Style: Saison

ABV: 6.4

88/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

Brasserie du Bocq Saison 1858

What the brewers say

“Hazy amber-gold color, medium body, and a complex Belgian-yeast aroma; crisp flavor with a bit of inviting, dynamic acidity balanced by forward hops. Beautiful soft carbonation and mouthfeel from bottle conditioning.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Big aroma! A bit of bready malt sweetness, strong lemongrass esters and a hint of peach. White grape, orange, and perfume like coriander. High lemon notes like a lemon-drop candy and light white pepper spice.”

Flavor: “Low malt presence and a slight Thai basil earthy/herbal flavor in the middle. A bit of tartness and pepper that lingers to balance the lemon and lemongrass. Dry finish with a medium body. Grape and citrus come through strong. Light astringency before the end that transitions back to a moderate lemon flavor.”

Overall: “Very earthy and fruity beer, balanced well between the herbal and fruit notes. Although tasty, the spices were somewhat overpowering for the saison style—it’s more akin to a strong wit fermented with saison yeast. The finish is dry and slightly peppery but the taste itself has a nice lemon sweetness.”

What our editors thought

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille Jandrain IV Saison

**Aroma:** “The touch of American piney hops is very different. As it starts to warm, a bit more spicy hops start to come out. Very interesting herbal and grape that creates a unique aroma of earthy and herbal.” **Flavor:** “Hops flavor is medium-high with an earthy, peppery, and fruity presence. Big earthy tea-like hops character. Spicy phenols play into that with a bit of lemony esters in the background. The finish is dry and the body light, bordering on watery.” **Overall:** “A bit of a dirty, earthy beer with notes of lemon. I’m not sure this is a saison—tastes a bit more like a dirty blond or English IPA with the earthy hops notes. Light lemon notes toward the end. Overall, a good beer—very different from other saisons with the earthy and peppery aroma and flavor. Would have loved some more fruitiness to cut earthy flavors and balance it a little more.”

Fifty West Brewing Co. Everything All At Once...

Fantastic strawberry in aroma, peach notes, extremely fruity; woody Brett notes. Kiwi sourness is a bit overpowering, with some used hay, wet cellar, enteric notes intruding. A tale of two fruits: strawberry is bright, kiwi harsh, tart, overpowering.

Adelbert’s Brewery Philosophizer

**Aroma:** “A nice, prominent yeast phenolic character of spice and peppercorn coupled with a malt sweetness and a pleasant amount of yeast fruitiness–citrus, orange, apple, pear, and a slight earthiness.” **Flavor:** “A healthy amount of yeast phenolics up front, combined with a dose of fruity esters. Moderately sweet with a bit of tart in the middle but a borderline cloying sweetness carries into the finish. Nice clean dry finish due to the high carbonation. Slight tartness. Touch of orange, lemon, and some spicy notes. A bit bitter in the finish.” **Overall:** “A wonderfully crafted saison that definitely leans more toward examples of stronger, heavier versions, but does so without losing its footing or balance. Very good—the only thing holding this beer back is bit too much malt sweetness throughout. This beer was full of flavor yet still really refreshing due to the high carbonation. Enjoyed it.”

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