Sunday, October 18, 2009

Saison Imperiale

Saison Imperiale, Belgian Farmhouse Ale

Brewed by De Proef Brouweij
Special Reserve

8.5% ABV – 11.2 Fl oz. champagne bottle

Served in a Tulip Glass

Mugsy had been craving a brew with what he called “Barnyard Funk” for a while and, like a good little wife, Jugsy wanted nothing more than to make him happy! So, when she spotted this intriguing Brewmaster’s Collection with the words “Farmhouse Ale” right there on the bottle, she snatched it up immediately!

After clearing a patch in the barn and kicking up our heels onto ready bundles of hay, Mugsy and Jugsy dusted off their Tulip glasses from last week’s review and popped the champagne style cork from the Saison Imperiale!

Ahhh. This is living!

In every proper review, the Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Saison Imperiale, Belgian Farmhouse Ale

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Deep brown; impossible to see through, with thick, creamy head that doesn’t ever seem to dissipate! Looks like a glass of iced tea with a beer head.
Jugsy: Deep brown and garnet in color; opaque but not cloudy, with medium, creamy head that does not dissipate quickly. Carbonation is visible.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Slight bit of yeasty, barnyard funk straight off. Hints of spiciness, like Cardamom and maybe a little Bergamot orange peel, but funk stands out.
Jugsy: Initial aroma is one of sweet yeast with a fruity fermentation. Scent of sourdough with just a hint of malts. Apples, pears and mellow citrus are present. The fruity funk lingers throughout.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Slightly spicy, like a winter brew. Cinnamon and Molasses mix with hints of over-ripe fruit, like oranges. Also, hops are prevalent here, more so than most Belgian Ales of this type. However, the maltiness, yeast, fruit and spice overpower. Aftertaste is of Bergamot orange peel.
Jugsy: Very lightly roasted malts with a secondary yeast flavor. Delicate hops flavor provides a bitter middle-note. Spicy citrus and apple taste intertwine with a slightly bitter aftertaste. There seems to be coffee in there somewhere, too!

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Is this where I should mention the creamy moustache I got with my first drink? This Ale is spicy on the tongue, as I mentioned before, similar to winter brews. Goes down with a smooth, creamy finish.
Jugsy: Feels creamy and rich as it goes down. The flavors fan out smoothly across the palate. Briefly biting carbonation appears then disappears, leaving the tongue coated with mildly bitter funk.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Goes down easy! Not heavy at all. I began to feel the 8.5% ABV P.D.Q.! Got that warm, fuzzy feeling all over and a little bit of a flushed face. This would be a great breakfast beer on a cold, winter day. Then another at 11 a.m. and one more for lunch….
Jugsy: The Saison Imperiale is complex but doesn’t taste like a heavy beer. Due to its 8.5% ABV, I wouldn’t recommend this as a session beer, but it’s great on its own. I have to agree with Mugsy, I certainly felt the effects of alcohol very quickly!

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Nice beer. Just complex enough to know that the brewers care about what they do. Would be happy to drink again.
Jugsy: Thoroughly enjoyable brew. The combination of flavors is fresh and surprising. I get the feeling this is a cold weather drink that warms one after a hard day’s work on the farm (or at the office?). This beer is meant to be savored.

SCORE:

Mugsy: 7.65

Jugsy: 8.3


[This beer was purchased at BevMo for $9.49.]

3 comments:

  1. You're too kind, Erin! We feel that way about it sometimes, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree that it's beer porn. And it sounds so yummy!

    ReplyDelete