farmhouse ale

New Beer Blog Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire Dark Farmhouse Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Jolly Pumpkin Brewery.  It is their Bam Noire Dark Farmhouse Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Michigan base craft brewery.   If you have not, please, read them to get to know this Midwest craft brewery.  Let us get into this dark saison ale.

It has a clear dark reddish color with a white constant head. The aroma has a dark fruit to farm like notes. The taste has a lemon like notes that is a little tart. It has a tart to sour like aftertaste. It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.jollypumpkin.com):

Bam Noire

Style: Dark Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 4.5 IBUs: 24
Available: Year Round

Dark, smooth and delicious. Aromas of worn leather and cool autumn nights. Notes of sweet plum and toasted raisin, hints of coffee and cacao. Lingering tart and refreshing finish.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.jollypumpkin.com

Twitter:  @jollypumpkin

Ending, I am not a huge fan of Jolly Pumpkin.  In most cases, it is the cost of the beer that turns me off.  They are great ales.  I love the liquid.  Meijer had this beer on sale for half of the price.  I was sold.  It is different. I love Saison ales but not a fan of dark Saisons.  This one was really good beer.  They did a great job.  I recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!   Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Anchor Saison Spring Ale

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In this spring seasonal beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Anchor Brewery.  It is their Saison Spring Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this west coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this California base craft brewery.  Let us get into this saison ale.

It has a slightly cloudy golden color with a white constant head. The smell has a fruity to lemon notes. The taste has a heavy lemon to farm and earthly notes. The aftertaste has a lemon note finish. It is extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.anchorbrewing.com):

Anchor Saison

Saisons originated with the rustic farmhouse ales of Wallonia, a mostly French-speaking region of Belgium. Bière de saison was brewed during the saison froide (cold season) for consumption during the warmer months. Today saisons are made and enjoyed year-round. As brewers, we were drawn to this beer style’s enigmatic history, the freedom it offers, and the creativity it demands.

Anchor Saison™ Spring Ale is a traditional Belgian-style saison with a California twist. The distinctiveness of roasted Belgian wheat malt is enhanced by the peppery, clove-like flavors of a locally cultured saison-style yeast. And, for this release, we chose three California ingredients—lemongrass, lemon peel, and ginger—whose synergy adds a tangy crispness and herbal spiciness to this sharply refreshing, uniquely Californian saison.

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 and the Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Route” in 1883, coupled with the advent of refrigerated railcars, made it possible for California brewers and farmers to ship their products out of state. Local artists and lithographers were engaged to create imaginative labels for bottles of beer and crates of fruit. Many of the latter featured colorful vignettes of California scenery framed by mouthwatering images of fresh citrus.

Inspired by those early fruit-crate labels and the ingredients in this release of Anchor Saison™ Spring Ale, our label features an original hand-colored 1873 lithograph of the Golden Gate as seen from Telegraph Hill. Our saison’s California ingredients—hand-drawn by our label artist Jim Stitt—adorn it, creating a uniquely Anchor label for a uniquely Anchor brew.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.anchorbrewing.com

Twitter:  @anchorbrewing

In the end, I will say this that all saison or farmhouse ales are not all the same.  They are all different and it is by design.  The only thing that is the same is the funkiest from the yeast strain.  It has a heavy lemon notes. It is different like all saisons are on the market. I like it.  It is not my favorite but it is a good version of saison ale.  I love Goose Island Sofie and that is my standard for farmhouse ales.  I do recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale (2014)

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In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale.  This beer was their fall seasonal back in 2007.  Every season, New Belgium brings back seasonal back to life in their sampler pack.  The sampler pack comes with two bottles each of three of their selected everyday beers.   If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know New Belgium Brewery.  Let us get into this Saison Ale.

It has a nice clear golden color with a nice white constant head.  There is some nice small constant bubbles in middle of the beer.  The aroma has a nice Belgian spicy notes.  The taste has a nice refreshing citrus notes with some spice kick.  The aftertaste has citrus finish.  It is extremely drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Brewed with a yeast harvested from Belgium, our SAISON has a just-picked freshness reminiscent of the farm-house ales produced each fall in Blegium.  Pale bronze in color, this delicately hopped ale has a bright, yeasty, artisanal quality worthy of toasting those long autumn sunsets.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Ending, I really love this beer and I wish it was still in six packs form.  I love how this brewery change-up their seasonal every two to three years.  It could  be a good thing or a bad thing.  If there is a seasonal that you are not a fan of it, you will be looking forward to the new one to come out.  I love how they revisit some of their old seasonal in  their sampler pack.  This is a perfect and true to the classic saison style.  It is not overly hop but it is not under hop.  It is refreshing and keeps you coming back for more beer.  I recommend this beer and their fall sampler pack.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Right Brain Brewery Stowaway Saison Ale

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While at Ashley’s Westland, we are going to sample Stowaway Saison Ale from Right Brain Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read my beer blog posts about their beers to get to know this Michigan craft brewery. Let us get into this beer.

This Saison Ale has a clear golden color with a nice constant white head.  The head of the beer has small bubbles.  The aroma has Belgian spices with a citrus notes like lemon.  The taste has a light carbonation Belgian spice with citrus notes.  The finish is a refreshing slight hop aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.rightbrainbrewery.com):

STOWAWAY
Style: Reclaimed Saison
ABV: 5.7%
A traditional Saison with a hazy golden color, fruit-forward aroma, crisp complex flavor, and mildly acidic finish. #RBB brewers cultivated the reclaimed yeast used for this beer over a span of 7-months.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.rightbrainbrewery.com

Twitter:  @rightbrainbrew

In closing, I will be perfectly honest with you.  I did not like this beer the first time I tried it.  I had to try this beer one more time just because I love this brewery and I am a huge fan of them.  I do not know if it was what I was eating or the beer I had before trying this beer.  The second time that I have had this beer is a positive thought towards this beer.  I really enjoyed this beer.  I love the refreshing taste profile that this beer provides to the craft beer drinker.  I love the hops used in this beer.  I will be looking for this beer again on my next beer run or at my neighborhood bar.  I highly recommend this beer if you are a light beer drinker or love your Saison Ales.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13