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a hazy dark yellow color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of lemongrass, spices, yeast, citrus hops, floral notes, and grapefruit. Lots of lemon and very nice.

t - Tastes heavily of lemon again, some floral hops and earthy notes, yeast, spices, and citrus hops.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Easy to drink.

o - Overall a nice saison. There is a ton of lemon in the nose and taste, as it dominates both, but it's pretty good overall. Some nice floral and citrus hops to it as well, would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 19:54:04 | More by mdfb79

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazey amber, copper, unmalted wheat grain color with an awesome head, head retention, and bubbling. This beer is almost perfect looking.

Tart green apple and grape fruity aroma with a little yeast dryness in teh nose. Smell some light toasted bread and maybe some lemongrass as well.

Definetly on teh tarter side of the saison spectrum. Tart fruity and yeasty flavor and palate thats heavy on the front end. But does lighten up on the finish. Chalky lemongrass, tart apples and grapes with some mildly toasted barley and wheat. Complex and interesting. I'm not a tart beer guy, but this was well received and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 00:19:02 | More by scruffwhor

Kendo

New York

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the bomber (which I purchased at the brewery) into a glass. Body is cloudy dark golden with a 1-finger whitish head. Some clingy lace.

S: Slight funkiness and florally, perfumey. Good for the style.

T: Slight earthy funkiness and spice over sweet malt (think honey, or caramel malt). Like the nose, there's a floral-like flavor. Lemony at the finish.

M: I wrote, "Slightly off." Carbonation is lacking. Heft is light-to-medium (closer to medium).

O: OK; a decent Saison.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 18:41:38 | More by Kendo

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 3" white head with long life. Hazy sunlight yellow color. Great smell as soon as the top was popped. Tropical fruits, pineapple, citrus, lotion. Taste has a much milder version of all the smells as well as a mild pickle juice sourness which is fine though I wished for more of the tropical fruits. There's a fairly long sour finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 09:44:07 | More by MoreThanWine

emerge077

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very cool to see Cisco pop up in the local market.
Shared this at Thanksmas recently. Review from written notes.

Poured into a tulip glass it glows a murky opaque orange, saturated in color. A thin layer of fine white foam stretches across the surface, leafing spotty lacing around the edges of the glass.

Sweet, almost dusty herbal aroma, something unique... tarragon?

Light bodied and tart, quenching with an earthy aftertaste and a slippery waxy character to it. Tart citrus, lemon, light herbal sweetness on the back end. Clean and crisp. Overall it's pretty good, though a little one note. Seems to emulate Fantome but doesn't quite nail it. Wondering if some cellar time would bring out more funk...

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:32:18 | More by emerge077

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden orange, huge plume of bone white head which grew even after sitting. Scent filled with strong notes of funk, tart citrus and a big dose of floral and herbal notes. taste expands a bit on the nose, funk is strong up front, followed by tartness... as the palate adjusts, lots of lemon blending with the floral and herbal notes, lightly sweet malt, notes of wood and earth appear on the tail end. Medium bodied, bubbly and active. Decent all around, but slightly unfocused.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 14:44:34 | More by rfgetz

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy lemon yellow with a ton of bubbles. Decent white head with a little lace.

Some musty yeast and funky aromas, but not quite enough.

Flavor makes up for aroma. Great yeast and grain husk funk and bitterness. Some spice and soda water with a little tart edge. Nice carbonated bitter and tart finish.

Medium to medium-light body. Nice carbonation.

Great domestic Saison. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 00:42:51 | More by OtherShoe2

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The pour is a cloudy golden color with a large white head. A pretty nice aroma. Lemon is prominent, good citrus peel to it with a touch of yeast and some white pepper. Quite a bit of bready malt and a little bit of straw. The flavor is lightly tart with some big time lemon and green apple. There’s a really strong barnyard character to it as well. Heavy on the yeast, too.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 17:33:08 | More by womencantsail

SLeffler27

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy pale orange with a slight head and no lacing, this one glows from a tulip glass.

Big, funky orange aromas mix well with cardimum and a faint sweetness.

Lightly fruity with some acidity and spicy notes. There is a long finish.

A medium body and soft texture.

A comforting beer to be consumed after a long day of hard work.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 20:34:41 | More by SLeffler27

babaracas

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy light amber with two fingers thick white foam that settles to a quarter inch. Rings of thick lace down the glass. Smell: lemon, wheaty, mild barnyard brett, lactic, herbal and medicinal notes. Taste: sourdough, lemon, herbal thyme-ish. Carbonation is a little high. Good, a little one dimensional... acidity + a little brett.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:45:08 | More by babaracas

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy very dark yellow in color and has a bit of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high off white head that quickly died down, consistently leaving a thin film of bubbles on the surface and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of butter (of the movie theater popcorn variety) in the nose along with hints of oak. As the beer warms up, the smell becomes stronger and some sourness becomes noticeable.
T: Oak flavors from the barrel aging seem to dominate the overall taste, which also has some complexities with notes of sourness and hints of yeast.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the initial taste (but not in the finish).
O: This is a nice and interesting saison to drink due to the addition of the oak and sour flavors. The mouthfeel is a bit chewier compared to other beers in the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 01:06:12 | More by metter98

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

2012 vintage
750ml to Duvel tulip

A - Pours a dark burnt orange color. Even with a gentle pour, a massive 3 fingers of head grows on top. Bubbles stacked up to the top of the glass and takes a solid 10 minutes to sink to half. Fat chunky lacing all over the glass.

S - Funky and earthy wheat, pepper, lots of fruit esters coated in funk, bananas, peaches, lemons, apricots, cantaloupe, some dusty basement, old antique wood finish, medicinal phenolics, lavender, very earthy and peppery.

