Green Flash / St. Feuillien Friendship Brew - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.41/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

P: Black slightly transparent body with mahogany tint. A massive mountain if rocky brown ice cream float head. Great retention that settles to a creamy crown. 3 rings of lacing cling to the sides.

S: Roasted malt, cocoa nibs, dark fruits, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, clove and faint licorice. Earthy farmhouse yeast and roasted grains. Aroma is similar to the spring time gain laundry detergent.

T/M: Lots of char in the taste with a bouquet of floral hops, dark cocoa, chalky yeast and a bite of cayenne pepper midway through the swish. Sweetness from burnt molasses, brown sugar and dark fruits. Medium-full body boasting zesty carbonation. Finish is semi dry with lingering spice, wild onions and leaves a dirty grainy feel behind.

O: Super complex nose with a great a roasted earthy spiced profile that delivers sugary sweetness to bring balance. The aroma is the main attraction. Im not a huge fan of dark saisons but this one is pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 18:09:33 | More by Hopswagger

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Sure, they call themselves friends, but do they go bowling together? Anyway, this stuff pours a midnight russet-garnet topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises pumpernickel, light perfume, black pepper, clove, light ginger, brown sugar, cardamom, light candied orange peel, light toast, and a bit of licorice. Man, there's all sorts o' things goin' on here, I almost don't know what to do with it all. The taste generally brings in more of the same, though the toast is stronger and there pervades a strange bitterness and spiciness throughout, one that puts me off more than it intrigues me. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a dry-ish finish. Overall, this is an odd duck, indeed. It's aroma is more than complex and intriguing, but the corresponding flavors just don't meld well together at all, leaving me wondering why they lied to me in the first place. Not the basis of a strong and prosperous friendship, if you ask me...

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 07:17:04 | More by TMoney2591

dbossman

Nebraska

3.9/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Quite black with a cocoa-colored, bubbly, froth head; lacing is really nice

S: Spicy and fruity: bananas, cloves, apples, pepper, rosemary, anise; also bready and a touch of chocolatey; a strange but strangely appetizing blend of aromas

T: Grassy herbal flavors mingle with spicy fruity flavors: subtle anise, mint, grass, banana, cloves; this is weird but unlike most of the review, I like this

F: Sticky, medium body; good mouth feel

O: Strange. But a really interesting beer nonetheless: roasty, spicy, grassy, herbaly; frankly, though, I like it

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 13:08:23 | More by dbossman

laituegonflable

Australia

3.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a dark brown colour. Head is over-generous but beautiful, sinking slowly to form a marshmallowy lump on the top - lacing left behind is gorgeous, beige and sticky. Looks fantastic.

Smells strongly funky, with a rich, comforting dark roastiness. Strong star anise notes as well, a touch of nutmeg and maybe some fennel. Spice has a slight sour note to it, and could use maybe some more sweetness on the nose. Just a tad overdone on the spice to make it keel off-balance.

Taste is slightly more in balance. Roastiness underlies it all, slight char note with light coffee grounds. Spice is there too - anise, clove and some pepper. Still has that slight sour, raw spice kind of flavour, unbridled, but the roast malt makes a decent complement.

Thinnish feel; no real presence in the mouth. A little bland, but OK for the palate that goes along with it.

If it were stronger it might make a more interesting blend, or if there were more Belgian yeast notes, too. The spice is the dominant figure throughout, and the beer seems a bit uninteresting in what it does with it.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 10:26:26 | More by laituegonflable

MalterMatthau

Nebraska

3.48/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is an interesting brew, and in my lifelong quaffing continuum up to this point it stands out, so it james garners a mention here.

Appearance: held up to the early spring sunshine it allows no light to penetrate its obscurity. 3.5 for standing tough like onyx to the rays of the sun.

The smell is less than stellar, perhaps like forgotten licorice discovered stuck at the bottom of a jar. 2.5 for reminding me of a grandfather I never knew.

The taste of this Friendship Brew is its most remarkable aspect, a combination of anise and mint and nutmeg that my palette takes notice of continuously throughout imbibing. Four.

Overall, I'm happy to taste a new taste in beer but I'm not going to aggressively pursue buying another bottle. It should be noted that I finally tried this because of a three dollars price reduction.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 19:30:48 | More by MalterMatthau

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Even though I paid $1.75 for this I still feel cheated. Color is that of a stout with no inescapable light and a 1/4 inch of deep mocha head. For some reason I wanted this to smell like a Black IPA but alas little to no hops in the nose just mint, anise, and a touch of coriander. Taste is only mildly palatable and makes me wonder why they even bottled this monstrosity. Burn rosemary, deep black anise (which isn't terrible but not great) and a mildly fruity yeast in the finish. Mouthfeel isn't that terrible giving me a medium chewy body much bigger than I would expect for such a low ABV Saison.

