W'12 Dark Saison - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a medium dark brown with no foam. Completely clear atop. Funky farmhouse smell. Bubblegum. Maybe subtle cola. Lots going on.

Malty citrus taste. Strange/different hop bitter close. Light carbonation but enough to drive the flavor to the right level. Nicely blended saison, tasty with a bunch of things going on.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 19:01:45 | More by KTCamm

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a burgundy pour with 1" white head which quickly dissipated.
smells of yeast, citrus, roasted grains.
the taste is surprisingly sweet, yet refreshing like most saisons.. very subtle flavors of sweet malt, lemon, pepper, banana.
light body+, slightly creamy on lips, high carbonation.
a fantastic saison! we just started getting widmer in nj, i believe, but i ordered this from halftime because it was something i haven't seen around here. glad i did!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 22:29:56 | More by facundoCNB

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a darker copper hue, very little head, no lacing, This is an older bottle, but I've had it many times in 2012.
S - Nice complex smell, lots of belgian scents coming out of this, bubblegum oddly, some roasted coffee beans, spices and herbs, a light grapefruit peel smell.
T - You kinda feel the spices pop in this, a mild tart flavor of citrus, some nutty malts, and a little yeast.
M - I dont remember it having that bubble gum flavor linger, but now it certainly is, still gets a sourness and complex spice flavor.
O - I thought this was a pretty good beer, I know a lot thought it was garbage, but I enjoyed it, its a different kind of saison, one that was easily drinkable and had lots of unique qualities.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 01:12:23 | More by Omnium

goldennectar

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into Sam Adams tulip glass.

Appearance: Copper brown with a thin white head that quickly fades

Smell: Yeasty, bready and slightly spicy, interesting

Taste: Like the aroma with some maltines to it

Mouthfeel: Light and and highly carbonated, maybe a bit too much carbonation, at least for me

Overall: Maybe strays a bit from a traditional saison but still a refreshing and very drinkable beer, something you can enjoy several of on a summer afternoon

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 00:17:04 | More by goldennectar

mactrail

California

3.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A lighter variety of Saison, but it has its charms. Quite lovely in the big chalice, with the dark amber color and decent foamy cap. Nice mouthfeel with plenty of fine carbonation.

Fairly sharp yet malty with an underlying sweetness. Not exactly a classic Saison. You have to think of this as a great light beer that has a Belgian pedigree. Reminds me of the Flying Dog Biere de Garde. The darker color doesn't seem to translate into much flavor, but there is a touch of caramel. Light body and tart. Bitter twang in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 05:54:37 | More by mactrail

TheSixthRing

California

3.75/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a semi-clear ruby amber with an off-white finger width head. Retention is good, leaving behind a healthy, sticky lace.

Smell - Belgian yeast qualities on the nose, overripe banana, brown sugar, a touch of clove and caramel.

Taste - Predominately Belgian yeast flavors; slightly sour with hints of banana and clove. Faint caramel notes come into play mid flavor. Finishes slightly spicy with a mellow banana fade, and a slight metallic twang.

Mouthfeel - A touch watery. Decent carbonation, but not enough to save a fairly disappointing body.

Overall - A pretty good effort from Widmer here. Not sure how this constitutes as being a dark saison, but it's a good one regardless.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 00:26:48 | More by TheSixthRing

Bernard_Lettuce

New York

3.74/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Cloudy copper with minimal head retention.

S: Warm and chocolatey with underlying citrus notes.

T: Crisp, prominent chocolate/caramel flavor; aftertaste of lemon and yeast.

M: Light, mild carbonation.

O: Pleasant and refreshing, nothing too bold, good for a warm afternoon but really not much of a saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:15:40 | More by Bernard_Lettuce

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My crappy internet connection caused me to lose my original review for this a few minutes ago, but I'm pretty sure I can recreate it from memory, so here it goes, sans the original flowery verbiage:

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Chestnut with glowing amber highlights throughout.

Lots of wheat smells at first: honey, bubblegum, with an anise quality thrown into the mix.

Taste is wheaty again: honey, bubblegum, there's the anise, but in comes a huskiness that ends a little burnt. Lots of flavor & aroma packed into a 5.5% package!

Light-bodied but also a little sticky & with that lightly burnt character.

Gotta say again, this packs a lot of flavor into a not-so-big beer, & an unusual flavor at that. Personally, the closest comparison I can come to is the "dark-witbier-with-anise" homebrew I made out of Randy Mosher's "Radical Brewing" - a lot of the same characteristics. Not bad, I'd go for it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 02:20:19 | More by OneDropSoup

Guden

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - A medium amber body with a red tint and amazing clarity. Lots of little carbonation bubbles rise up into the small but long lasting off white head. I expected this to be darker based on the name is the biggest flaw.

S- Candy, both toffee and gummy worms, are the first thing to hit the nose. These mingle with earthy and funky yeast character and some spicy hops.

T- The taste is surprisingly different from the nose. While there is a bit of sweet candy character its balanced with a moderate hop spiciness and a noticeable but mild bitterness that stays on the tongue a bit longer than the other flavors. It's tasty and a little different but seems all a bit subdued.