T/M - Earthy wheat grain, aggressive carbonation attacks the tongue with stinging bite pretty quick. Vinous acidity provides more tartness than I was expecting, white grapes, lemons, apple, peaches, apricots, earthy grassiness. Malt is sweet but the tartness levels it out. Plenty of old basement wood. Moderate foamy carbonation mellows out a bit when left to sit but is still over the top.

The yeast seems to be really coming around on this beer dominating most of the flavors. (In a good way) Lots of tart fruit and a very distinct basement wood furniture character. Carbonation gets better as it sits. Glad I waited to crack this.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 21:33:46 | More by StaveHooks

ms11781

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a slightly hazy, golden color. A vigorous pour yields a healthy finger and a half of white foam. The head recedes as quick as it rises and settles in as a thin cap that sticks around. Not much lacing, some wispy foam sticks but nothing substantial.

Excellent citrus notes up front in the nose. Big grapefruit and lighter lemon aromas come across first. Some yeasty and a bit of funk are present as well. Maybe a touch of peppery spice but the grapefruit notes are the dominant aroma.

The taste has some of the same characteristics of the nose but takes on a bit more complexity. The grapefruit and lemony citrus characteristics are here, still strong, but not dominant like in the nose. Yeasty notes are here, along with some funk, more than in the nose. There is a pleasant, mellow tartness that leads into a finish that comes with a touch of spice.

Low carbonation with a body on the lighter side of medium. The beer really has a lighter mouthfeel all the way through.

Overall, this is a good beer now but it has the potential to be excellent. Nice citrus flavors and aromas with a touch of funk. There is a mild tartness now but it seems like it could get better with a little bit of age.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:45:45 | More by ms11781

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml bottle into D'Achouffe tulip.

A- pours a hazy straw color with a 2 finger white head. Leaves small bubbles and some clumps of lacing on the glass.

S- definitely some lemon, slight pine sol smell, also some barnyard tart smell from the Brett I would asume.

T- very tart lemon, some vinegar and nice funky flavors.

M- light body with high carbonation. Slightly acidic mixed with the tartness of this beer makes it a little difficult to drink.

O- really nice beer. Has nice citrus you look for in a saison mixed with the Brett gives this beer some nice sourness as well

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 02:41:23 | More by kawilliams81

BDIMike

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a great looking beer. A light brown to orange color. A great hazy look with a serious amount of carbonation creating a thick white fluffy head that sits on top of the beer throughout the drink.
Smell has some fresh wheat characteristics to it. A good sour sweetness to it. A good spiciness and some fruity apricot like smells.
Taste has some very nice complex things going on. A strong clean, wheat backbone. Some strong rich fruit tastes of apricot and other sour fruits. A bit of nuttiness too.
Mouthfeel is awesome. A good silk smoothness to it. Also a nice crisp refreshing carbonation to the drink too.
Drinkability is awesome on this beer. A lot of nice tastes, but this beer has such a great balance to it. Tastes go through a roller coaster of different flavors. Great beer, glad I could get my hands on one of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 02:36:09 | More by BDIMike

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange in color with a finger tall off-white head. The head on this beer reduces to a thin layer covering the majority of the surface of the beer with some thicker patches and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant lacing is observed.

S: The aroma of this beer is very enticing to me, what a great smelling beer that makes me really want to get into tasting it. I get some definite presence of the yeast and some brett as well. There are definitely some hints of the spices that have been added and the oak barrel. Some definite hints of butter in the aroma which I am attributing to the french oak barrels.

T: There are some definite hints of funkiness and then some sourness in the finish. There is a great flavor, almost popcorn buttery, contributed from the oak barrels along with the spices that have been added as well as spicy flavors from the yeast.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry upfront rather than in the finish.

O: This is a very good saison and I am a fan of saisons, I really enjoyed how the dryness is not in the finish but earlier in the taste/feel. I find this beer really enjoyable to drink and something I could easily have another and another of these. It is refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 18:24:11 | More by dbrauneis

SHODriver

California

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured into a duvel tulip to a cloudy golden orange with a two finger slightly off white head that maintains pretty well
S: smells yeasty, a bit musty, a bit of lemon zest
T: slightly tart lemon flavor, spicy yeast, a bit musty, hints of oakiness, a little wine like flavor and a little grassy. a bit more citric lemon flavor on the swallow along with some slightly chalky yeast
M: fairly light on the palate with active and soft carbonation
O: a very tasty brew, I love the brett and the sourness. Got this one in a trade and couldn't be happier

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 04:14:57 | More by SHODriver

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought at Julio's and shared this with bpk59 at his house. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a hazy golden straw colour with a one finger head that leaves light side lacing and a nice creamy white blanket.

S - Lght funk and barnyard notes with good lemon grass and citrus (orange, tangerine) as well.

T - Starts off with nice lemongrass followed by light malty sweetness and lemons. Strong citrus takes over (oranges and tangerines) only to finish with nice lemons and honey.

M - Nice and crisp, with a solid dry finish.

O - Overall, this was a very nice saison. Very nice aroma and flavour for a saison. Really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 22:30:39 | More by rudzud

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a corked bomber into an oversized wine glass- pours a bright orange color with,a finger and a half of frothy white head, good retention, nice streaks and splotches of lacing.

Smells REALLY funky; lovin it. Definitely got that brett weirdness to it; not as tart as it is just plain funky. Maybe a little bit abrasive.

Taste is more complex and balanced; moderate tartness up front, followed by the funk, smoothes out into a nice pale malt sweetness, but the funk is always lurking. Definitely taste some garden herbs in the mid-palate as well; hard to say what.

Mouthfeel is great; light body, well carbonated, tartness not overwhelming the quaffability. This is a very interesting and nice beer; maybe the smell is overdone. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Brett.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:55:10 | More by Hopdaemon39