Overall this beer is pretty much a fail in the sense of friendship. It made me hate green Flash all over again (still can't drink west coast IPA it taste like soap)

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:44:28 | More by DrDemento456

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

2.54/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Did not know it was a black Saison. Pours very dark with a light white head. Light struggles to get through.

S-Oh no. Burnt rosemary? Anise. Spicy and herbal. Cooking spices. Yeasty and toasty.

T-A burnt arrangement of cooking spices. Menthol. Not even close to appetizing.

M-Dreaded each sip.

O/D-Bad.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 01:05:21 | More by VelvetExtract

Lawl3ss

Texas

1.95/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5

Chilled 22 oz. bomber into a 12-oz tulip. Bottled 7.31.12.

Look- Deep ruby brown, started with a glass full of foam, needed four pours to get it into the two tulips. Head is loose, pearlescent off-white, falls quickly. Sparse lacing.

Smell- Funky, lighter than expected. Spicy, minty, floral. No trace of darker malts. Dominated by the yeast.

Taste- Similar to the nose, light citrus, mint, funky, touches of roast and black malt here and there, but pretty vague- more like cola than anything. There are a number of things going on here but they don't add up to anything good- spices come across as medicinal. Finishes ashy and metallic, borderline unpleasant.

Mouthfeel- Prickly, dry-ish, medium heft. Coating, lingering listerine feel. 5.7%? I would have guessed at least 8% with how harsh it is.

Overall- It's got a feel that I generally associate with an infected homebrew- slick, overcarbonated, harsh, metallic finish. Vaguely reminiscent of a few of Jester King's wild yeast-spiked offerings, but theirs are actually good, whereas this one was pretty difficult to choke down. Feels sort of half-done, like they were shooting for something and fell short. I wouldn't buy it again and would probably pass if it was offered for free. A pity, as I generally like Green Flash.

I'm going to knock another half-point off of my overall score because the brewers chose to A) bottle the stuff and B) charge so much for it.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:11:54 | More by Lawl3ss

beagle75

Iowa

3.49/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Opaque black color with dense and lofty mocha-tinted foam that collapses to one finger of stable head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Fragrant mint and sage are potent, immediately evoking memories of Stone's Saison du Buff. Fine threads of moist earth and body odor represent the combined, tangled influences of Belgian yeast and roasted barley.

T: Begins dry, with smooth roast, cooling mint, and buttermilk that is unctuous and tangy. Early flavors are all delivered simultaneously, much to the confusion of the taster's palate. Herbaceous aromatics and dark dairy qualities provide a bridge into the finish where resurgent roast leaves the palate very dry. Brisk mint aromatics linger after other flavors have faded.

M: Medium viscosity, aggressively cooling on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: Unique but a little too experimental for its own good, this beer threatens to cross the line between interesting and unappealing flavor combinations. Aromatic herbs are unfettered, providing surprising tactile attributes and bright contrast to the reliably dark but otherwise muddled qualities of yeast and malt. Not highly desirable in the final tally, but worth experiencing once.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:18:10 | More by beagle75

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz Bottle from Party Source Syracuse NY for $3.50

Appearance - Dark brown colour with a large size fizzy light brown head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for 2-3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, grains, anise, lemons, smokey/burnt notes

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and coffee. There are also some smokey/burnt notes, anise, and a bit of a graininess and some sour citric flavours. It ends with a tart yet smokey aftertaste.

Overall - Can't say I've ever had a beer quite like this one. It's like a kitchen sink type of beer - everything has been thrown in. I can see how some would say this is a mess, but I can appreciate the uniqueness. Not something I'd rush out to get more of, but well worth a try to see how far the limits of beer can be stretched.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:51:30 | More by spinrsx

kojevergas

California

2.5/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded pressure cap acquired for $8.99 at the Cap N Cork in Los Feliz. 5.7% ABV according to my bottle. Label is blue and clearly identifies it as a collaboration with St Feuillien. Reviewed live. Expections are low given the current ratings and the brewery in combination with the style (is Green Flash capable of executing a black saison? I highly doubt it.) Brewed and bottled by Green Flash.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Shocked at the seeming overcarbonation as I poured. Pours a seven finger head of surprisingly appealing tan colour, great smooth cream, fantastic thickness, and excellent (~10+ minute) retention. The head just sits there; it's not receding at all. Body colour is a solid nontransparent black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Opaque. Fair lacing as the head slowly slowly recedes. Quite foamy. It certainly looks overcarbonated. In any case, I'm excited to try it.

