Week 4
Name: Firestone Walker Opal (Dry Hopped Saison Farmhouse Ale) and Lil Opal (Barrel aged Saison Farmhouse Ale)
Variety: Saison Beer
Region: Paso Robles, CA
Country: USA
Year: Both 2014
Price: Opal: $8, Lil Opal: $10-15
Food? No
Opal- Description from the Brewery: "Bringing down the Farmhouse! Our interpretation of the rustic Wallonian Saison style is a harmonious blend of rustic grains, spicy yeast and unique sauvignon blanc tones. Inviting lemon grass and gooseberry meet peppery spice and fresh grain aromas. Spicy Belgian yeast create a complex yet dry and refreshing canvas with splashes of citrus and stone fruit with a bright tropical white wine finish. Hop bitterness is assertive yet harmonious rounding out slightly tart and refreshing."
Lil Opal- Description from the Brewery: "Our first 2013 blend from masterblender Jim Crooks! Lil' Opal is a cunning blend of two-year-old American oak and eight-month-old French oak saisons. Both go through a secondary fermentation and maturation in barrels. This traditional Belgian farmhouse saison has notes of citrus and tropical fruit, a smooth mouthfeel, and tangy crisp finish. Round this all out with a little earthy funk and we have one refreshingly complex offering."
My Review: I purchased Lil Opal this August during a visit to the Firestone Walker brewery, and have been saving it to try alongside it's non-barrel-aged sibling, Opal. The bottle date on Opal is 06/06/14, and Lil Opal was bottled in 2014.
Opal is a mild, effervescent saison. It tastes appropriate to the style, but doesn't stand out as a front runner. It tastes funky- the flavor takes your imagination away to a barn full of slightly wet hay.
Lil Opal, on the other hand, tastes fantastic. The time in the barrel greatly improved the flavor profile of the saison farmhouse ale. The carbonation is much lower, so it's a smoother drink and there is nothing to distract you from the flavor of the beer.
Lil Opal is the clear winner to me. I enjoyed the study of barrel-aging!
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