Cicerone.org

OK, I'm tasting saisons this week.  First up:

Nøgne Ø - Saison 6.5% abv, 25 IBU. Imported from Norway by Shelton Bros.

Gold colored, very clear.  Nose is ethyl acetate and very clove-like phenol.  Palate is full of that clove phenol. Spicy and refreshing with clean malt body underneath.  Interesting recipe: Wheat malt + lager malt. Kent Goldings and Crystal hops used. Uncomplicated and refreshing.  Will definitely buy again and recommend.

Brasserie Ellezelloise – La Biere des Collines Saison 2000.

6.5% abv Imported from Belgium by Shelton Brothers.

A well-aged beer with all the soft complexity that you would expect with such tenure. Nose had vanilla and maple at first, now very much honey-like.  Palate is fruity sweet and honey-like with some waxy notes and just a hint of peppery spiciness or minerally notes. Indeed the saison-like spiciness is so faint that I would likely classify this as an English old ale if I were tasting it completely blind and trying to guess its style.

I'm just now noticing that the label is notched with a best by date of January 2008, so that matches well with the flavor profile.

Michael Jackson wrote of this beer, "lightly nutty, very fruity, palate; and a dry spritzy finish."  Well the dry and spritzy have aged away, but it is certainly fruity and my "peppery/minerally" is his "nutty" I suppose.

Interesting beers.  More Saison's later in the week.