Samuel Adams Rustic Saison
Samuel Adams Rustic Saison is an incredibly complex yet refreshing beer in the classic style of Belgian farmhouse ales. These blonde ales were traditionally brewed to quench the thirst of farmers throughout the summer months. The unique character of our brew comes from its Belgian yeast that imparts floral, fruity, and spicy flavors. These are layered with a slight earthiness and a citrusy, herbal hop character for a bright and satisfying summer brew.
3
300 reviews
Boston, United States
Community reviews
Poured with a medium sized head, mainly flat with various size bubbles. Initial aroma was of a grassy/barnyard but upon sitting for 2-3 minutes this disappeared, much like the head, into a fuggle hop aroma. Taste is fuggle hops. After initial excitement this becomes a east coast IPA made with Belgian yeast. Not bad but lacks depth of flavor and aroma.
In short: A phenolic blonde ale with many many problems. Bad bottle?
How: Bottle 12oz. Not too sure about the age on this one. 6 months?
The look: Clear blonde body with many small particles, small persistent white head
In long: Nose is has a bit of grass and lemongrass oil insects repellent, some phenols and a distant rustic character. Taste has green and red apples, garlic salad croutons, hospital gloves, citrusy notes, medicinal flavors. This beer was off in so many ways. Yet it wasn’t almost drinkable because it wasn’t really very tasty and the active carbonation helped cover up the many imperfections. Riots in Greece, economic crisis, violence in Egypt, republicans at each other throats, and a lot more… it’s like Google News doesn’t even care that I just had a bad bottle of Saison.
This to me was not a very tasty saison. I love saison but the flavor on this one was a little to light for me. Still not terrible, but not the best.
12oz bottle -
Found in the Samuel Adams Summer Styles sampler pack. Another huge thank you to Boston Beer Co. for continually spreading the craft beer love and giving people the opportunity to try a style that they’d normally not try. This beer wasn’t anywhere close to being a quality Belgian saison, but so what. It was quite tasty, approachable and a good introduction to the style for new folk. The aroma had a phenolic yeast angle to it, slightly grassy, light citrus, wheat cracker and pepsper notes too. Wheaty flavor, with a hint of biscuit/doughy malts, grass and slightly earthy. Very nice, very enjoyable.
For starters, this is a bad rating for this brewer; I am surprised to see it ranked so poorly. Poured in a Palm tulip, nice golden hue, somewhat lively. The aroma is a delicious honey-citrus with a tiny hint of Belgian yeast strains. The taste is disappointing. It is neither sweet nor bitter. No particular element really stands out. Finish reveals the honey, easy light body.
Situation: Joyous times--power again after five days without, and an LSU-Alabama #1 vs. #2 showdown... Glassware: La Fin du Monde tulip.... Appearance: golden-hued, rather transparent with a mountainous three-finger head that holds steady well into the drinking.... Aroma: light, yeasty, almost doughy scent--grassy notes as well... Palate:crisp, tight presence that occupies the tongue with effervescence.... Taste: bright, tart taste whhose malt is thin and punchy, almost a pilsner flavor that also has a slight yeasty fruitiness... Overall: admittedly, I missed the season for this beer, but fair or unfair, the taste establishes its own merits...Michael Jackson says the style has a "brisk refreshing attack"--then this is a saison and a solid offering at that...
Pours a hazy gold with a white head. Smells of light spice, floral, some residual sugary hints. Tastes of semi dry pilsner malt, some floral hints, some spicy hints, peppery on the finish.
I am not a fan. This beer is terrible in my opinion, but I am not a big fan of this style in general.
Easy drinking Saison. Light golden in color, nice aroma and with a nice malt character. Very light Belgian yeast character. Decent light lawn mower brew.
12oz. Bottle: Aroma of malt, chamomile, honey, and tea. Poured yellow/gold in color with a tiny, white head as a film on top of the beer as well as around the edges. Clear. Lightly sparkling. Ok lacing. Flavor is medium sweet. Tastes of malt, honey, tea, and chamomile. No Belgian yeast flavor. Light to medium body. Lightly dry, lightly sticky texture. Average carbonation. Honey finish is dry.
A nice golden pour with a thick white head. Aroma is fruity and sweet with some malt in there. Flavor is malty with banana and a bit of wheaty flavor also. Smooth and refreshing. A well done beer.
Pours thivk white head, golden color, medium carbonization. Aroma of straw, dough-bread yeast. Well balanced hop taste, scent of crisp apple, dry at the end.
