Style: Brett Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 6.5

81/100
Aroma: 12
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 15
Mouthfeel: 3

Brasserie Dunham Saison du Pinacle

What the brewers say

“Hoppy farmhouse ale brewed with rye, oats, and wheat and hopped with Australian and American hops. Fresh, lively, and hoppy when young, this beer also benefits from a bit of aging to reveal its Brettanomyces character of farmhouse funk.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Juicy tropical hops—lot of grapefruit and a bit of passion fruit. A bit of citrus esters maybe, but hops dominate. There’s a freshness about the aroma of sweet tropical fruit—pineapple and mango and more rustic Brett flavors in the background.”

Flavor: “Big juicy tropical citrus hops with a slight orange tang and hint of herbal. Fruit character hits with pineapple, mango, and gooseberry, but it quickly fades to a thin bitter beer with some harsher Brett flavors and slight hops astringency.”

Overall: “Big juicy aroma is awesome, but hops bitterness is way over the top and astringent, which makes this difficult to drink (like Malört). An intriguing concept for a beer, with a ludicrous amount of hops flavor, but the beer gets so dry and bitter that the original concept is lost in the final product.”

What our editors thought


REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Hopfenstark Saison Station 55

**Aroma:** “Medium malt, with a bready, caramel raisin, and slightly vegetal aroma, and some oxidation. A meaty, woody, dry grass aroma is balanced by medium notes of grapefruit, lemongrass, peaches, pears, sweet orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. Very fresh.” **Flavor:** “Hops flavor is big, with grapefruit, pine, and earthy spiciness. A residual caramel essence lingers to finish with a great balance of sweet and bitter hops. Some light chocolate, orange, grapefruit, and toasty notes. Good carbonation.” **Overall:** “Very sweet beer with some evident American hops characteristics. Interesting play of caramel, raisin, biscuit, and honey. A bit sweet from oxidation, and somewhat lingering bitterness.”

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.”

Funkwerks Paisley

__Aroma:__ “A strong floral aroma comes through up front. Pineapple *Brett*-funk character adds some earthiness and slight fruitiness. Coupled with the *Brett* flavors is a strong floral, almost fancy soap-like character. Sweet, fruity, floral, mixed berries, and a hint of funk.” __Flavor:__ “A mango-like sweetness carries throughout and works with the spice notes. Pineapple and orange *Brett* funk with a huge rose-floral (geraniol) character. The finish is dry with low bitterness and moderate carbonation. Strong *Brett* funk, but tempered with some saison yeast fruity ester and malt sweetness.” __Overall:__ “I enjoyed the blend of the mango fruitiness with the spice. It had some complexity that worked, and the spice from the alcohol heat was nice. Nice pineapple and orange *Brett* funk, but the rose-floral character is really strong. Some unique and intriguing flavors that play a little against style, but add up for a nice experience.”

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