351. St. Feuillien Saison

This is our first official beer from St. Feuillien, although we previously drank and blogged about St. Feuillien Brune Belgian Abbey Ale. Brasserie St. Feuillien in located in Le Roeulx, Belgium. And who doesn’t love Belgium? Well, besides the French, I mean.

St. Feuillen Saison pours a dull, hazy gold with a spritzy and mousse-y white head; the nose has a spicy Belgian yeast ester aroma with a bit of juicy/creaminess buried underneath. Flavors begin with a soft and spicy malt front that dries out in the middle; there are also some yeast ester flavors and a bit of the classic juicy saison flavor that Elli always finds, although in this beer it blends cleanly into the body. The finish has a slight (and I mean ever so slight) bit of sweetness before the carbonation bite and the high attenuation drop the beer into a lightly bitter and dry finish. St. Feuillen Saison has a medium albeit dry body with a medium carbonation that emerges in the final third of the beer; the carbonation couples well with the dryness of the beer to build the crisp bite of the mouthfeel and give the beer a bright and lively feel on the palate. This beer is an excellent example of the style; the high attenuation blends well with the crisp carbonation to create a refreshing and thirst-quenching beer—smooth, easy, and enjoyable to drink from first pour to last sip.

From the St. Feuillen website: “St. Feuillien Saison is what the Belgians call a beer of the terroir, a traditional farmhouse ale with all the rich savour of the fertile land of southern Belgium. Saison, a warm golden blonde ale, is a top-fermented classique. Thanks to secondary fermentation in the bottle, Saison has an unmistakable flavour full of rich nuances and a slight tang. Saison, the latest in a long line of top-quality St. Feuillien beers, went into production in March 2009 at the request of the US market, where there is a big demand for this kind of “hoppy” beer that is so emblematic of the rich Belgian tradition. As soon as it was launched in New York on 11 April, Saison was an instant success with consumers across the Atlantic, so much so that the launch of this new St. Feuillien product in Belgium was delayed by several weeks.”

ABV: 6.5%

(6/16/10)