__Aroma:__ “Intense aroma of plums and currants with some fig, and as it warms, more fruity flavors or chocolate-covered raisins and dark stone fruit emerge. Slight roasted character comes through, with dark chocolate, coffee, and a slight creamy sweetness that’s evident in the back. A bit of charred marshmallow. Very welcoming.” __Flavor:__ “Fruit esters come through on the flavor, with well-rounded plum and date flavors. Great milk chocolate and malt sweetness with slight toffee in the back. From start to finish, it rides the line between sweet and bitter roast, and no one flavor dominates—they start and finish together. Lots of warmth on the mouthfeel—it’s really amazing, creamy, and smooth as it carries the flavors.” __Overall:__ “This is a really great beer. The fruity esters and flavor provide an interesting complexity in a style that is often so dominated by roast that it’s difficult to find other flavors. A definition of a balanced yet big stout, with hefty amounts of roast and sweetness in almost equal parts.”
Spicy nose with hints of toast, honey, lemon, white pepper; smoke phenols. Initial taste of light fruit, white wine, and citrus, but a distracting tar-like note, and more plastic phenols. Low sweetness, firm acidity. Decent carbonation; dry, slightly tannic finish. Nearly refreshing, but for the rough edges.
__Aroma:__ “Rich blend of sweet coffee, roast, cherry, and dark chocolate. A deep whiff will remind you of fresh coffee grounds. A little boozy, with notes of raisin, plum, date, vanilla, oak, and mild campfire smoke. A hint of oxidation.” __Flavor:__ “Big upfront sweetness is strongly cherry-like, with the coffee and chocolate immediately taking over. It unfolds with layers of complexity as you move through the cherry, coffee, and chocolate for a few cycles. It’s hot, with a big ethanol presence. The sweetness hangs on until the finish, but isn’t cloying, leaving a sugary coating that balances the residual heat.” __Overall:__ “This is a coffee bean inside a tart cherry inside a thick chocolate shell. A wonderful light vanilla character rounds things out and prevents it from becoming too boozy. It’s a nice, rich, complex mix of dark chocolate and coffee that balances well with the oak. The fermentation character and barrel together are great, but with a bit more age, it will only get better.”
**Aroma:** “Juicy peach and lemon with a hint of vinegar, followed by pleasant oak sweetness and vanilla. Moderate tart note with dark cherries and _Brett_. Peaches with a hint of vanilla.” **Flavor:** “Lots of stone fruit and cherries up front with a hint of citrus, followed by a pleasant lactic tartness and oak flavors of vanilla and toffee. Finish is mostly balanced with the tartness lingering every so slightly. Light vanilla and sour peach right before the end of the sip. This beer is very, very sour.” **Overall:** “Well-executed farmhouse ale that is enhanced by the subtle nuances contributed by the oak. Great balance of acidity and oak. Not a ton of barrel notes but a slight vanilla toward the end. The sour level is pushing the saison category, but it is still very good. High carbonation helps push the perception of acidity even more. Moderate cherry and peach fruitiness adds a level of complexity. Nice oak notes in the finish. I really like the peach character and the hint of vanilla that came through.”
__Aroma:__ “Moderate hops bitterness with a light sweetness. Grapefruit, orange, pear, peach, light cherry, and light dank hops aromas. The nice fruity aromas up front slide off as the beer sits. The mix of fruitiness and earthiness somehow work together nicely.” __Flavor:__ “Big fruitiness up front with melon, ruby red grapefruit, tangerines, and a light cherry. A medium sweetness with a light alcohol warming that’s balanced and not over the top. The pleasant malt sweetness fades into a nice bitterness that doesn’t linger too long.” __Overall:__ “A nice fruitiness with a light pithiness, but it has a well-balanced body and a nice alcohol warming in the background. A pleasant beer that has some intense flavors, but they all work well together. Strong and full of hops flavor—a very nice beer.”
“Murky orange in color, a tight white head that stays around. Tangerine-like citrus in the nose with a caramel maltiness. Soft, yogurt-like grape hop flavors and more caramel maltiness. The bitterness helps temper the sweetness, but the sweet aspect wins the race, lingering on the palate. An interesting beer that leaves you wanting just a little more from it.”
__Aroma:__ “Big piney notes with some orange and grapefruit underneath. Light lemongrass, and a little bit of melon, tropical fruit, and black currant. Earthy background, and once it warms, there is a bit of bready malt, but it is missing the big hops aroma.” __Flavor:__ “Hops-forward with pine and citrus dominant, and as it warms, some pineapple notes appear. There is a moderate fruity sweetness up front that’s almost like candy. Medium malt body that’s sufficiently complex without distracting from the hops. The mouthfeel is slightly sweet through the mid-palate, but it gives way to a dry and slightly bitter finish that entices you to take the next sip.” __Overall:__ “Nicely done juicy pale ale with fruity, big tropical, and citrus notes. There’s a great bitterness in the background to round out the fruity flavors. A refreshing, juicy hops showcase that’s surprisingly good, given the subdued aroma.”
“This is big, no hiding it. The balance is right, and the alcohol balances the sweet. Medium coffee notes on top of a low chocolate base in the aroma. Smooth creamy body with moderate sweetness and a touch of lingering vanilla. Alcohol heat is not apparent, until it is!”
