Jester King El Cedro Review

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: El Cedro
Style: Saison | ABV: 7.8% | IBUs: ~40
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into teku glass

El Cedro is another farmhouse Jester King release, this time featuring dry-hopping with Citra, aging on cedar spirals, and lots of brett character.

It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally carbonated through re-fermentation in the bottle with Brettanomyces. Tough to nail down an exact style, as always with the Jester King wilds/sours, but we're going with Saison again.

As for construction, the malt bill is two-row and wheat malt, with the hopping duties carried out with Columbus and Citra. As per usual, the fermentation is taken care of with farmhouse yeast and local native yeast and souring bacteria.

Here's how El Cedro is described by Jester King:

It combines tropical, fruity hop flavor and aroma with funky, barnyard yeast character and the unique flavor and aromatics of Spanish Cedar.

Well this all sounds fabulous, so let's get stuck in.

Appearance: A thoroughly-hazy golden body capped by two fingers of creamy white head that fades slowly, leaving brilliant lacing. Top marks.

Aroma: A mix of funky Brett, green and citrusy hops, tropical fruit, mild cedar, and a laid-back crackery malt body. A hint of booze once it has warmed.

Taste: Up front, a mix of rich barnyard Brett, tart citrus juice, tropical fruit, white pepper, green and strongly bitter hops, and mild cedar. Underneath, a wheat and pale malt backbone that grounds everything nicely. Just a little mild spice from the alcohol throughout. Lots of funk, citrus, green and herbal hops, cedar, and husky pale malt in the big finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy with medium carbonation and a bone-dry finish. Very mild heat from alcohol.

Drinkability: Drinks much faster than the alcohol content would suggest, so watch out.

Verdict: El Cedro is a solid big Brett Saison with a nice cedar component blended in. It's very much a Jester King beer that fits right into the lineup. There are a lot of intense components here, but everything comes together nicely.

Grade: A- (4.3 out of 5 stars)

Note: These tasting notes are based on the 6th batch of this beer when fresh.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Jester King Das Wunderkind! Review

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: Das Wunderkind!
Style: Saison | ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: ~30
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Das Wunderkind! is a blend of Das Überkind and fresh, hoppy beer. The process of blending these types of beer together is called bière de coupage, and used to be quite standard.

When released, Jester King were very proud of the result, calling it "the best encapsulation of our brewing philosophy that we've released thus far" and that "it's brewed so that people who drink it will experience the "sense of place" or terroir of our brewery in the Texas Hill Country."

This kid is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally conditioned. It can be a little hard to pin down the exact style with these beers, but Jester King refer to it as a "blended Saison", so Saison it is.

As for construction, the malt bill is two-row, wheat malt, amber malt and flaked oats with a hop bill of Goldings, Sorachi Ace, Nelson Sauvin and Falconer's Flight. Fermentation is handled by farmhouse yeast and native yeast and souring bacteria from the area.

Here's how the Wunderkind is described by Jester King:

Das Wunderkind is dry, highly attenuated, unspiced, tart, floral, and funky.

Sounds wudnerful, let's pop the top.

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy golden-straw body capped by a finger and a half of fluffy white head that fades slowly, leaving excellent lacing.

Aroma: A mix of barnyard funk, citrusy and green hops, golden and tropical fruit, and pale malt.

Taste: A similar mix of funk, green and herbal hops, orchard fruit, and a hint of white pepper all over a backbone of grainy pale malt. It's all very well balanced. Green and bitter hops, mild funk, and husky pale malt in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and refreshing with medium carbonation and a lightly tart and dry finish.

Drinkability: Drinks easily for funk fans, quenching all the way, as you may expect given the style and alcohol content.

Verdict: Das Wunderkind! is a lovely, restrained, quaffable, and well balanced funky Saison. It goes back easily while never being boring thanks to its wealth of character, and is clearly a product of Jester King.

Grade: A- (4.2 out of 5 stars)

Note: These tasting notes are based on the 17th batch of this beer when fresh.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Jester King Das Überkind Review

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: Das Überkind
Style: Saison | ABV: 6.0% | IBUs: ~15
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

One of Jester King's staple sours, Das Überkind serves as a base for the blended Das Wunderkind! as well as most of their fruit re-fermentation beers. It's also a pretty awesome beer in its own right.

