Saison D'Epeautre - Brasserie de Blaugies

DilisioYCBC

Colorado

4.14/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

poured into Dogfishhead Goblet

app- big frothy white head that leaves a layer of lace in the glass. Almost brilliant clearity through a beautiful straw yellow.

smell - lemon peel, light phenols, a little bit of funky earthiness.

taste - very light and delicate in its flavor. The lemon comes through a little with an adjunct taste (from the spelt i would guess), there is a very pleasant tartness in the beer that goes will with how dry it is. Light bit of bitterness on the end, just enough.

mouthfeel - High Carbonation, very very dry. light and refreshing

overall - this is a very artisanal brew, it stays true to the origins on the style and is dead on in that. It is refreshing, almost champagne like in the way it feels. The flavor wouldn't stand up to the flavor packed american saisons, but its delicateness and tradition makes it a great beer to try.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 01:59:46 | More by DilisioYCBC

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a tall tulip

A: Pours a clear golden color with a finger of dense white head.

S: Clove, peppercorn,and lots of citrus. The lemon zest works very well with the beer. The aromas work very well together.

T: Extremely complex. Clove is very strong in this beer, lemon and orange peel helps balance the beer and adds to the complexity.

M: On the thin side with strong carbonation. Very good.

O: There is so much going on in this beer. Musty, funky, fruity, cloves. I really enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 03:45:01 | More by coreyfmcdonald

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.29/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The appearance is pale, with a foamy, white head. The aroma is impressive, with a very apparent lemon in harmony with other supporting, background spices. The lightly-bodied beer brings a (relatively) vigorous hop taste well-balanced with the carbonation and astringency. The aftertaste is discrete, leaving vague hop tones in the palate. Excellent Saison.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 18:13:07 | More by HabiMendes

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.31/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: The cork came out of the bottle fast. Slightly cloudy, pale golden color. A full 3+ fingers of foamy white head tops it off. The head is fed by a never-ending stream of bubbles from the bottom of the glass, so it has seemingly infinite retention.

S: Grainy, yeasty, spicy and a touch of lemon. Remarkably clean smelling beer for a saison, not much in the way of earthiness of funk.

T: Taste is also fairly clean, and rather subtle. Bread, slightly grassy, yeast and a hint of the lemon. Not much in the way of funk or spiciness.

M: LOTS of carbonation and a light body. Too much carbonation, in my opinion.

O: I honestly don't know if I would have pegged this as a saison. The flavors are light, the spicy, yeasty, earthy goodness are all toned down, and are definitely not the stars of this beer. I would not bother with this beer again. It's not bad, but neither is it especially good. It's a saison light (lite?).

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 22:50:17 | More by DaveBlack

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.99/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750mL bottle shared with 2 buddies; poured into tasting glasses

Milliseconds after releasing the cage, the cork shot out. High level of carbonation, but didn't gush. Pale straw color with a foamy paper white cap. The cap was billowy and fell slowly. Some tiny bubbles push north through a slightly cloudy body.

The nose is of lemons, grass, fresh cracked wheat, spicy clove, orange peel, a touch of pear, and floral notes. Has a rustic feel to it.

A bit mellow on the palate. The flavors are all a little subdued. Wheat is prominent, with lemon and clove playing second fiddle. Fruity and floral notes are subtle. Again, a bit of a rustic edge to this beer.

Effervescent, crisp, and dry. Light bodied. The carbonation wasn't as much of an issue as I anticipated.

A classic take on the style that hits everything fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 21:04:32 | More by ColForbinBC

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked and caged bottle served in my Weyerbacher tulip. Pours a golden yellow with a fizzy/fluffy, three inch, bright white head that quickly dissipates. There is quite a bit of carbonation evident in solution. Head eventually settles into a frothy, quarter inch cap. Nose is fairly clean - lemon zest in the foreground, a light herbal presence in the background as well as some grassiness and maybe a touch of candi sugar. Taste consistent with nose; however, first impressions make it a bit difficult to tease out the flavors due to the gassy/prickly carbonation levels. Once the carbonation subsides, the flavor profile comes off a bit watered down. Mouthfeel is light in body with a little acidity and an overly assertive, gassy carbonation. Overall - nothing to write home about. Flavors are a bit lackluster and the carbonation is just a little too aggressive. Not bad, but there are better examples of the style out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 02:27:18 | More by Jwale73

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden straw color with a 2-3 finger foamy white head with good retention, that reduces to a good cap that lingers. Good foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, grape, pear, herbal, floral, bread, grass, hay, pepper, clove, coriander, earth, and funkiness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of lemon, bread, pear, pepper, grape, grass, hay, earth, coriander, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruit, pepper, grass, bread, coriander, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Great flavor balance and good complexity; no cloying flavors at all. High carbonation and medium body; with a very crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a really excellent saison. Nice balance and complexity of flavors; very crisp and smooth to sip on. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 03:30:35 | More by superspak

pants678

California

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice cloudy urine yellow with a fluffy white head that sticks.