12 ounce bottle. Pours a very clear gold with a small white head. Aroma of malt, citrus and florals. Taste is malt, orange, lemon and spices. Decent enough.
Tasted from a bottle into a pint glass. This is a good beer but not a great example of Saison. Appropriate orange color, but lacking the dense foam and Belgian lace. Somewhat citrusy, peppery, and dry but not nearly as hazy, fruity, spicy, tart, sour and/or alcoholic as I’d expect from this characteristic farmhouse style. That said, it is a nice, flavorful summer ale with more complexity than most macros. Give it a try.
(sampled at the Manitou Craft Lager Festival 8/14/11). Gold color with light cloudiness. Small white head. Moderate spicy yeast aroma with light biscuit and sweet malt. Flavor of the same. Avg duration. Light dry finish. Slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Fair lacing.
bottle - Pours clear gold with a small white head. The aroma is of yeast with banana notes. The flavor is sweet, fruity, and a little spicy. While alright to drink, this brew is a light, underwhelming saison.
12 oz bottle, pale golden color, aroma is sweet and malty with some yeastiness. Some spicyness and to a lesser degree some sweet citrus noted as well. Kind of a typical saison taste, almost sour but balanced out with the spicyness. Palate is average. Not a bad saison, but at a time of year with so many good late summer and oktoberfest beers its not really worth the effort.
Bottle from the summer 12 pack. Not really much here... typical saison look and feel. Fruity easy to drink beer with plenty of carbonation. Typical Sam Adams flavor that is found in every one of their beers. As usual - good enough to be better than anything AB produces.
clear pale yellow, white quickly disappearing head, lots of lace. not very attractive. nose of spice sweet malt, gingerbread. flavor is spicy, malty sweet, with gingerbread predominating. feels kinda christmasy to me. medium bodied, spritzy mouthfeel, dry finish. a mildly spicy brew but not really a lot of fun. part of a summer sampler case purchased at sam’s club in matteson.
Pours a bright gold with a fizzy white head that fades into a gentle lace. Nose is of hay, floral hops, and ripe summer fruits. Taste is dry crisp and not as sweet as the nose. Nothing special here but it is a decent beer.
This poured a clear golden to darker yellow color with a white head. Aroma was moldy bread, rotten pizza and dandelions. FLavor as very off and astringent, not funky, but more of a salty seaweed and rotted wood taste. Bleh
very clear pale yellow, next to no head at all, i tried... quite fruity aroma, fairly sweet, some pale malts, lightly toasty, spicy, one note spicy... fairly lively, light body, easy drinking.. interesting, fruity and lightly spicy up front then finishes toasty, a little sweet... not bad, but i almost wouldnt call this a saison...
Tap at Papago. Pale gold pour with a foamy white head. Aroma of wheat, malt, honey and fruit. Flavor is similar with a touch of spice and lemons. Not bad.
Bottle. Light colored pour, quite clear, with a nice poofy topping. The scent is musty, spicy, earthy, yeasty ... quite complex and seductive. To the casual drinker, however, I’m sure most of this is lost. What a great example of why one shouldn’t drink from the bottle. If you did, you’d miss out on the finesse in this one ... well done, Samuels Adameseses. (#4245, 9/9/2011)
Would drink but not buy. Smells of honey and flowers. Quick sweet hit, followed by a light sour note, then a light dry finish. Something seems slightly out of balance.
Pours a crystal clear straw yellow with a big white top. Aroma is very farmhouse, and not the pleasant part. Taste is weak, thin bodied, mostly yeast and a little spice and nothing nice. Thanks to spinrsx for this.
On tap at the HopCat. A decent saison, yellow with a generous head.Little spicy aroma. A little sour, some pepper. I would be happy if the best beer I could find in the city, but nothing too special.
Oh my my gentle Jesus! this is soooo wonderful citrus off the chair... Peach, Apricot flavors, smell of oh so sweetness.... im 8 down on other beer’s and this sweet nectar is easy goin down with a wonderful hint of fruit try it out its worth it.
Bottle courtesy of markwise. The 12oz-er pours a brilliant clear gold with weak bright white head. The aroma is sort of fruity with red apples as well as notes of spicy yeast, some herbal qualities and floral to spicy hops. The taste is similar with thin veins of red apple and spicy yeast mixing with herbal notes, floral hops and spicy hops. Into the finish a pleasing note of grainy malts joins in to help create a more interesting and balance experience.
I thought this beer was decent. It was a good representation of its style. Had the citrus finish, the light body and the refreshing drinkability the a good saison has.