Yards Brewing Saison
While I would rather enjoy a refreshing Saison on the back deck after a long day out in the Summer sun, cracking one open on a cool September evening works just as well — there’s never a wrong time of year for a tasty Saison. And while this 6.5% ABV offering from Yards Brewing isn’t the best example of the style, it’t refreshing character was exactly what I needed.
Brewed with pilsen malt and candi sugar, Yards Saison brings the typical array of characteristics to the senses with a light yeasty trait and spices (probably a little too strong here) in a package that goes down smoothly.
Appearance
The beer pours a light amber in color with a frothy crown of white foam that fell slowly, leaving behind decent lacework on the glass.
Aroma
There’s a fairly strong clove presence here that’s followed by light yeast and grain. The beer certainly has a floral/herbal character, but not much of a barnyard trait.
Taste
Hmmmm… I’m picking up a moderate amount of banana in the flavor which gives the beer more of a Hefeweizen character than the Saison that it’s labeled as. It’s got a good bit of malt sweetness in the mix along with clove, honey, herbal notes and yeast. The combination of these flavors give it a bit of an odd medicinal character that lingers in the semi-dry finish.
Overall
Yards Saison isn’t a bad beer when all is said and done. It’s got a good body and refreshing quality, as well as much of what I look for in a beer of this style, but it’s also a little muddled and perhaps over spiced for my personal liking. if I’m going to grab another beer from the brewery, it will most likely be their Cape of Good Hope (review coming soon) — they have much better products in their portfolio.
Rating: 3/5