Nose or lemon peel, coriander and yeast--strong enough to not just be a compliment.

Sharp notes of lemon zest are just a tad bit too much, almost champagne-y. They come through beneath a good herby, earthy body. Grains and pepper are subtle but present. Finishes very clean but still lingers.

Heavy but I don't call that a bother. Carbonation's pretty aggressive here, but again I don't think I'd tone it down.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 22:08:48 | More by pants678

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from The Corkscrew in Urbana, IL
No bottled on date
Poured into a New Belgium globe glass

Blaugies' Saison D'Epeautre is a good introductory saison, but also complex enough for connoisseur enjoyment. The flavors are light, fruity, and with enough yeasty variety to be pleasantly complex. In general, aside from the slightly too fizzy mouthfeel, this is a very well put together beer.

Pours a voluminous head, higher than 3cm, even with a slow, careful pour. Head color is off-white with excellent persistence, gradually declining to a 1cm cap atop the beer's body and leaving subtle lacing. Body is a cloudy yellow-gold with lots of streaming carbonation.

Aroma is of yeast, fruity esters, mild cooked grains, mild Brettanomyces plastic resin, light white pepper, slight lemon, and a hint of bubblegum. Generally a light (as in bright, not heavy) aroma that's fairly complex with its grain, spice, and Brettanomyces influences.

The flavor of this saison is more sweet than bitter, with flavors including brewer's yeast, bubblegum, mild grain, fruity yeast esters, mild "funk" from Brettanomyces, and a hint of white pepper. Aftertaste is sweet and of bright fruit flavors.

Body is medium-heavy, but with high (at first), then medium-high (after several minutes) carbonation levels. The beer's mouthfeel is, eventually, smooth, but is never fairly bubbly.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 20:50:51 | More by falloutsnow

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First enjoyed during my recent trek of Belgium and that trip had re-piqued my interest in Saison Farmhouse ales, I generally trend toward Tripels but now... Let's get back to basics with this rustic and seemingly old fashioned farmhouse-influenced variety.

Light and efforvescent to the eye- this bright Saison trends lighter in color, straw in color, and shows light haze. The zesty ale quickly billows with a froath that more resembles whipped cream than foamy malt. Highly persistent and with decorative lace, the beer's foam nearly engulfs half the tulip.

Earth spice, and low fruit provide the revolving door of aromatics with each visit to the glass. The triangulation delivers the scents of grain and rye, then peppercorn and dried botanical notes, but then apples, white grapes and lemon scents before rinsing and repeating. Very fragrant with herbs that smell like fruit.

Flavors are just as electric and rustic as the dry malt taste was suggested in its scent. The taste of dry bread crust, pumpernickle-type spice, and grain give this drier-than-usual backbone of malt its great support for earthen grain bite, freshly cracked peppercorn, and herbal oregano and torn bay leaves. Fruit esters are moderate and temper the spice flavor with zesty white grapes, tart apples, and under ripened pears. The fruity-spicy interplay acts as the opening act for floral hop taste to develop into the sharp and clean bitterness of freshly baled hay and mulled grasses. It's so dry, in fact- that the clean taste and mineral character leaves the beer seltzer-like in finish.

Any indication of maltiness in aroma and flavor never makes an impression on the tongue as the zesty acidity of carbonation bounces the beer off of the surfaces of the mouth and ushers in a whimsical evaporation of taste, much like cotton candy. Only the zip of dry and tart white wines and peppery alcohol and hop dryness persist past the quick and airy finish.

I'm happy to have run into a few saisons recently that explore the drier end of the style's spectrum as these can introduce even more complexities of grain than the usual sweeter examples.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 18:56:36 | More by BEERchitect

Dope

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: A huge pop as I remove the cap, startling me. Lots of carbonation in this one. Made even more apparent as I start to pour - fills the entire Duvel glass with foam before I even get an inch of liquid in the glass.

A cloudy straw pour, with a ridiculously huge white head as mentioned. Looks like if you were to put laundry detergent in the dishwasher. Crazy huge and fluffy. Takes forever to fade (almost annoyingly so) Nice solid lacing too. Lots of floaties when held up to the light.