Sm: Peppermint/spearmint, biscuity yeast, and generic malts. Mint is dominant. Some blood-orange. Pumpkin gourd. Medicinal aspirin. Light timid leather. Maybe light brett yeast. Earthy notes. Fennel/anise/light licorice. Light soapy hops. Those are the only notes me broken nose can detect; all apologies, lads. A moderate strength aroma, and dareisay a unique one. I'm excited to try it.

T: Okay. Hm. Dominant mint, light fennel/anise/licorice. Light pumpkin gourd. Crappy cola notes. A bit medicinal, but in the best way possible - if that makes any sense. No bretts or yeast come through. No leather either. Lightly soapy hops. I expected this to be awful given current ratings; that isn't the case. Though it's not good. It's certainly not balanced well; this is a real mess. Buried roasted barley. Dark malts. Earthy character - which isn't doing it any favors. Lacks subtlety and balance. Underwhelmingly executed, but I don't know that it's bad. Certainly unfocused, but I like the ambition and experimentation. There are many beers that fail because they simply don't try; this one really goes for it - and fails spectacularly. I think there's respectability in that. I wouldn't say that I like it, per se, but it's not the crapfest current ratings (76) suggest.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Okay thickness. Light creamy quality. Carbonation is a bit overdone, but it works here. Palate presence is okay. It suits the flavour profile okay. Doesn't lack body.

Dr: Drinkable. Not stellar, not awful, but drinkable. People are being a bit harsh on it, methinks. It's not a great Black Saison - or even a good one. But it's not awful, either. I always applaud experimentation. This is one effort that seems to suffer from its nature as a collaboration beer; I can't help but think that it'd have turned out far better if St Feuillien had brewed it alone. In any case, I won't be buying it again - especially at its high price point. As a saison fan, I don't think much of this offering - but I appreciate what they were going for. The elements here just really don't mesh. Also, why is the ABV so low?

High D+

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 06:19:25 | More by kojevergas

elNopalero

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +35.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on 8/7/12. Purchased 3/3/13 from a fine bottle shop. Assumed fresh (first time seeing this brew on the shelves) otherwise I would have checked. Enjoyed 3/5/13.

First impressions came from removing the cap and hearing a nice pfffssst! from the escaping carbon dioxide. Not that I’d expect a 7 month old beer to have gone flat but knowing that it still had this much life in it was encouraging.

I took the pour in stages as the brew had this wonderful tendency to foam, foam, foam, a rich, cocoa-colored creamy topping which lingered for some time and was quite a joy to watch. It definitely fits the description of a black saison, cocoa-tinged foam atop a black ale.
The aroma confronts you with a mix of chocolate roast and smoked cardamom (seriously) followed by an undertone which to me is unmistakably blood orange citrusy. It’s such a curious mix but tantalizing, and the more time I spend with it, the more it opens, the more I enjoy it.

The flavor starts off flatly bitter—the bitterness doesn’t peak, nor does it die off at the finish—with the roast notes and a blood orange zest coming across. There’s a touch of smoke with that smoked cardamom nuance, with enough of a body to support the flavors without becoming overwhelmed or too heavy.

At this point I’ve tried a handful of black saisons and this was one of the better ones. Hoping I see it again—fresh—so I can revisit it sometime.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 08:01:16 | More by elNopalero

Pencible

Virginia

4/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured an opaque black with fluffy tan head.
S: It smelled like allspice and clove, with some pumpkin bread and grassy hops and horse blanket.
T: It tasted like grassy hops and allspice and pumpkin bread, with some clove and copper and horse blanket. It had a clean and funky and earthy aftertaste.
M: It was fairly thick with lots of carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was a nice spicy beer, perfect for the holidays. The scent and taste were complex and enjoyable, and the body was fitting. The finish was smooth too, so it was easy to drink. Nice unique brew (surprisingly better than the black saison collaboration with Stone, Evil Twin, and Stillwater).

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 21:21:58 | More by Pencible

bashiba

Iowa

4.04/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a deep dark brown with a huge thick and creamy head, long lasting and tons of lacing.

The smell is loaded with spices I especially get a nice blast of ginger.

The flavor is very nice, with dry cocoa and ginger along with a light smokey roasted malt and a long lasting earthy bitterness.