It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, 100% oak barrel-aged for months. Jester King describe it as a "Vieille Saison" (or old Saison), so we're going with the trusty Saison label here.

As for construction, the malt bill is Pilsner, two-row, wheat malt, and Caramunich with a hop bill of Czech Saaz and East Kent Goldings. Fermentation is handled by farmhouse yeast and native yeast and souring bacteria from the area.

Here's how zee Überkind is pitched:

All of the time and steps that went into making Das Überkind result in an “old” beer that’s fruity, funky, and sour, with undertones of sherry and oak.

My mouth is watering already, let's dive in.

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy golden-straw body capped by small bubbly white head that burns off quickly, leaving bare, patchy lacing.

Aroma: A mix of tart and sour citrus and golden fruit, vinegar, very mild green hops, pale malt, and some oak.

Taste: Like the aroma, it's a mix of sour fruit, mild vinegar, a hint of funk, oak, mild citrusy hops, and a solid backbone of grainy pale malt. Nothing from the alcohol. It's all balanced nicely, with all of the elements interacting positively. Mildly tart golden fruit, husky pale malt, and a little oak in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with medium carbonation and a drying and mildly puckering finish. No sign of the booze.

Drinkability: With the sourness, this drinks just a little slower than the alcohol content would suggest.

Verdict: Das Uberkind is a great little barrel-aged sour Saison that drinks perfectly. Mildly sour, this expertly toes the line between sour enough to be interesting and sour enough to drink slowly.

Grade: A- (4.2 out of 5 stars)

Note: These tasting notes are based on the 3rd batch of this beer when fresh.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Jester King Le Petit Prince Review

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: Le Petit Prince
Style: Saison | ABV: 2.9% | IBUs: 30
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

One thing about Jester King is that they don't mind going small. It's not very often you see someone release a beer with less alcohol with a Bud Light in a 750ml bottle, but Jester King has a whole suite of them. Releasing premium session beers is one of their missions.

Le Petit Prince is the slightest of all of them, at a scant 2.9% ABV. Hearkening back to the days where water was suspect and beer was safe, this beer is styled int he manner of the light, hoppy, low alcohol table beers of the time.

It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. I'm going to go ahead and throw it into the somewhat catchall Saison style, like many other Jester King beers.

As for construction, the malt bill calls for two-row and wheat malt, with the hop bill consisting of Perle, Fuggle, and Czech Saaz. As per usual, fermentation duties are performed by farmhouse yeast and native yeast and souring bacteria from the local area.

Here's how the little prince is pitched:

This is a beer we've been excited about for quite some time now, as we believe that it's a clear, simple expression of the delicate, delightful interplay between noble hops and farmhouse yeast.

This should be interesting, let's head to le petit royal court and check it out.

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy lemon-hay body capped by two fingers of fluffy white head that fade in average time, leaving brilliant lacing.

Aroma: A mix of funky yeast, lemony and grassy hops, and sweet pale malt. It's not particularly intense, but well sorted.

Taste: Like the aroma, it's a light and airy mix of funky yeast and mildly bitter hops over a backbone of delicate sweet grainy malt. Everything is balanced perfectly, with an overall profile that is light in intensity but rich in character. Husky and sweet light malt and bitter green hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with crisp medium-high carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: As expected given the aim and alcohol content, this drinks supremely easily.

Verdict: Living up to its stated purpose in full, Le Petit Prince is a pretty genius beer; it's light, delicate, masterfully balanced, thoroughly sessionable, and yet still full of character and enjoyable to the last sip. Another great Saison from Jester King that's true to the brand.

Grade: A- (4.3 out of 5 stars)

Note: These tasting notes are based on the 13th batch of this beer when fresh.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Prairie Standard Review

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales | Beer: Standard
Style: Saison | ABV: 5.6% | IBUs: 25
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Billed as their everyday beer, and a great beer to drink while noodling, Standard is another Saison in Prarie's Saison-rich lineup. With that in mind, this is one of the few Prairie offerings sold in four-packs of 12 oz. bottles. After a brief absence, Prairie recently brought Standard back.

Standard is dry-hopped with Motueka hops to the tune of one pound per barrel. Prairie's farmhouse yeast is employed for fermentation here. No official word on the malt bill.

Here's how Prairie describe Standard:

It's a light, crisp saison with a hoppy finish. A lovely New Zealand hop with a spicy lime like flavor and aroma.