S: Can smell it from across the table. Lots of grass and wheat. Nice lemon crispness. Strong belgian yeast, lots of cloves. Hint of banana and pear. Touch of orange peel as it warms.

T: Hmph, a bit bland. There's some wheat and lots of belgian yeast. Some lemon and grass in there. It's a bit funky in the aftertaste once it warms. Unfortunately the excessive carbonation sorta overpowers the taste. Letting it sit out for a while helps a bit but it's still a pretty plain beer.

M: As mentioned in the Appearance category, the carbonation is through the roof. It took a solid 15 mins of careful pours to fill my tulip halfway. Very fizzy like a macro, unfortunately ruining the mouthfeel.

O: An interesting saison. It's got a bland sort of wheatiness to it and it's super overcarbonated, basically ruining the chances of getting very good marks. It's not bad, just a bit of a failed experiment or perhaps unintentionally overcarbed.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:05:52 | More by Dope

elNopalero

Texas

4.93/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wonderful! Another surprise find. It’s a traditional saison but exceptionally well done—from the appearance to the aroma to the taste, everything about this beer just hit all the right notes for me.

This is a golden straw color, light and clear. Very rustic aroma—yeasty, floral, nuanced. Tastes delicious, with some spiciness and a clean, definite finish. Zesty yet balanced, it sings rather than shouts at you. Simply put, delicious. Everything I want in a saison. More please.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 22:49:34 | More by elNopalero

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a Blaugies Moneuse tulip glass.

Pours a nice yellow-wheat color with a good white head and plenty of lacing. The nose carries some hay and wheat plus light lemon and citrus. Some yeast and spice in the background. Flavor has plenty of wheat plus a bit of spice. Light-medium body with good carbonation and a dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 17:06:18 | More by Thorpe429

osusullins

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a gold/straw color with thick white head. Perfect looking tulip pour. Strong lacing.

Smell is funky. I pick up alot. Some citrus, hay, pear and some other smell I can't quite place.

Taste is nice. Lots of lemon and spice. Some bready malt presence, but not much.

Beer is very light. Tons of carbonation. Almost too airy for my blood.

I am not the biggest saison fan, but this is a tasty beer. I was eating this with a bbq pork sandwhich and it really seemed to enhance the flavor of the meat. Nice beer. I would drink another one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 05:32:04 | More by osusullins

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a cloudy gold with a tight, creamy white head. A thin trail of lacing makes it a little over halfway down the sides of the glass.

S: Spicy, grainy aromas from the spelt are joined by scents of grass, straw, lemon, bitter orange, and grapefruit on the nose.

T: Opens tart and grainy with notes of spelt, cream, lemon, bitter orange, pineapple, straw, grass, oak, and pungent yeast. The finish is spicy, grainy, and turbulent with the spelt flavors mingling with oak and pungent yeast notes.

M: Light-to-medium bodied for the style. Grainy, dry, and spritzy in the mouth. The lower alcohol content compared to most saisons makes this beer very drinkable and refreshing.

O: I think this is an excellent and highly unique take on the style. This beer seems to have achieved cult classic status among many saison aficionados, especially in Europe. Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 14:13:44 | More by mrfrancis

Aberration

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer was a bit old, from 2004 specifically. This paired with the fact that it wasn't meant to be aged that long will impact the review...but this is for educational purposes I guess.

A: Extremely carbonated, pale yellow. The cork almost exploded off as soon as I tried to pop it.

S: Lacking in smell, slight hints of lemon in the background of malt.

T: The taste was very lacking. This was most likely due to the fact of its age...but alas...it saddened me. Slight lemon, slight fruitiness and very carbonated. Like a bud light with a hint of lemon.

M: Due to the extreme carbonation, this beer had some good mouthfeel at least! Refreshing.

O: I think this beer would have been great...had I obtained it 5 years ago. Definitely worth a try if its fresh!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 17:31:11 | More by Aberration

pitasoup

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: golden yellow. slightly hazy and billowing two inches of dense head that is slow to subside. not much lacing, but the head remains cratery consistent on top.

S: barnyard funk, hay, cat pee. very small hints of lemon, dust, vanilla, and cooked meats. fascinating brett (c?) funks but not much else.

T: wheat, then a bit of lemons. little to no hop presence or bitterness. this finishes quite blandly. taste does not live up to the smells. there may be a bit of malt sweetness that can be perceived as honey. dry saison yeasts linger on the tongue afterwards. Perhaps I am searching for Fantome level complexities, given the initial smell, but they are not here. Just an easy drinking saison. There is an odd grainy taste at the end as well, perhaps that is the advertised spelt?