M- Moderately dry with some creaminess and moderate carbonation, seems a little fuller in the mouth than most saisons but with the dark grains it works.

D- This beer is very drinkable but isn't quite what I was looking for. It's a bit like an English brown ale that was made with saaz hops and saison yeast, sweet and fairly mild but with those added layers of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 22:51:09 | More by Guden

lonestar4lunch

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep ruby red has a bright white head that doesn't seem to go away. The aroma is funky good. There is a bit of banana to go with the earthy aroma. Some very light hops in there. The carbonation seems to hit at the front then the taste really comes forward. That saison, earthy & slightly malty taste really is well done and there is just a bit of citrus hop toward the end. It has a nice dry finish and doesn't leave you guessing about the style. To me this is just another well done brewmasters release from Widmer. It is no KGB but really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 23:11:39 | More by lonestar4lunch

weerezboy

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark Amber in colour, pour a thick white head that slowly dissipates. Leaves light lacing of head down the glass as you drink.

S- Sweet fruity/banana smell at first. Has an undertone of hops and earthy malt.

T- Strong fruit start to a thick malt flavor. Ends with a hoppy bite in the back of the mouth. fruit and hop both do not overpower the taste of malt throughout the mouthful.

M- medium, with thin carbonation, unlike most Saison I have had.

Overall the beer is good but not what I was hoping for when I saw Saison, especially after enjoying Boulevard's Tank 7 a few weeks ago. I guess a dark Saison can have a totally different profile. Drinkable but filling, a pretty enjoyable beer from Widmer.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 04:35:50 | More by weerezboy

djbreezy

Washington

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - transparent copper hue, light retention, light lace

Smell - faint but sweet and dark fruit notes

Taste - banana, dates, sweet fruit

Mouthfeel - light, watery

Overall - not sure what they were going for here, just tinting an average saison with cracked malts? that's not to say its not good but it's not outstanding either

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:22:59 | More by djbreezy

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz picked up at the COOP.. poured into my little CC goblet.. off white head with good lacing.. the brew is a good deep amber ... very clear..

Slightly phenolic in the aromas.. a bit of clove and some pepper.. some light caramel and fig notes...

toasty elements with some dried raisin and light clove... interesting almost molasses traces that are of place.. dark rye bread crusts on the finish.. a smattering of honey essence..

The body is expected light/medium.. the carbonation is a touch light for the style but within forgivable range...

Pretty interesting brew with the current Saison craze in the PNW... I think this one cuts through the masses and makes for a good approachable dark(ish) saison ... the "dark" qualities seem too much when compared to the benchmarks of the brew...

3.5/3.5/3.5/4/4

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 08:25:19 | More by JohnGalt1

flexabull

California

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark and clear amber color with a thin white head.

Aromas are spicy, some yeast, dark bread, hard candies, and grass. Smells pretty nice.

Taste is bready, nutty, light cola, banana and of spicy yeast. Some hard candy sweetness, light sourness, and a bit of a grassy quality. Finish is crisp with light mineral hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is smooth, lighter body, about right for the style.

Overall this is a pretty unique and above average beer. Worth trying, but not really something I'd want to drink more than one of in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 00:58:15 | More by flexabull

dmadsen

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a great, deep color. Amber, almost brown. There is a light head with light lacing. The smell is great. Very robust. Strong flavor, there are a lot of elements to it. Fruit, smoky, bit of remaining sourness on the end. Good mouthfeel, stays on the tongue. A bit of carbonation.

Not very familiar with Saison, so I couldn't compare to other strong versions of the style. Overall, a good beer with good flavor. This came in a sampler pack. I'd think twice about 5 more for the right price, but not 11.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 03:46:39 | More by dmadsen

jbakajust1

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured into Deschutes Tulip

A - Pours a rudy reddish brown, clear, w/ 1" head that quick fades to a thin ring and leaves decent lacing.

S - Smells of fruits, clove, pepper, citrus, peach, light dark fruit aroma, toasted biscuits, big on the fruits.

T - Taste mirrors the smell. Fruity, citrus, peach, tropical, toasted biscuits, raisins, cloves, white pepper, light sweetness, slight metalic note in the end.

M - light, kind of watery, semi dry finish, slight bitterness, lacking in carbonation for a Saison.

O - When I popped the top there was no... well... pop! I knew that would be an issue from the start, not enough carbonation. I was very impressed with the aroma and taste, much of the attributes I have in the Saison I just brewed w/ WY 3726 Farmhouse, lots of big fruits and some spiciness. If this had classic high Belgian carb, a dryer finish, and the metalic taste was gone, it would be awesome. I will still have more while it is around, just wish they would have gotten the carbonation right.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 05:21:57 | More by jbakajust1

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a clear copper color with a creamy cap of tan head. Decent retention and lacing.

Nose shows off a fair amount of yeast esters with bubblegum and banana leading the charge. Toasty caramel comprise the malt aromas. Smells pretty good actually.

