Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison - Mandarin Orange & Peppercorns

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison - Mandarin Orange & Peppercorns

An homage to the monk’s noble work, this unique farmhouse ale is incredibly complex with notes of lemon, pepper, straw and herbs balanced by the tang of Mandarin oranges and a spicy kick of pepper. The Mandarin oranges used to make this beer were locally grown, including a portion grown on the grounds of the Abbey of New Clairvaux and picked by hand by the community of monks living there. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.
3.6
316 reviews
Chico, United States

Community reviews

3.3 375ml c&c bottle from Xroads. Poured a honey amber body with a smaller creamy light beige head. Aroma of yeast, citrus, white pepper, bread, crackers, fruit skins, green apples. Flavor is less fruity than the aroma, notes of apples, grapes, crusts, toast, raisin bread, light citrus, hint of caramel and spice o the back end. Not really the citrus and pepper beer I was expecting.
4.4 A spot on brew. The beer tastes true to the flavor notes. A handcrafted quality feel to this one. Flavors follow through all the way into the finish. And hot damn, that’s some peppercorn right there! ps-smell the cork!!!
3.6 Aroma hay, citrus, Orange Appearance copper, clear, off white foam, Taste medium sweetness, lightly bitter, Palate medium body, average carbonation, Overall a sweet beer that I could only have a couple of. Still I would suggest this beer to a friend
3.4 375 ml corked and caged bottle poured a hazy golden amber with a lingering ring of off white foam. Aromas of straw, floral notes, peppercorns and light orange. Palate was light bodied and crisp with a smooth dry finish. Flavors of straw, orange and light peppercorns with a smooth dry finish.
4.0 Bottle from new Albany beer store. Nose is plum and wine. Smooth bossy till pepper kicks the whole thing out of balance just enough to make it less than perfect. Complex thicker body and smooth except for pepper. Would do again. Beginning was better than the end.
3.6 A 12.7 fl oz corked and caged bottle packaged on 5th February 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass. The beer poured a clear orangey copper colour with a one finger white head that slowly dissipates resulting in a thin soapy layer and stringy lacing. Starts with orange and honey aromas, followed by some Belgian yeasty notes and ginger. Tastes were sweeter than I expected but not too sweet which is good. I get citrus orange and lemon upfront followed by honey and caramel. There is some spice in the finish. Medium bodied, medium to high carbonation, dryness. Of the SN Ovila series that I’ve tried before (the other two being the Tripel and Quad w/ plums), this was the best one. It is unlike any other saisons that I’ve tried, but still a solid beer.
4.7 Aroma- Nice scent of orange but still subdued. Appearance- A beautiful light orange that is crystal clear with nice carbonation running up the glass. Taste- Lovely orange flavor along with other great citrus notes. Hides the alcohol really well. Palate- Lightly carbonated and very easy drinking. Overall- Best saison I have had to date. With some other saisons that I have had they are usually high on the carbonation but this one surprised me by being light on the palate leaving me with a great refreshing finish.
3.3 It pours beautifully golden with thin white head. Nose is citrus, sour. It tastes of Belgian malts, mandarin is there but quite hidden, can’t really detect the peppercorns. Overall, a good summer beer, nothing from Mars.
3.8 Aroma: yeast, grain and cereal malts, light sours. Appearance: hazy gold, medium, creamy, white head. Taste: light sweet. Palate: sweet grain and bread malts continue, light sours, lactose, citrus, herbs, soft carbonation, medium body. Overall: very nice Saison, great aroma and palate, nice Saison yeasts. Bottle at The Rookery, Juneau.
4.2 Pours clear orange/gold with a thin white head that lasts. Steady fine carbonation rises from the bottom of the glass. Aroma is sweet malt, flowery, straw, spicy pepper. Taste is dry saison, the orange and pepper are there but not overwhelming. A hint of alcohol in the finish. Great mouth feel. A solid saison on its own, the orange and pepper are just enough to make it interesting.
3.5 Not bad. Good aroma and descent taste. The orange and peppercorn comes through nicely.
3.7 375.6 ml (12.7 fl oz) cork bottle with a fairly loud ‘pop’ bought at CitySuper in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui. Looks: Clear amber honey colour with no yeast sediments; Less than one-quarter finger head and residual soapy white foam which fades in 10 seconds; Fairly good sticky lacing with active carbonation. Aroma: Fragrant and sweet Ale malt, with strong orange, tangerines, canned pineapples, floral, light black pepper, honey, syrup, cloves, spices, bread, Bel yeast, light lemon and faint grass. Taste: Medium sweet Ale malt, with strong orange peels, tangerines, caramel, vanilla, light peppercorns, thin pineapples, strong molasses, spices, bread, Bel yeast, lemon, moderate bitter hops and light grass. Body: Close to medium body, thin but quite slick palate. Mouth Feel: Strong Ale maltyness despite a wheat-thinned background. Strong presence of orange and tangerines with fair bits of black peppercorns. Good vanilla and pineapple ester. Fairly good spicyness. Strong presence of Bel yeast unlike the disappointing Ovila Tripel. Lemony hops to round. Nice! Hoppiness: strong orange, tangerine, pineapple, floral, molasses in nose, same in taste with more lemon and grass. Bitterness is moderate for a lasting, mid-to-light astringent sweet fruity finish. After Taste: Fairly dry. Fruity -sweet and spicy, light hoppy to mouth. Comments: Its taste is not quite a Saison, but more a like a pretty well-made Tripel with orange and spices to light things up. Like most NS beers, this one is yeast-free, but with such strong Bel yeast presence, I can imagine how good it will be with some Bel yeast in the bottle. I aleady love its strong body and fruity sweetness. A very solid Tripel-like Ale!