M: light to light medium body. effervescence on the tongue, probably from the fine brett carbonation. otherwise not much else, this is a bit watery.

O: to style for the refreshing part of saison styles. 6% is not noticeable and from the mouthfeel, i would have guessed closer to 4. For that, I gives this beer a success. But overall taste leaves a lot to be desired.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 03:53:55 | More by pitasoup

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From notes taken at the Armsby Abbey on 5/9/11. Saw nice reviews on this, was greatly dissapointed.

A - Pours a straw yellow with a two finger fluffy white head that fades rather quickly leaving almost no side lacing.

S - Light lemon and belgian yeasts with just a hint of funk. Very weak aroma compared to most saisons.

T - Like the smell, there is moderate lemon and light funk notes. Some super light grassy hop flavors as well.

M - Low carbonation and very thin/watery. Far too light of a body for my liking.

O - Its a slightly above average Saison. I'd like to try it from the bottle to see if its any better than this lackluster on-tap showing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2011 15:29:07 | More by rudzud

JamnesCameron

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a MJ tasting glass.

Pours a clear straw with a huge, rocky, stark white head.

Aromas of lemons, peppery yeast. Flinty.

Flavors of lemon custard, fermented pineapple, peppery spice. Wheat. Finish is short and flinty with lemon lingering.

Mouthfeel is light, not watery. Dry. Good level of carbonation.

Overall, a classic example of a saison. Refreshing, tart, dary, nice carbonic bite.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 23:50:07 | More by JamnesCameron

wcintula

New York

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Split with my wife in d.b.a. in Brooklyn. Different label than shown here on BA.

Poured gently with great fluffy head. Hazy light yellow body with lots of head support. Head doesn't seem to dissipate. Reddish-brown sediment at the bottom. Smells of mild spice and has a different grain character from the spelt. Very light hopping adds a touch of bitterness. It's very obvious this is a gassy beer, very light in the mouth, but generally quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 12:57:46 | More by wcintula

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

What a treat to find this saison on tap at the Blue Monk!

Pours a clear and radiant light gold with half a finger of white head that drops to a film and leaves a few lace spots on the chalice. Nose is neat - fruity, grainy, with a dry peppery spice in the back end. Floral flavour combines a number of subtle elements, including pineapple, coriander, banana and pepper. The spicy yeast cuts any sweetness, leading to a dry finish. Mediun-light body is aided by a good carbonation, and it's weight makes it insanely drinkable.

Not the most complex of saisons, but one of the more drinkable examples of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2011 12:31:36 | More by bobsy

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap over at the LP.

Pours a clear straw color with a smallish white head, fades at a slow rate and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass.

Smell is primarily that yeasty banana aroma, muted hops, and a light funk.

Taste is surprisingly dull and seems watery at times, the banana has the largest presence coupled with a very light lemon citrus, carbonation isn't overly assertive and gives a nice dry finish.

Compared to the other saison I had on-tap, this one just seems to be lacking flavor, on the other hand it probably is more drinkable and less cloying.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2010 20:25:55 | More by deltatauhobbit

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brasserie de Blaugies Saison d'Epeautre
on draft at The Avenue Pub, New Orleans, LA

Appearance: amber-yellow, large head, and lots of good lacing.

Smell: yeast, coriander, and slight wheat.

Taste: mild yeast, coriander, slight spice, and slight wheat.

Mouthfeel: light.

Overall:
Its a nice saison. A decent amount of flavor. While not powerful, it isn't watery.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2010 05:46:38 | More by megahurts4

rtepiak

Poland

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a brewery i really like so i have to try the last of the four. similar in form and look to the other saison but this one has a bit more debris on the bottom. pour is cloudy dingy orange with a rather large head of off white. nose of licorice, saison farmhouse straw, and toasted sesame. palate is grainy sweet but not husky. comes off as smooth and bright with an autumn feel to it. its not as brisk as the other saison they have on line. a bit of burnt clove and some black pepper. floral soapy clean finish and a ghost of some sour apple fruit. but very subtle.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 15:18:33 | More by rtepiak

gthornton

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: hazy straw, with fizzy head that bursts with initial pour but retains 2-4 cm throughout glass.

S: Mildly funky sunflowers and cracked wheat.

T: also a little funky, aspirin/co2, wild flowers, lingering mineral hangs around on back of tongue.

M: spritely, fizzy, light

D: taste is pleasant, but aspirin/mineral might be too much to enjoy very often, but definitely worth trying again, especially with a hearty meal.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 07:01:56 | More by gthornton