Review: Boulevard Saison-Brett 2015

One of my recent style kicks has been Saisons. After asking around for a good one, I decided to follow the advice of a few people and checkout Boulevard Brewings Saison-Brett (2015). The dry hopped, bottle conditioned beer was aged for 3 months prior to release. The difference between a Brett and regular Saison is the Brettanomyces, a wild strain of yeast that brings a distinctive taste.

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 8.50%
Offering: 750ml bottle or on draft

Appearance: When poured into my pint glass (messed up and should have used a tulip), the first thing I noticed was the excessive, foamy head (at least 3 fingers worth). The head retention was good and it had light lacing. The body was a hazy amber.

Smell: The earthy essence of the Brettanomyces is front and center; there is almost a little funk smell along with a little fruitiness. Overall, it’s a nice smell.

Taste: The funky Brett taste is the most noticable aspect of the taste. There is also citrus, malt, and biscut flavors. It’s a complex taste that mixes sweet and sour. It’s a dry beer that has little bitterness.

Mouth: The medium bodied beer finishes dry and clean. The carbonation is there too.

Overall: This might be the best Saison I’ve had. The beer is balanced in all aspects. You could grab 2 bottles, drink one now, and save one for a year or 2 and probably have the same results.

The Beer Advocate score is 95 OK; it scored a perfect 100 from the Bros. Both are “World Class” scores.

Score: 5 out of 5

(The new scoring…an empty pint glass is a good thing. Since this beer received a 5 out of 5, there are 5 empty pint glasses to represent that. The more full glasses, the worse the beer is.)