The first four Prairie Saisons I've tried have all been great, so hopes are high here. Let's dig in.

Appearance: A lightly-hazy pale-golden body capped by three fingers of fluffy, white head that fade slowly with excellent retention and patchy lacing.

Aroma: A mix of grassy and citrusy hops, orchard fruit, white pepper, funk, and pale malt.

Taste: Up front, citrusy, grassy, and lightly hops along with mild funkiness. Underneath, a crackery malt backbone anchors everything nicely. Lemon-lime and leafy hops, mild funk, and husky malt in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: Goes back just a little faster than you'd expect given the alcohol content. This is just what I'd be looking for on a hot summer day.

Verdict: An amazing session choice, Standard has earned a place in my regular rotation. It's not terribly complex, but it is full of character, well-balanced, and highly drinkable. These guys are really impressing me.

Grade: A (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Review by Christopher Hunt

Prairie 'Merica Review

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales | Beer: 'Merica
Style: Saison | ABV: 6.5% | IBUs: 30
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

'Merica, another of Prairie's many Saisons, is a single hop, single malt variation of the style. The malt used is old school floor-malted Bohemian Pilsner, the hop variety is Nelson Sauvin (three pounds per barrel and dry-hopped), and the yeasts used are the house strain, two strains of Brettanomyces and a wine yeast.

This is the last of the first four Prairie offerings that showed up here in Houston last year, all four of which were consumed over the course of a weekend where I sorta fell in love with this Oklahoma brewery.

Here's how Prairie describe 'Merica:

The Nelson hops provide white wine flavors while Brettanomyces add a juicy quality to the beer.

Sounds good to me, let's light the fireworks and enjoy some good old 'Merica!

Appearance: A hazy golden body capped by a little over a finger of white head that fades quickly, leaving no lacing.

Aroma: A mix of tropical and orchard fruit, grassy, dank, and floral hops, barnyardy funk, white pepper, and pale malt. Just a hint of booze once it's warmed.

Taste: Up front, grassy, tropical-fruity, and moderately bitter hops along with funk, dried orchard fruit and spices. Underneath, a crackery pale malt body grounds everything. Spice from the alcohol throughout. There's a lot of strong flavors here, but everything comes together nicely. Dry hops, pepper, and a hint of booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a dry finish. Slickness from the booze throughout.

Drinkability: This drinks much faster than the alcohol content would suggest, making this dangerously smooth.

Verdict: 'Merica is another thoroughly enjoyable funky Prairie Saison with its own character. I'm really impressed with these guys so far, and glad they serve shelves here in Houston.

Grade: A (4.3 out of 5 stars)

Note: While this review is being published in 2014, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2013.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Prairie Funky Galaxy Review

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales | Beer: Funky Galaxy
Style: Saison | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 30
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Funky Galaxy is what Prairie describe as a "black farmhouse ale", which really equates to a "Dark Saison", a lesser known subcategory of the Saison family. While most of the time we think of Saisons as being lighter in color, Dark Saisons are (unsurprisingly) a little darker thanks to their darker malt bills.

While I can't find a list of exactly what the malt bill is here, Funky Galaxy is hopped with Galaxy hops as its name suggests, to the tune of three pounds per barrel. Fermentation is handled with two strains of Brettanomyces and a wine yeast.

I can't find any sort of official description from Prairie on how this bad boy tastes, so I guess we're going in dark here. Let's go!

Appearance: A dark brown, almost black body capped by two and a half fingers of bubbly tannish head that fades in average time, leaving excellent lacing.

Aroma: A mix of toasty malt, piney hops, and barnyardy funk. Plenty of booze emerges as it warms.

Taste: Up front, citrusy, tropical-fruity, piney, and moderately bitter hops along with subtle, but consistent funky character. Underneath, a backbone of chocolatey and roasty malt balances everything out. Roasty malt, light funk, and lots of green hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little creamy with smooth medium carbonation and a drying finish. A little heat and slickness from the alcohol throughout.

Drinkability: As with all Prairie beers I've tried thus far, the moderately-high alcohol content is masked so that everything drinks faster than you'd expect.

Verdict: While it doesn't quite come together as well as the other beers I've tried from these guys, Funky Galaxy is still a great beer. It ends up being reminiscent of a slightly less intense Black IPA with a mild funky twist. With the malt intensity turned up a little, in my mind this potentially could be something special.