Taste does not quite follow through with the same class as the nose, but still not half bad. The toasty malt with a touch of honey blends pretty well with a mild yeast and a dry hop finish. Its more earthy than I like to see in a saison, and the yeast is too clean. While I was happy with half a sixer, I dont really think I would want to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:37:05 | More by twiggamortis420

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up in a mix six, poured into a goblet chilled, shared with tenderbranson69.

The color is mildly hazed caramel with some bronze shades with a thick cream cap that settles to a ring of white. The bead is fine and carbonation is visible. The smell is very yeasty with a slight phenolic tinge with slight spice and mild clove with a mellow malt accent. The feel is pretty good with a gentle bitterness and mild malt sweetness with mostly dry body which is medium heavy with slight creaminess and moderate carbonation.

A taste of dried fruit and slight spice with some dark bread and light pepper in the tertiary. The flavor has a lot of yeast presence which is slightly peppery and adds a hint of tangy tropical flavor to the saison. There is a light taste of ripe banana and the mild toast notes accent the herbal nutty and spiced flavors. Overall I enjoyed drinking this, but it doesn't stand out as far as other saisons on the dark side of the spectrum for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 13:54:31 | More by Slatetank

Durge

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found at My Place in Newtown, CT this stuff is a semi- transluscent brown color with a nice light tan head and lots of lacing. The aroma is sweet brown sugar with toasted wheat bread and chocolate, and just a hint of pineapple clove. Not bad. The flavor brings a thin malt brown bread and a touch of bubblegum and light coffee and tea nuances. Despite a “tiny bubbled, but adequate”, carbonation it has a bit of a limp feel. Not bad but forgettable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2012 18:20:59 | More by Durge

AHood

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I drank this from an over sized wine glass which allowed the aroma to impact me at 6 inches from my face. Head retention was weak, but the colour was a brilliant oxidized orange I would categorize as copper. While I was impressed by the aroma of meyer lemons, subtle floral hops of delicate white flowers and low to mild sourness, I was slightly less impressed by what was exposed on my palate. Relatively simple, a nice fruity citrus with a light balance of hop flavour in the expression of nutmeg (fitting for the season, as it is the end of November). I suppose I was expecting a bigger bang on the palate. I did taste a nice brown buttered malt that I rather enjoyed which lingered a bit on the finish with a touch of bitterness. Mouthfeel was surprisingly light, but coated my mouth well, adding a subtle tartness.

My overall impression of this beer is that, while it isn't life-changing, I would drink it again. Very easy to drink as a refreshing aperitif to get you going for the rest of the night. I would drink it alone or with a sandwich, because I like sandwiches. But seriously, a mellow smoked gouda; panini with ham, caramelized onions, the aforementioned cheese, spinach and tomatoes; or even a grilled chicken thigh with a reduced mushroom broth/sauce and wild rice.

I would buy a 6 pack of this to serve to my friends to get them ready for the big boys!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:37:43 | More by AHood

ckollias

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark amber-brown hue with a thin, 2-finger, white head that quickly dissipates in to a wispy lace, leaving a nice trail down the glass.

S: Sweet malty aroma with a dark fruit background and slightly yeasty.

T: Sweet crisp caramel and dark fruit flavor that finishes very clean.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent saison ale – a little too sweet for me – but it was enjoyable and went down easy.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 02:55:20 | More by ckollias

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a chill hazed orange with a sliver of tan head. Average lacing & good head retention

S: Green apple peel & cinnamon, some perfumy notes as well

T: Follows the nose, faint grassy, lemony & woody hops up front. Appleskins, pears & grassy hops as this warms. Finishes fruitty, grassy & with a slight apple juice sweetness

MF: Light bodied, firm carbonation

Held up well for a 4 month old beer, but nothing special. Nice trainig wheels saisin I suppose

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 02:41:01 | More by russpowell

womencantsail

California

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

Sort of caramel/brown in color with an off-white head. Heavy on the yeast aroma with a bit of pepper and some spicy noble hop aromas. A hint of chocolate (chocolate malt?) and some faint caramel. The flavor has a definite banana character and there is some pepper, yeast, and dark fruit to it, too. The malt is sweet, but the beer is also a touch watery. Overall a decent beer, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 06:12:39 | More by womencantsail

Pegasus

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear amber, with a modest white head, thin glass-coating lace, and very slight carbonation.

Aroma: Strong earthy notes, with almost a barnyard note, swith our hay, and decaying wood. There is also a slight note of dark fruit.

Taste: Notes of earthy, medicinal notes from start to finish. There are also moderate herbal hops, and a grassy undercurrent, and a faint note of sweet alcohol. Finishes with a lingering. slightly spicy hop note.

Mouth feel: smooth, sof, and quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A decent and interesting example, worth a try.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a standard Pilsener glass.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 03:51:21 | More by Pegasus

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark saison, I was thinking it would be on the brown spectrum, but it's more of an amber. Clove stands out the most. Behind that, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. Mild malt sweetness, mellow carbonation, barely burnt caramel, and bread crust. Lightly spicy hops. Pretty decent beer, but not really saison-like. There is an emerging earthy dirtiness as it warms up. Just call it a Belgian-style amber ale or something, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 20:58:16 | More by bump8628