57/100) Smokestack Saisons and Wheatwine

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Saison, Saison Brett, Wheat Wine Style Ale

For this week, I had some more Smokestack beers. I love the variety and the quality of this series. This grouping focuses mostly on the presence of tartness in the more sour styles of beer, and secondarily, on some experimentation with aging.

Saison) This collaboration disappointed me. As a representative of the saison-style, this beer was too light and uninspiring. It was not undrinkable or unpleasant. It just did nothing wrong, but in doing so, it didn't surprise or delight. It was just okay. ☆☆

Saison-Brett 2014) The title identifies exactly what this was. This beer was a sour farmhouse-style with brettanomyces (an infamous strain of yeast responsible for funk that requires its own special "infected" tank for production). The balance of this of this beer was great.. My teeth weren't left singing from the tartness, and a decent amount of funky flavors precluded a fairly dry finish. I have already picked up bottles of the 2015 release. Yes, it was that good. ☆☆☆☆☆

Harvest Dance)
When I brought out my bottle of last year's Harvest Dance to share, my friend revealed he had one from 2009. We ended up doing an impromptu vertical, and it was totally worth it. The distance in time between the two is nearly five years, and the aged one didn't suffer for it at all. We actually wonder if their might have been a recipe change between the two releases. Age can hardly account for that level of a color difference, or can it?

2014) was very effervescent with licorice and fruit esters along the finish. The mouth feel was also light and rather thin just like the head of the pour. This wheat wine sang smoothly, and I rather enjoyed it even as it paled in comparison to its elder. ☆☆☆☆

2009) aged beautifully. I wish I could give a solid description of the flavors in a way that you might appreciate. The colors are darker than the 2014, and the mouth feel was so much more full bodied. Caramels and licorice played upon my tongue as friends, leaving behind lingering memories of a dance that ought to have never ended. ☆☆☆☆☆

My only regret is not socking away bottles of last year's Harvest Dance. I think a "Do not open until 2019" seal would have been very appropriate.