Grade: A- (4.1 out of 5 stars)

Note: While this review is being published in 2014, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2013.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Prairie Hop Review

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales | Beer: Prairie Hop
Style: Saison | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: ~50
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

In a portfolio rich with Saisons, Prairie describe Prairie Hop as their hoppy Saison. This was one of the first Prairie beers that made it down here to Texas, but it's been unavailable for a while. Earlier this year, Prairie got to brewing and have brought it back.

The hop kick comes from Simcoe and Citra hops, with one pound per barrel used for dry-hopping. Strangely enough, this is one of the only beers Prairie fail to list an official IBU count for, so we're estimating about 50 here. Farmhouse yeast is used, unsurprisingly, with wine yeast used for bottle conditioning.

Here's how they describe the beer:

Notes of peach, mango, and tangerine can be found in the flavor and aroma of this beer. The beer finishes dry which helps the hops jump out of the glass flavor wise.

Let's hop to it, shall we?

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy golden-copper body capped by over three fingers of very bubbly off-white head that fades in average time, leaving great lacing.

Aroma: Lots of piney and citrusy hops over a pretty pale malt body with a funky undertone. Maybe a whiff of alcohol once it has warmed.

Taste: Up front, citrusy, tropical-fruity, perfumey, floral, and piney hops with medium bitterness. Subtle funkiness around the edges. Underneath, biscuity malt that grounds everything nicely. The alcohol is masked well. Lingering grassy hops, funk, and pale grain in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little creamy with medium carbonation and a dry finish. Perhaps a little slickness from the alcohol.

Drinkability: Drinks faster than the alcohol content suggests, so watch out.

Verdict: Prairie Hop is hop-forward Belgian-style beer with a nice funky undertone and a sophisticated overall profile and a hidden punch. Another solid offering from Prairie; these guys are two-for-two with me so far.

Grade: A (4.3 out of 5 stars)

Note: While this review is being published in 2014, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2013.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Prairie Ale Review

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales | Beer: Prairie Ale
Style: Saison | ABV: 8.2% | IBUs: 25
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Started by brothers Chase and Colin Healey in Oklahoma in 2012, Prairie is one one of the most exciting new breweries in the country right now. With an already wide portfolio of beers, a lot of the focus is on farmhouse and sour styles, though there are some big-hitter barrel-aged Stouts in there, too.

Here in Texas, we get a lot of Prairie's releases, which is awesome. Along with what Jester King is doing up in Austin, there are a lot of innovate new beers on the shelves here for farmhouse lovers such as myself.

I'm starting with Prairie Ale, what they describe as their classic Saison. The malt bill consists of pilsner, wheat, flaked wheat, along with some cane sugar. On the hop side, it's all Saaz. Yeast is where it gets really fun, with a mix of ale and wine yeasts along with good old Brettanomyces.

Here's how Prairie describe the resulting profile:

A healthy dose of saaz hops are used to add a spicy element to the beer. Notes of black pepper and pineapple can be found in this beer.

Finally getting Prairie on here has been a goal for a while now, so let's get to it, shall we?

Appearance: Big pop of the cork on opening. Pours thoroughly hazy golden-straw body buried under an out of control thick, white head. Initially, it pours five fingers of foam, but it settles down a little after a few seconds. After the initial burn-off, the retention is good, and there's excellent lacing.

Aroma: A mix of mild lemony and grassy hops, pale malt, and a good dose of barnyardy funk. Maybe a whiff of alcohol once it's warmed.

Taste: Spicy and grassy hops, lemon, white pepper, and plenty of classic brettanomyces character over a pale and wheat-like body. Each element meshes with the others nicely. The alcohol is masked perfectly, adding a little spice and hiding under the rest. Grainy pale malt, grassy hops, and a hint of funk in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little creamy with medium-high carbonation and a dry finish. Perhaps a hint of heat from the booze as it warms.

Drinkability: Drinks much more like a regular Saison than the bigger beer the alcohol content suggests.

Verdict: Prairie Ale is a solid funky Saison with a hidden punch that I could easily drink all day long and get into plenty of trouble with. As good as this is, I can't wait to see what else these guys are brewing up.

