Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL
Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #30) bought at West Lakeview Liquors (?) in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Black Saison, 7.5%
Reported IBUs: ?
I should make Thursdays "Pipeworks night." They are easy beers to whip up a review for, and I'm usually too burnt out to do a lot of work come the time I write all this up. So it makes sense. Hmm. About Pipeworks:
"Our third saison in the Poivre line marries the classic flavors of lemon and pepper. This dark saison is brewed with tellicherry black peppercorns, fresh lemon zest, and Sorachi Ace hops. The result is a a brightly flavored saison with layers of citrus and spice."
That's copypasta'd by the way, so the "a a" is in fact an error. This one is bottle conditioned, and clocks in at 7.5% ABV. If you're wondering like I was, "Sorachi Ace" hops are a Japanese hop varietal that impart an unusual lemon/"bubblegum," and dill pickle flavor. Pretty interesting stuff (and maybe what I was picking up on in the Pastrami on Rye?). Into the glass...
This one pours a murky dark purple/brown color, with 3 finger's worth of tan/purple-tinted head. The head is initially pretty foamy, but fades into a moderately funky, Saison-looking, centimeter coating's worth of head. In bright light, the beer remains dark purple, but you pick up some brown/orange shades on the edges. You can glean at some tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the sides. Overall, it looks about what I've come to expect from Dark Saisons.
The aroma is kind of blunted, with big candy sweetness, lemon candy, lemony sugars, and then a weird blast of sour pickle, dill, and peppercorn. There's some elusive plums, dark fruits, and licorice/anise as well. The dill/lemon/peppercorn thing is interesting.
I'm getting a lot more anise, and fade to smoke/roast ala a Porter in the taste. Compared to the Four Witches or the Pepe Nero, this one seems a dash less heavy. Some lemony pledge does come out, with hints of lemon bars and lemon skin. It's sort of like the lemon component in the 90 Minute IPA. I'm also getting some acetone/nail polish remover, and a bit of noticeable booze. And as I drink this, the peppercorn and smoke/roast build. It's not bad...
...but it's not like, "woah, holy shit!" These Dark Saisons are going to carve themselves out as a niche style if people keep making them. This one is pretty smooth, with smooth, supportive, almost creamy carbonation. Palate depth is pretty solid, though complexity leaves a bit to be desired. I'd call this medium-full. As far as drinkability...at 7.5%, this one is pretty easy-going, provided you aren't turned off by the flavors. Up front is lemon, dill, some dark fruits, and peppercorn; mid palate is more lemon, more dill; the back end is smoke, anise, roast...lingering peppercorn...and fade to moderate dryness.
Rating: Average
I'm feeling a light Average on this. It's not bad, it's actually quite drinkable, and this would pair well with where I'm going out to eat this weekend (Texas de Brazil). I'd pair this with some smokey meats, barbecue, or some meats and cheese. It's not a bad beer by any means, though I doubt I'd gravitate towards it at the store. I might get it on tap...but what are the odds of this being on tap? As I said, these are niche beers.
Random Thought: It's totes snowing out. We are supposed to get 3-5 inches, plus some ice and sleet...which means my morning commute is probably going to be hell. Hooray for random snowstorms in mid-February!
Reported IBUs: ?
I should make Thursdays "Pipeworks night." They are easy beers to whip up a review for, and I'm usually too burnt out to do a lot of work come the time I write all this up. So it makes sense. Hmm. About Pipeworks:
Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. At one point - and maybe still - the goal was the release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.
Today's beer is a "Black Saison." Those are fun! The bottle art features a pepper shaker and some lemons on it. The bottle states, "Dark Saison style ale brewed with spices." The back of the bottle states:
"Our third saison in the Poivre line marries the classic flavors of lemon and pepper. This dark saison is brewed with tellicherry black peppercorns, fresh lemon zest, and Sorachi Ace hops. The result is a a brightly flavored saison with layers of citrus and spice."
That's copypasta'd by the way, so the "a a" is in fact an error. This one is bottle conditioned, and clocks in at 7.5% ABV. If you're wondering like I was, "Sorachi Ace" hops are a Japanese hop varietal that impart an unusual lemon/"bubblegum," and dill pickle flavor. Pretty interesting stuff (and maybe what I was picking up on in the Pastrami on Rye?). Into the glass...
 |
| Pipeworks Poivre Noir |
This one pours a murky dark purple/brown color, with 3 finger's worth of tan/purple-tinted head. The head is initially pretty foamy, but fades into a moderately funky, Saison-looking, centimeter coating's worth of head. In bright light, the beer remains dark purple, but you pick up some brown/orange shades on the edges. You can glean at some tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the sides. Overall, it looks about what I've come to expect from Dark Saisons.
The aroma is kind of blunted, with big candy sweetness, lemon candy, lemony sugars, and then a weird blast of sour pickle, dill, and peppercorn. There's some elusive plums, dark fruits, and licorice/anise as well. The dill/lemon/peppercorn thing is interesting.
I'm getting a lot more anise, and fade to smoke/roast ala a Porter in the taste. Compared to the Four Witches or the Pepe Nero, this one seems a dash less heavy. Some lemony pledge does come out, with hints of lemon bars and lemon skin. It's sort of like the lemon component in the 90 Minute IPA. I'm also getting some acetone/nail polish remover, and a bit of noticeable booze. And as I drink this, the peppercorn and smoke/roast build. It's not bad...
Rating: Average
I'm feeling a light Average on this. It's not bad, it's actually quite drinkable, and this would pair well with where I'm going out to eat this weekend (Texas de Brazil). I'd pair this with some smokey meats, barbecue, or some meats and cheese. It's not a bad beer by any means, though I doubt I'd gravitate towards it at the store. I might get it on tap...but what are the odds of this being on tap? As I said, these are niche beers.
Random Thought: It's totes snowing out. We are supposed to get 3-5 inches, plus some ice and sleet...which means my morning commute is probably going to be hell. Hooray for random snowstorms in mid-February!
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