One Offs: Urthel's Saisonniere, or: Blonde Special Ale Is Not So Special

There are many reasons why you should drink Urthel beer. They can make a tasty beverage, they have gnomes with freakishly huge noses on their bottles, and...well what other reasons do you need really? So, is their newest brew, Saisonniere, worth adding to this list? Eeerrhhhmm no. Here's why:

Saisonniere is a "Blond Special Ale," which is about as helpful a label as "Potent Potable." A quick glance at the int4rw3b revealed that the Saisonniere is not quite a saison, not quite a blond ale, and not quite a typical wheat beer. So, what is Saisonniere? I'll tell you; it's mediocre.

"Drink Urthel, or this gnome will haunt your child's dreams. Krueger-style."

Wherein I Describe The Beer
Poured from the bottle, the Saisonniere is hazy golden and develops a billowy head that laces the glass as you drink. The aroma is citrusy, likely from the hops, and yeasty, likely from..oh what its called...you know, the thing that makes the alcohol...gah! It will come to me eventually. Anyway, as the beer warms it becomes more fragrant with a smell reminiscent of a Westmalle Tripel. So far, this beer sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

It's the flavor, however, that's a bit of a let down. With such a mouthwatering bouquet, I expected Saisonniere to deliver on the first sip. However, the taste is light and has only subtle peppery and yeasty notes. It finishes dry and has little aftertaste. I hoped it would become more complex as it warmed, but it didn't. For something that smells so rich, it certainly fell short on flavor.

But maybe that's by design. A blond ale is usually a simple session beer. It's good for wetting your whistle and perhaps benefits, in that regard, from being light on taste. Maybe Urthel was aiming to create a simple beer with drin--no no no, stop right there. I see where I'm going, and I have to put the kibosh on myself. I'm laying down a law: I will not use "drinkability" as a criteria for judging beer. Why? Because all beers are drinks and are by definition drinkable (with some exceptions). The ads are a lie; The difference is NOT drinkability.--[Dissociative ED].

So what's the verd--OH! YEAST! That's what that stuff's called! Whew! Man, I hate it when that happens. I hate it almost as much as I hate the excessive use of exclamation points. VERDICT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

The Verdict

• Saisonniere is not a saison. Its also not a moose or a democrat. Its not a lot of things. Moving on...
  
  
• The head and aroma are really fantastic. It only becomes more fragrant as it warms and is the highlight of the beer. Crack open a few bottles and replace the potpourri in your bathroom. That is if you have potpourri in your bathroom. I don't. I'm a dude.
  
  
• Saisonniere is light on flavor, with only a subtle spiciness and not much complexity, which is admittedly to style for a blond ale. Its a good session beer, but so are a lot of other beers that are probably local to your area.
  
  
• Urthel is a good brewery, but Saisonniere isn't one of their better beers. Grab a glass at a bar if you're curious, but don't go out of your way for a bottle. There's nothing all that special about it.