Hopfenstark Saison Station 55

**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.”

**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.”

**Aroma:** “Mild herbal and fruity aroma, with bits of grass and tangerine. Some spicy, earthy hops notes complemented by lemon, roses, and pears. Medium hops aroma with grapefruit and orange, with slight pepper that starts to shine as it warms.” **Flavor:** “Complex flavors with big notes of coriander and pepper, and the spiciness plays well with the orange, tangerine, and lemongrass characteristics. Moderately sweet with a bit of hops bitterness at the finish. Gentle malt in the back, with some mild astringency.” **Overall:** “Provides some interesting complexity between spice, fruitiness, and citrus. The earthy spice is really pleasant, and is a good take on a traditional French saison. Carbonation is pretty low, which comes off a bit heavy, giving it a harsher finish.”