The mouthfeel is both oily and dry. It has a thick resiny hop quality to it along with a long dry finish.

This beer is very easy to drink, nice and flavorful, like a well done spiced porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:43:26 | More by bashiba

arfenhouse

California

3.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with a large khaki head. Good retention and decent lacing.

S: Pepper, caramel, and some roasted malt. Brown sugar and some dark chocolate. Some spice and herbal and spice smell that's difficult for me to describe. A bit of mint, maybe some clove. Fun to smell.

T: Nice dose of bitter roasted malt upfront. Herbal and spice profile come in a bit bitter. Clove, pepper, a bit of allspice, and others that I can't really discern. Finishes with a bit of roasted coffee and roasted malt bitterness.

M: Smooth, silky, and medium-full body. Carbonation is medium. A bit wet.

O: This was my first saison and it left me a bit confused. Nothing off-putting about the flavors or smell but was a weird/interesting experience overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:31:42 | More by arfenhouse

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355ml bottle purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne. A black saison, brewed with (unspecified) spices, as a collaboration between Green Flash in California and St. Feuillien in Belgium.

Pours, indeed, rather black: certainly darker than many Black Saisons I've had. Firm and deep body, that sloshes rather fluidly. Head is a toasty pale brown colour, pocked with large bubbles. Lacing forms in long ribbons as the head goes down. Looks pretty good.

Nose is spicy and slightly tangy, with aniseed and fennel coming through. Some mild peppery characters, and a hint of cola or candy sweetness. Liquorice is the main event though, and it's pleasant: it wafts in an out amongst the mild acidity and the roast to make a pleasant concert.

Taste is also heavy on the aniseed, but here it's much less dominant. Instead, there are big biting, bitter characters which seem to take over: quite pronounced hop bitterness, mixed with roasted astringency turning ashy towards the back. The saison character perhaps is only felt as a soapy lemony character, very reminiscent of detergent, on the mid palate, although the spices give a continuing peppery buoyancy through to the end.

Overall, it's not bad, but it feels a bit out of balance. There's a lot going on, in ways that aren't always in harmony. It creates something of a cacophonous whole that doesn't work as well as it might have.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 06:13:34 | More by lacqueredmouse

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A midnight black colored body is accompanied by a mountainous 3 finger goldish-tan head that was absolutely rock steady on the hold. Thick, sloppy spongy patchwork adores the glass.

S: Slight muskiness, barnyard, hay is prominent with a dry grain finish.

T: Flavor is musky chocolate, dry grains and hay with that aforementioned barnyard flair. Dry bitter finish comes with some burnt vegetation and a touch of burnt wood, coal, and earthy soil. Dry barnyard funk, burnt herbaceous hop cones and some coffee with a dash of peppery spice.

M: Mouthful was bitter and dry, medium bodied, burnt touch, barnyard funk and soft carbonation.

O: Overall hard to determine what spices were used. the belgian yeast added some barnyard funk to compliment the dark bitter grain base. Good.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 01:58:25 | More by beerthulhu

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a large tan head.
Nose shows slight roast along with an unmistakable tang and some spice that I can't pick. Interesting.
Same story with the flavours: wierd spices and some roasty malt along with the same tang again.
Carbonation is spot on at least.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 04:41:51 | More by CrazyDavros

dgilks

Australia

3.33/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Inky balck with a big, rocky, tan head. Great head retention.

Interesting combination of aromas. Roast, earth, pine, juniper, coriander.

Roast dryness and lots of earthy spice. Lightly sweet malt. I don't like the way some of the herbs play in here as it doesn't seem to work.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fine.

An okay beer but the flavours don't seem well integrated to me with the herbal notes just not working.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 08:16:44 | More by dgilks

BDMao88

1.25/5  rDev -61.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A -It's very dark with a VERY thick head that is easily 3-4 fingers.

S - A very flat cola smell with a tiny bit of spice.

T - Horrible, this is the first beer I had to pour out it was that bad! I'm really surprised since this brewery makes amazing beer. It has a strange minty/super flat cola taste...it's a bit strange to describe.

M - has a light feel to it

O - I bought this beer twice to make sure I didn't pour it wrong to get the insane head on it or the horrible taste. I do not like this beer at all!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:17:13 | More by BDMao88

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.49/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance –Served a black colored brew with a small tan head. The head faded quite fast, leaving a nice amount of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of a roasted malt mixed with spices of coriander and clove. Some pepper aromas as well as some funky aroma are mixed in as well giving it a odd roasted and funked saison kind of smell.

