Saison Imperiale - Belgian Farmhouse Ale - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

sjccmd

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours slightly murky amber. Dark for the style I suppose, but it's appealing. Large frothy off-white/light tan head that recedes but sticks around for a while. Nice sticky lacing.

Smells of overripe fruit, green apples, brown sugar, molasses, a hint of bubblegum, earthy and funky yeast. A nice dose of tart and barnyard from the Brett. Somewhat spicy and very nice.

The taste consists of mild dark fruit, brown sugar, roasted malts. Finishes relatively sweet but earthy as well and leaves a spiciness that is almost reminiscent of rye, but is most definately from the yeast. The funk is not as present as in the aroma. Sweet and roasty for the style, but it's good.

Definately not carbonated enough. It's not awful because it does has a nice silky quality, but for a saison, it lacks the necessary dry crispness.

It's a very interesting beer to drink. It's a bit sweet, but for 8.5%, it's not much of a trouble to finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 03:23:42 | More by sjccmd

YeastEnthusiast

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

04-25-2013 03:08:44 | More by YeastEnthusiast

valkyre65

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-10-2013 00:30:31 | More by valkyre65

draheim

Washington

4.11/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL into a Hennepin glass. Pours a clear amber w/ a 1-finger head that leaves behind some fine lace. Moderate carbonation.

Aroma is spicy, earthy, and floral. Some wet hay. Typical Belgian saison character.

Taste is a little more complex than the nose. A blend of pale and sweet caramel malts, along with some spice and fruit. More floral notes; warm, bready yeast. No hint of alcohol.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slick, very drinkable. Crisp clean finish.

Overall a really nice saison from De Proef. There are more traditional versions of the style, but this one gives it a unique twist.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:53:55 | More by draheim

Seaba

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%

02-28-2013 14:19:34 | More by Seaba

adamant1912

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

01-29-2013 19:50:40 | More by adamant1912

innerspacesuit

Indiana

3/5  rDev -20.8%

01-28-2013 00:09:02 | More by innerspacesuit

uturn

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.5%

01-16-2013 02:12:12 | More by uturn

mrebeka

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

01-13-2013 05:31:40 | More by mrebeka

kbrown

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -34%

01-01-2013 02:46:58 | More by kbrown

x37x

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

12-08-2012 17:21:15 | More by x37x

gatornation

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

corked caged 750ml bottle

A-pours a slight hazed copper/amber color with a 2 finger tan head that recedes to a fresh cap with slight lacing

S-was malty first with caramel molasses and toffee ,dark fruits followed plum dates

T-followed the nose with sweet belgian candi mixed with earthy notes and yeast lots of caramel and molasses with prune and date notes
M- sweet and a tad boozy
O- very sweet and boozy with too much toffee/molasses not enough funk or light fruits

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:25:28 | More by gatornation

halo913

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

10-28-2012 14:53:39 | More by halo913

KZE80

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

10-22-2012 05:12:01 | More by KZE80

iwhitecavage

3/5  rDev -20.8%

09-22-2012 22:08:27 | More by iwhitecavage

superspak

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours very hazy very dark reddish brown color with a small 1 finger foamy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Decent spotty lacing clings on the glass. The cork hardly popped when I opened it, probably pushing 4 years or more in age. Aromas of caramel, toffee, molasses, prune, raisin, toast, pepper, earth, and big phenolic yeast esters. Aromas aren’t very pleasant at all; very stale and unbalanced feeling. Taste of caramel, toffee, molasses, prune, toast, biscuit, raisin, earth, herbal, grass, and light yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of caramel, molasses, toffee, toast, biscuit, dark fruits, herbal, earth, and light yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Pretty good flavor balance and complexity; but it feels more like a Belgian dark ale than a saison. Flavors were not as robust as I was expecting; no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a pretty solid dark Belgian saison. The aromas were pretty bad, but the taste turned out alright. Fairly enjoyable, if only they dated these bottles.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 05:51:11 | More by superspak

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

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

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip. No bottle date as far as I can see. Beer seems interesting from the description, but like it should work...brett to finish a saison, not too out there.

A: Cloudy amber hue, head has medium size bubbles, off white color. Lacing is great, retention is also pretty good.

S: Incredibly fruity, definitely some brett character in the nose. Smells a little like Pez candy (in a good way).

T: Kind of a light tasting Belgian amber with extra fruitiness from the brett and a more aggressive bitterness. Not what I was expecting, but tasty.

M: Nice and dry for a beer of this gravity.

O: It is a unique version of the style, unlike any beer that I can remember. Reminds me of a mild dubbel they dried out further with brett. Good stuff (but I forgot the price).

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:01:46 | More by 51mmz0rz

notchucknorris

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy and almost creamy looking brown color with a one finger light brown head.

S: Earthy with some bread, a touch of yeast, almond paste and maybe some cola nut.

T: Big malty flavors with distinct notes of earth and bread and some alcohol peeking out. Subdued peppery hops and some hints of lemon on the finish. Not a bad beer at all but probably not one I'd go for again.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 05:48:35 | More by notchucknorris

lpotter

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-17-2012 04:17:25 | More by lpotter

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.73/5  rDev -28%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

750ml bottle into an Old Engine Oil snifter. Thanks to vonschplieffen for sharing.

A: Hazy deep amber body with a dense tan head. Ok retention, spotty lace. Not bad looking, but way too dark for the style.

S: Sweet candied fruit and not much else. Caramel apple, some plum, and a bit of grassiness. Not that good for a Saison. A Tripel, maybe, but never a Saison.

T: Follows the nose - super sweet, fruity, and sugary. Nothing but candy. Meh.

M: Medium body, moderate amount of creamy carbonation. Great.

O: This was a disappointment, as it was WAY too sweet for the style, and the Brett really didn't add much of anything. It was mediocre for a sweet beer, and decidedly underwhelming for a Saison.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 01:24:12 | More by woosterbill

videofrog

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

05-06-2012 13:34:42 | More by videofrog

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Saison Imperiale - Belgian Farmhouse Ale
De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

Pours a dirty gold bordering on light tan. Decent amount of froth forms and recedes fairly quickly. In the nose, Belgian yeast esters, mild fruity notes, brett, and some earthy/musty farmhouse aromas as well. In the taste, tempered fruit notes (fig, pear, plum) as well as a little brett funk but not really tart or sour. Caramel, toffee, even banana flavors emerge. A beer full of nice complexities that make this beer a sipper. Soft woody hop bitterness, and just a hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, semi-dry, and a clean finish. Overall, a really nice effort, a perfect night cap.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 12:08:35 | More by Stinkypuss

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

03-18-2012 23:47:06 | More by TMoney2591

MrJolly

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

02-25-2012 03:49:56 | More by MrJolly

TheCrowsNest

California

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured orange/brown into a small stange glass. White, fluffy foam rounds on top, above the rim of the glass and sticks around with delicate lacing decorating the walls.

Very light farmhouse funk with some pear and apple esters also present. It's a light, refreshing aroma.

Delicious. The Brett is immediately present and a variety of light colored fruits are bouncing around. A delicious aftertaste of bubblegum lingers.

Effervescent and light bodied. Anything more would hide the complexities of this farmhouse ale.

I really liked this. I've heard a lot about these bubblegum flavors that are created by a lot of Belgian yeast strains, but this is the first time I've been able to track it down interdependently.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 22:43:14 | More by TheCrowsNest