Saison Solaire - Forest & Main Brewing Company

Jettanbass9

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dropped by F&M and got a growler filled. Served in a tulip.

A - Hazy, burnished pale gold, light head that quickly dissipates... could from residue on glass. Never the less, a frothy egg white head appears at the pour.

S - Orange, lime, lemon, white and black pepper, some bready malt, light earthy character. A near perfect hybrid of an APA and a Saison. As the beer warms, more pine emerges with some notes of cedar or fresh cut wood. Very pleasing.

T - A light sweetness gives way to a balancing resinous bitterness. White and black pepper blend with bright orange, lemon and lime. A fresh resinous cedar like flavor lingers. Some notes of pithy grapefruit. Lots of simple, singular flavors that blend very well together.

M - Not as dry as your classic Saison but the body contributes to this beer. Medium carbonation keeps this light and refreshing.

O - I could pint after pint (or tulip after tulip) of this. It's a beer with simple flavors and that never becomes cloying or overbearing. The blend of citrus and pepper really comes across and is perfect by itself or with some lighter, summer fare. Definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: growler

07-21-2012 02:24:30 | More by Jettanbass9

Alieniloquium

Florida

2.6/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

32 oz. growler poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Wispy surface. Chunky bubbles at the edges. Slight haze.

Smell - Malty and some yeast. Pale and pilsner malt. A hint of funk, but mostly malt.

Taste - Grainy malts most prominent. Burnt toast grain flavor. Sharp. Hoppy. Very bitter. Not my favorite, but not undrinkable.

Mouthfeel - Sharp flavor. Very bitter and difficult to drink.

Overall - Something weird about this. The finish is abrasive.

Serving type: growler

05-13-2013 23:42:26 | More by Alieniloquium

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

03-15-2013 03:01:06 | More by orangesol

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

03-09-2013 02:48:35 | More by justintcoons

SPRichard

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2%

02-25-2013 21:54:04 | More by SPRichard

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

01-31-2013 23:25:20 | More by callmemickey

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at the source last weekend, and then served from a growler into a Forest & Main pint glass.

Pours a clear golden with visible carbonation. Nice white head with a good retention time and nice lacing on the way down. The nose is slightly grainy and backed by a bit of pepper and spice. The flavor is crisp and grainy, backed with subtle spice and yeast notes.

Light body and fairly-heavy carbonation. Really easy to drink. Mild, but fantastic for the session saison that it is.

Serving type: growler

01-31-2013 14:38:34 | More by Thorpe429

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

01-27-2013 04:12:37 | More by yourefragile

Giantspace

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

01-20-2013 05:54:15 | More by Giantspace

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

09-29-2012 20:56:43 | More by TheFightfan1

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

09-23-2012 15:31:55 | More by fdig23

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at The Boilermaker in Philadelphia, PA.

Pours a hazy golden orange color with bright yellow edges and a one finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Splotches of soapy lacing left behind.

Musty brett aroma with farmhouse funk, zesty spice, bready yeast and light fruit.  Really nice brett presence that compliments the barnyard yeast notes really well.  Slightly bready with hints of coriander, apple, banana and pear but the wild yeast dominates the nose.

Medium bodied with a dry, slightly tart brett presence that lingers over the funky farmhouse yeast, zesty spice and light fruit notes into a dry finish.  Strong musty brett character with dry effervescence followed by bread, earthy saison yeast, citrus fruit and spicy pepper.  Really refreshing but a bit heavy on the brett flavor, slightly overpowering the other notes.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 01:27:05 | More by corby112

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Forest and Main. A straw colored saison with a few fingers of fluffy head settling down to a thin band on top. Patchy lacing on the glass. Simple aroma; yeast and attendant spicy esters; pepper; a touch of citrus hops, some mild bready malt underneath. Uncomplicated and not particularly fragrant.

The flavor follows the nose closely; a well-integrated blend of spicy yeast notes and citrusy, grassy hops. Some caramel sweetness dries up in the finish. Again there is a restrained sense of bread and graininess in the malt base.

Medium-light bodied, with moderate, smooth carbonation and a nice creamy feel that could use just a hint more crispness, but not bad overall. This was a decent enough saison, but thoroughly unexceptional. Has an easy drinking character but not something I’d go back to when Forest and Main is making a handful of much more interesting beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 16:58:45 | More by tobelerone

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

07-29-2012 16:22:50 | More by rolltide8425

brendaniel

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-12-2012 12:18:54 | More by brendaniel

zekeman17

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

05-05-2012 22:23:01 | More by zekeman17

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

04-25-2012 17:30:23 | More by touchmeimsac

brez8791

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

04-21-2012 14:46:43 | More by brez8791

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at F&M, Ambler, PA

Poured a crystal clear, pale straw-yellow color with a small, wispy head. Light aroma of toasted grains, wheat. Taste was equally light, wheaty, grainy, flowery, pleasant and full of character, but a little bit lacking in flavor for me, personally. Crisp, light mouthfeel, with a bitter aftertaste, and decently drinkable. Pretty good overall, just not totally my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2012 23:06:43 | More by Rifugium