Taste – The flavor begins with a strong dose of roasted malt mixed with a small amount of a citrus taste. Spices of pepper and clove are rather heavy up front. While the spices dwindle toward the end they remain ever present in the taste. A herbal and grassy flavor comes to the tongue at the middle to the end. These flavors take the taste to its end where a roasted and lightly bittered grass/herb flavor is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer was on the medium side in terms of its creaminess with a carbonation level that was average as well. Both were a good compromise for the roasted body of the beer and the more funky and spicy flavors.

Overall – A fairly interesting beer in my opinion. While the flavors don’t meld perfectly at all times they make for an interesting combination and style. While it isn’t one I would go to on any real occasion, it is a good one to try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 00:14:37 | More by Darkmagus82

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Deep, dark body on the border between black & purple, thick mocha head, sticks around nicely.

Interesting, heavily herbed nose. Can't quite put my finger on exactly what herb this evokes, but it really reminds me Saison du BUFF, I think sage is the dominant note. Throws in a little mint, anise, lime, but yeah, that "other" herbal note is way stronger than any of those. Some fig & floral smells, too. Tough getting at the actual beer through all this, but a pretty unique smell among beers. Ooh, I think I got it - cardamom!

Again, strong herbal & dried flower taste at first, right on the border where fruity turns to flowery. Moves into a mildly roasty, sweet character, which makes for a curious interplay with the floral aspect. Like many ''black'' hybrids, ends with that roasty flavor, but the cardamom lingers.

Both silky & heavy on the tongue at the same time - very smooth & kind of slides right along, but leaves a lot in its wake. Medium-bodied, & that roasty character leaves a slightly ashy feeling.

It took me til halfway through the beer before I realized what it reminded me of: Epic Ales' OTTO-Optimizer, an ale with cardamom & roasted barley. I think this is more balanced than that, but it was fun reliving that crazy rollercoaster of herbs & roast. A unique beer, enjoyed it enough but can't say I'd revisit it a bunch.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:17:45 | More by OneDropSoup

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 8/7/2012. Pours fairly pitch black color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense dark khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of roasted malt, coriander, clove, pepper, dark chocolate, lime, light smoke, toast, ginger, herbal, and earthy yeast spiciness. Nice and unique aromas with good strength and complexity; lots of spices noted, was hoping for more roasted balance in the nose. Taste of dark chocolate, roasted malt, lime, coriander, clove, sage, pepper, toast, light smoke, ginger, raisin, light coffee, herbal, and earthy yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of roasted malt, toast, coriander, clove, pepper, sage, herbal, light coffee, lime, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Good flavor balance and complexity; with a solid malt/spiciness balance; and minimal cloying spices after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly creamy and very crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a good black saison style. Good balance and complexity of flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable and unique offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:18:55 | More by superspak

MEsquandoles

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into bulbous St Feuillien stemmed glass.

Full carbonation with fine bubbles (bottle conditioned).

Aroma is dominated by spice and menthol.

Tastes kinda like bitters and mint chocolate latte, some chai as well. Definitely some Brett in there too. For spices, I'd guess from ginger, eucalyptus, some kind of pepper, cardamom, anise, allspice, or sage, and in the Belgian tradition I'd bet on grains of paradise, coriander, and/or some kind of fruit peel. It's an interesting and complex spice presence, and certainly a strong one.

Slick mouthfeel with dry finish and lingering herbal bitterness. Fairly astringent and somewhat metallic.

Unique for sure, it really grew on me but I'd recommend sharing the bottle. It reminds me of bitters and beer cocktails, which I thoroughly enjoy, so I think that's why I like more than most.

Should be interesting to age.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 06:50:48 | More by MEsquandoles

nimrod979

Maryland

2.14/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

Bottled 7/31/12. Poured into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Near black with a tan one finger head. Excellent retention and lacing everywhere.

Aroma: Huge peppery spice, medicinal. Juniper. Roasted malt.

Taste: Shew, where to begin? This beer is a mess of flavors and it's not good. overly spiced, peppery, juniper, coriander, orange peel, ginger? It's too medicinal and leaves a bad flavor in the mouth. Phenolic, slight bitterness (in a bad way) Just an overall mess.

Mouthfeel:Medium bodied with a slightly prickly carbonation. The flavors are too overwhelming to to appreciate any good mouthfeel qualities this beer could offer. Kinda like someone sprayed perfume in my mouth.

Overall: Glad I only bought one of these. Terrible.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 00:12:03 | More by nimrod979