La Sirène Saison Noël - La Sirène Brewing

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml green bottle, similar to the regular saison, but capped and covered with gold foil. Available during the Australian summer.

Pours a gorgeous deep golden colour, with solid hazing and a very fine bead. Head forms a pleasantly fine crest of just off-white; it crackles down to a solid persistence. Body is light bit smooth. Very solid stuff for the style.

Nose is clean but clear. Bright sweet stonefruit aromas, some spicy pepper, but very minimal funk. Smooth malt forms a slightly earthy, grainy basis, but it's subdued, and just provides structure to the aroma. It's very good stuff.

Taste is clear and sweet on the front: light but with a pleasant depth from the malt. Mild astringency, some slight slight spicy overtones, but with a big, pleasant marzipan sweetness pulling it back and making it comforting and warm. Feel is very smooth, but frothy and light.

The delineation between this beer and the regular Saison does indeed seem to be the sweetness: clear fruity characters tends to dominate this beer, whereas the regular has a pleasant funk underlining everything. This beer seems less of a saison as a result, but damn it's still very, very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 08:23:51 | More by lacqueredmouse

laituegonflable

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a burnished bronze-ish colour, fairly sedimenty. Lovely dense pillow of white head. Looks very nice.

Smells spicy, lots of nutmeg, star anise. Funky saison notes on there as well; fresh grass clippings and some stewed stone fruit. Nice, but a bit by-the-numbers saison, I would like the spice to pop out a bit more.

Lots of star anise on the palate. Quite peppery upfront, slightly tart. Aniseed myrtle, some nutmeg, cinnamon that blends well into the funky saison back. Quite fresh and pleasant towards the finish, but darker and more complex upfront. Bit of sweetness underlying with a touch of rubber on the back. Yeah... not bad. Again, delivers what it promises but only the minimum, doesn't really go further.

Smooth texture, bit of champagney edge to it as well.

Tastes like you'd expect; drinks like it too. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 05:47:22 | More by laituegonflable

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.13/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours deep amber with a massive head.
Nose shows funky notes, lemon, faint vegetal characters and doughy notes.
More doughy notes as flavours, along with a little bit of light fruit and some grainy malt.
Massively overcarbonated.
Ok but nothing great.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 23:54:58 | More by CrazyDavros

heygeebee

Australia

3.44/5  rDev -5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

From Beer Cartel. No BB.

Into Duvel tulip. Pours a massive billowing head, over a hazy amber body. That's five to six finger head. Hmmmm... Lots of clingy lace.

Moderate aromas of funk, lemons, hint of bananas.

Taste is Saison-ish without the true zest or funk. More spicy notes, and sweetish banana. As it warms, it morphs somewhat into across between a Saison and a hefe, with fruit elements.

Mouthfeel unusual, sweetish notes and a somewhat creamy cloying element. Carbonation seems too light. Not as zesty. Does not finish crisp.

Prefer regular, but that is not to say this is not a very presentable brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 11:04:53 | More by heygeebee

spicelab

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75

Amber orange with an over-exuberant dirty white head that collapses slowly with haphazard lacing.

Nose displays the original ester profile melded with richer dark fruit and toffee malt character together with sweet earthy spice. Notes of strawberry, dates, caramelised banana and cinnamon. Intriguing complexity.

Flavours are great too and quite ballsy. Woody dark fruits, peaches, stewed plums, banoffee pie.

Body is quite syrupy, almost trying, with a touch of booze on the rear which is not quite what I look for in a Saison. The carbonation doesn't really bring it back to the mark either, and it ends up far closer to a Christmas Ale than a Saison.

Overall I'm a fan. Although the beefier malt and spice presence compromises the refreshing and tart characteristics I look for in a Saison, the depth in the aroma and flavour profile is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:38:29 | More by spicelab