2.9 375 ml bottle. From the brewery in Chico, CA. Clear amber colour with a small white head. Yeast, citrus, orange, mild bitterness, bready malt and some spices in the aroma. Yeast, bitterness, citrus, sweetness and malt in the flavour. This is not a Saison.
3.6 Aroma - Smells very sweet, bubble gum-like; sweet taffy Appearance - pours a hazy golden-orange with nice white lacing head Taste - very sweet citrus with a very faint peppery aftertaste. Not as spicy as I was expecting Edit: spice is more upfront as you let the beer warm Mouthfeel - light bodied and sticky. Lightly carbonated Overall - good beer but not what I was expecting
3.7 Tap. Pours crystal clear pale amber golden, large of white creamy head, slow to dissipate, great lacing. Aroma is hugely pepper, lots of field grass. Flavor is light sweet, light bitter, herbal, pepper, grasses, orange zest. More black pepper. Hard to miss that. Medium body, creamy mouthfeel. Solid.
3.6 On tap at the brewery, this pours a bright orange into the glass with a soapy white head that leaves webbed lacing. The nose is of tangerines, barnyard grains, silage and hay. Flavors of orange, tangerine, cracked black pepper, hay and barnyard silage finish with a black pepper spiciness. The mouthfeel is active with a medium body that is perfect for spring or summer weather. The pepper really makes this stand out. Delicious.
3.4 Mild pencil shaving aroma. Clear amber, medium head. Mushroomy, tart and woody. Nice complexity.
3.9 Pours a four finger cream head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Almost clear amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Mandarin orange nose and flavor is citrusy orange and lemon with what seems to be Belgian yeast. Mellow for a saison. $3.90 for a caged & corked 375ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, MA.
3.8 Aroma of fruit. Some orange, lemongrass, pepper, bread. Flavor starts out dry and finishes sweeter. Some hops noticed. Another good beer from the Ovila line.
3.5 Pours clear copper / orange with an off-white head. The aroma has lots of cream, caramel, heavy malt and cellar must. Comes off more as a biere de garde on the aroma. It has a medium body that is quite smooth with fairly soft carbonation. The flavor starts with lots of cellar must, cotton candy, light peppercorn, spices and caramel. The finish has much of the same, but a touch of saison earthiness. It still comes off more of a biere de garde than saison to me though. Good, but not what I was expecting.
4.0 Orange/copper in color, a bit on the cloudy side. Citrus in aroma and well represented in taste. The slightest hop quality on the back end.
3.8 Good beer that i had even higher hopes for. Golden color with fluffy white head. Aroma is citrus, pepper, bread, and pear. Taste is medium sweet light bitterness and light citric tartness.
3.9 Truly enjoyable. Simple, big punch of mandarin, nice medium dry finish. Medium body. Well done product.
3.7 Nice looking deep orange, white long head. Sort of hazy. Grassy hops, coriander and mandarin aromas. Earthy yeast aromas as well. Nice beer.
3.3 On tap at Dexters, porus a clear dark orange with an off white head, the aroma has some funk and yeast at first with a little bit of the orange and fruit coming through, the flavor has a strong spice front end with lots of the peppercorn in the finish, the fruit is kind of dominated, kind of meh for me.
3.7 Draft: Clear gold with a small white head. Orange, spice aroma. Taste is orange malt, yeast, pepper.... Very nice saison aspects... Pretty nice.
3.5 achete lors d un voyage a nyc c est un melange interessant un cote agrume comme l orange et un cote malte syle belge c est un cote assez savoureux c est moins rafraichissant qu une saison
3.5 Appearance: the beer is a darker shade of gold, cloudy, pours with a large beige head that settles into a moderate density Aroma: lemon, yeast, bread, some hints of sourness Taste: lemon, some light coriander, some bitterness as well, hides the alcohol very well, Palate: lively carbonation, lighter mouthfeel, slightly warm aftertaste Overall: this is a good saison, not great but good, I really like how the alcohol just shows itself as a warm aftertaste, pretty citrusy,
3.6 12.7oz. bottle. Cellar aged for about 1 year. Malty, softly fruity and sweet aroma, with notes of doughy, lightly estery yeast, slight orange and lemon citrus, honey and dried herbs. Lightly hazy light amber in color with a lasting, fine, creamy head. Flavor profile is faintly peppery and spicy, suggestions of tropical fruit and citrus are present along with a honeyish, caramel malt sweetness and faint herbal hop flavor and bitterness in the background, particularly towards the finish, which shows a dash of clove late. Active and very lightly tart on the palate, a touch of warmth here as well and with a medium-full body. An interesting and tasty creation.
3.2 Bottle - Pours lightly hazy golden amber with a thin white head. Nose is spicy, with coriander, white pepper, sugary orange, sweet bread, and doughy yeast. Taste is sweet, sugary bread, doughy yeast, and a bit of spiciness and citrus. Just too sweet and sugary. Slick and fairly full-bodied with ample carbonation.