Today was probably the first real day of spring in Rochester. We've had some sunny days earlier in the month, but they were shortly followed with snow. Today, we almost hit 70, there's not a cloud in the sky, and snow is finally nowhere to be seen in the forecast. Consequently, it seemed right to try one of the classic spring beers, the saison. The only saison I've had so far is Ommegang's Hennepin. I was a little underwhelmed, but it was good for what it was. Tonight, I'm reviewing Flying Dog's attempt, their Wild Dog. I paid $9.57 for a 750 mL bottle of this beer. It would have been a whopping $11.65 regular price. It weighs in at 7.3% ABV, a little lighter than the Hennepin.
This is a bottle-conditioned beer, but it poured clearer than I expected. The head was large and bubbly. Once I swirled in the yeast that had settled, it naturally was a little cloudier. The yeast was a nice addtion to the flavor, too, but it's hard to mix it in on the first pour of a 750.
The bottle indicates that this was brewed with honey and curacao orange peel. I detect a hint of citrus in the aroma, but not so much on the honey. Mostly I smell a light malt and mild hopping. The taste is very mild, as with the Hennepin. It's mostly a light malt and light hopping without too many frills. The finish is nicer though. The citrus and honey come through a little better. It's not too sweet though. I'm awarding this beer [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], and I'd say that the last half heart of that is for being good for this variety rather than good across all styles of beer. I'm thinking that saisons must be the chardonnay of beers. They're light and mild, and while they can be good, they're not generally as bombastic as some other varieties. I'm pretty surprised at the high price commanded by these beers, though. I probably won't be buying any more. It's approaching the realm of Unibroue's 750's and even Allagash's oak aged premium beers, which blow this beer out of the water, at least for my preferences.
I have one more saison from Southampton to review, so we'll have to see if they can save this variety in my eyes. Currently, I probably won't bother buying any more of these beers given their high price and relative mediocrity of flavor.