__Aroma:__ “Bright white grapefruit zest including the pith, mango, and pineapple. Big juicy hops aromas of mango, pineapple, lychee, pine, and earthiness. Some background toasted bread malt and medium fruit esters. As it warms, a tropical fruit aroma emerges.” __Flavor:__ “The aroma continues into the flavor, with melon, peach, mango, complex grapefruit, and lemon notes—could almost taste like a sour to a beer rookie. A medium malt background is sweet and bready. Fruity and tart hops flavors become a mild bitterness that extends into the finish. Slight carbonic bite at the end is dry and punchy.” __Overall:__ “Nice fresh fruit flavors that are very refreshing. The hops bitterness up front and the big, tart, fruity flavor are amplified by the moderate carbonation level. Well-designed hops schedule highlights what one loves in highly hopped IPAs. The tart acidity lingers—it’s a lively beer with lots of carbonation. Drink this one fresh!”
Curiously inviting aroma: moderate lemon-lime, like lemon drop candy; black tea, woody notes, stone fruit, pine. Light malt backbone, caramel and biscuit tempering bitterness and softening edges. Lime hop flavor, lime zest undertones, with lemon, pine, green pepper, spicy garlic. Smooth, not too bitter. Unusual, interesting, enjoyable.
**Aroma:** “A rich roasty blend of coffee and dark malts, with some maple syrup and dark stone fruit esters—perhaps some banana, too. Hops aromas of rosemary, pine, and juniper berry. A touch of maple and dark chocolate, mild cocoa, and cherry syrup. Paperboard oxidation.” **Flavor:** “There’s no doubt that coffee is the main focus of this beer—it dominates that palate start to finish. If you’re able to peel away the coffee, there are some nice chocolate and cherry notes, with a heavy roasted malt presence and a bit of soy sauce. Hairy hops presence. Moderate paper and sherry oxidation, creamy body, and some dark fruit esters of dates and raisins. The 14 percent ABV is relatively under control. Well balanced, with the alcohol and sweetness riding out the bitter aftertaste.” **Overall:** “Really fun and tasty. The umami usually gets in the way of most of these monster dark beers, but this is a great example. It’s rich and complex, with a great mix of dark chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit flavors.”
“Earthy, tobacco, molasses—it smells nostalgic in the best way. A strong dark malt character leads the flavor. Body is a touch thin, but residual sweetness and supporting bitterness keep things interesting.”
__Aroma:__ “Smells like a stout with coffee. It’s somewhat muted, but a very clean dark roast cut with cream. Nice caramel and toasted malt notes as well, with some vanilla. Light fruity esters, raisin, and a hint of alcohol.” __Flavor:__ “The balance between coffee and roast was nicely done, with notes of roast, cappuccino, caramel, mocha, vanilla, and chocolate. A hint of papery oxidation in there from the roast. Some dark-fruit esters and sherry, which make up some alcohol warmth, and a light touch of piney hops fit in smoothly. The mouthfeel is nice and chewy, and right before the coffee really hits on the finish, a cherry ester pokes out to brighten the overall character of the beer.” __Overall:__ “A clean and bright coffee stout for the amount of alcohol, with a substantial roastiness from both the coffee and the beer. There’s just a touch of pleasant oxidation and even a little bit of hops flavor to remind one it’s beer and not breakfast. I could drink a lot of this one!”
“Toasty malt aromas with hints of peat and smoke. Light-bodied, crisp, with pleasantly complex darker malt on the finish and notes of caramel, dried cherries, and chocolate. Subtle spice and burnt sugar. The roast gives it a slight chalky note but still very pleasant on balance. Lighter to medium body with a clean finish. Complex without being heavy or sweet. Beautiful everyday drinker.”
“Deep golden color, fluffy white lasting head. Wet grassy hops on the nose. This dankness translates well into the flavor with a surprisingly crisp and light finish. Assertive bitterness. A soft impression balances sweetness and bitterness quite well. An unexpected, untraditional, very enjoyable beer.”
“Soft yellow haze with a creamy white head. Whiffs of a tropical bouquet spill from the glass. Citrus notes dance alongside some deeper pineapple and mango tones throughout the mouth. Soft malt tones linger into a smooth finish.”
“Lemon peel with a soft _Brett_ funk and pinches of tropical fruit, peach, light spice. Bright over the palate, with a zing of citrus and a heavier barnyard quality forming the foundation of the mouthfeel. Balance comes from the acidity.”
Subtle, compelling aroma: light herbal, peach, lemon, leather, barnyard. In the flavor, balanced but vinegar-like acidity with fruit-forward notes: pear, apricot, mango, Sour Patch Kids. Ethyl acetate (solventy)—not enough to be off-putting, but competes with subtle, more pleasant flavors. Finishes dry. Sour candy vibe, with funk for complexity.
Chris Betts of Transient Artisan Ales provided this recipe for their versatile saison.
Specializing in modern farmhouse ales, Transient Artisan Ales’ Founder and Brewmaster Chris Betts uses simple recipes and barrel fermentation to create beers that are works of art.