Se La Saison
Uncapping / Pouring / Aesthetics: Nice hiss with some bubbles in the neck before the pour. The head is beautiful with a tight matrix and plenty of staying power. Creamy, almost, silky. The color is yellowish orange; since this is a Saison, I purposely poured some of the bottle sediment into the glass, so it's characteristically cloudy. A little bit more orange in color than the Saison DuPont, but still within style.
Aroma: Ah, hell, here we go. What is that smell? What the f*ck is it? Can't place it. Can't place it. Okay, giving the wife a taste. POT!, she says. And she is right. A subtle herbal smell that I have only experienced once before, in Fantome's rare "Dark White" beer, and which myself and all of my friends concluded smelled like Mary. Are you kidding me? This is fantastic, O'Flan! Not just because of the subtle weed aromas, but because of the complexity. I get kumquat and lemon and a delicious richness that borders on vanilla.
Palate: And there we are again, the "herb". Sweeet. I love it. The first few sips give me some yeasty, bready character, but that fades with subsequent tastes. I get lemon, citrusy tangerine, but most of all, herbs and spices, along with a subtle earthiness that tells me, hey, I can hang with the funkiest Belgian farmhouse ales! The only fault I can see is that this is less acidic and dry than a Saison. I know this all too well because the beer that I had just before this was Saison DuPont's Avec le Bons Floeur, their xmas Saison, from 06. Okay, unfair to do that to you, I know, because DuPont makes the best Saisons on the planet, but this guy stood up VERY well.
Proximity to the Style: Everything is there except for the slight sourness and acidity that you expect from a Saison. This is a bit more creamy and sweet, and reminds me more of an unspiced wit. But otherwise, spot-effing-on.
Overall Impression: Holy crap. If the rest of your beers are half this good, I really owe you big time. One of the best homebrews I think I've ever had. Easily could be mistaken for an artisan Belgian. I'm in awe, dude. This hangs with Fantome's Dark White, which is a huge complement, because that stuff is face-rockingly good. While not as true to style as I expected, it's a near-perfect beer nonetheless. Sure, a bit of tweaking might make it more Saison-y, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm on my last few sips as I write this, and I just want to smell it more. The ganja aromas are slowly taking over as it warms up, and...I'm just very impressed. I want your recipe, because I am brewing this bastard.
SCORE: 47/50