Grade: A (4.4 out of 5 stars)

Note: While this review is being published in 2014, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2013.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Avery Sixteen Review

Brewery: Avery Brewing Co. | Beer: Sixteen
Style: Saison | ABV: 7.7% | IBUs: 14
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Okay, so as I've already tried their 17th Anniversary brew, I get a major late pass on posting this review. But, better late than never, eh?

Anyway, like most breweries, Avery brews up a special one-off beer each year to celebrate their birthday. Last year for their sixteenth anniversary, they created a special Saison to celebrate.

It used Sterling hops exclusively and had a backbone built from Pale Two-Row barley and Pale malted Wheat. Stepping out of the box a little, the brewers also threw in some peaches, jasmine, and honey.

Here's how Avery described the finished product:

A harmonious combination of jasmine, peaches and honey fermented with an unmistakable Belgian yeast strain, all weaving a marvelously spicy and fruity, massively estery and dry, saison ale

Sounds good; let's pretend it's still 2009 and dive in.

Appearance: A lemony-golden, and ever so slightly hazy body capped by two fingers of bright white and bubbly head that fizzes out quickly and leaves minimal lacing.

Aroma: Golden fruit, citrus, mild spice, and some yeasty funkiness over a pale wheat base.

Taste: Similar to the aroma, the flavor profile is a mix of golden fruit, light earthy bitterness, mild honey, floral spiciness, Belgian yeast, and a nice touch of tartness all over a smooth wheat backbone. Easily identifiable as a Belgian-inspired beer. The aftertaste is cereal grains and apples and lingers nicely.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with sharp carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability: A nicely quaffable brew, though you need to watch out for the deceptive alcohol content.

Verdict: Avery's sixteenth anniversary brew is tasty and interesting enough, though I probably won't be losing much sleep over the fact that this is a one-off brew. Worth a try for sure, this is a solid American Saison.

Grade: B+

Note: While the review above is being posted in 2010, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2009.

Ommegang Hennepin Review

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang | Beer: Hennepin
Style: Saison | ABV: 7.7% | IBUs: ~25
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Earlier this week, I posted my first review of an Ommegang beer with their Ommegang Abbey Ale. Now I'm back with Hennepin, another of their year-round offerings. Hennepin is a Saison, and just like earlier with Ommegang, this is the first example of the style I've reviewed here. You know what that means, we get the obligatory "first review of a style breakdown."

Saisons, also known as Belgian Farmhouse Ales, were originally brewed at the end of the winter to be drunk throughout summer. Therefore, the beer had to be fortified enough to last, yet still be refreshing and quenching when it was drunk. Saisons had been fading in popularity, but have enjoyed a comeback recently, especially in the US. Traditionally, the style is a bit of a grab bag of different beers with different brews with different characteristics, but the style is now coming together a bit. The BJCP decribe the style as:

A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity.

Named after Father Hennepin, who discovered Niagara Falls, Ommegang classify Hennepin as a Grisette. From my research, Grissette is an arcane sub-classification of Saison/Farmhouse, though there isn't much out there to go on. Anyway, here's how Ommegang (poetically) describe Hennepin:

As you pour this rich golden ale into your glass, consider your surroundings. Are you in a restaurant? Outside on the deck? Is it hot and humid? Cold and brisk? Take a drink. Feel the way Hennepin is bright and lively in your mouth with a warming mix of spicy gingersnap and citrusy hops. Refreshing. Relaxing. It's true: no matter where you are, Hennepin is the perfect ale for all seasons.

Refreshing and relaxing is just what I'm looking for right now. Let's hope it can deliver.

Appearance: A nicely hazy golden-straw body with three fingers of slightly off-white, bubbly head that sticks around and leaves good lacing.

Aroma: A honeyish malt body with fruity (golden fruit, citrus, and banana), yeasty, and spicy (clove, coriander, and pepper) notes. Some traces of booze, but not much.

Taste: Up front, a sweet pale malt character with fruit, spice, and ever-so-mild molasses twinge towards the end. It's somewhat sour and dries towards the end. Hints of alcohol in the end, in just the right proportion. It may not the most complex flavor profile, but it's quite satisfying.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied and smooth with good carbonation. Crisp with a dry finish.

Drinkability: Generally good, but reined in a little by the moderately-high alcohol content.

Verdict: Hennepin is a great beer to sit down with an enjoy on a peaceful Summer evening. It may not be the most complex Saison out there, but it's still well worth a try.

Grade: A-