Auval. This mythical brewery in the province of Quebec, Canada. This isn’t the first beer that I taste from them & it hopefully won’t be the last. They’re well-versed in creating sophisticated beers so I was curious about this rather simplistic Saison made up of 3 different strains of yeast. I know there’s a lot of hype around this brewery, but I don’t put them on a pedestal & I evaluate their beers for what they are.
De Table
Brewed by Auval Brewing
Type: Bière de Table
Region: Val d’Espoir, Quebec, Canada
ABV: 4.8%
Hops: American Hops
Cereals: Malted Barley, Wheat, Oat.
Microorganisms: Saison Yeast, Brettanomyces
IBU: N/A
Appearance: 8/10
The bottle is brown & topped with a cap. The label gives a little information about the beer itself & the ingredients. I would love to see corks for half Champagne bottles. This would make it slightly better for aging since metal caps are prone to change shape following temperature fluctuations. Another thing I would like to see is Auval beers in cans. This would be perfect for their IPAs & other styles meant to be consumed rather quickly. The beer pours a slightly hazy deep straw liquid with a strong effervescence that creates a fluffy white head with medium retention. The bubbles are quite big & give the impression of a foamy cloud sitting on top.
Nose: 13.5/15
Herbaceous aromas dominate the nose without a doubt. Dry hay, fallen leaves, yellow grass & dried herbs make up this ale’s profile. Underlying floral notes are there as well as a sharp lemon & pepper cracker that provides depth to the beer. Those are classic Saison aromas, so it’s fair to assume they based their modern interpretation on this Belgian-style farmhouse. It gives the impression of being in a field on a hot sunny day. It’s not overly complex but it delivers a fine-tuned bouquet with well-controlled yeast expressions.
Mouth: 14/15
The effervescence is almost stinging despite the large bubbles. The dry palate is complemented by a subtle acidity that creates a crisp mouthfeel. Some fine, powdery tannins & a lingering bitterness team up to amplify this crisp sensation by making the beer practically mouth-drying. Along with the herbaceous notes that are quite similar to what is found on the nose, the lemon & pepper crackers have also followed up. Some faint orange peel, green cardamom & white pepper have also joined the party. The mouthfeel is quite sharp, but the balance is striking.
Finish: 9/10
The finish is quite long with a consistent bitterness that doesn’t really ever go away. The crispness of this beer only makes you want to dive in your glass in order to quench your thirst. Surprisingly, the floral aromas are predominant on the finish.
Overall: 89/100
De Table wasn’t made to be too complex but rather to mimic a traditional style in the most perfect way possible. As weird as it sounds, I often find a pleasant refinement in simpler types of beer, like Saison ales. It’s all the subtleties which create a lasting impression that I sometimes prefer instead of some bold flavours that saturates taste buds rather quickly. This beer is impressive in every aspect. The dry-hop of American cultivars doesn’t show tremendously, a similar conclusion for the Brettanomyces. Both seem to be used in support of other sough after characteristics.
3-word Description:
Crisp, herbaceous & spicy.
The Reference:
The beer's label. Auval has website, but it doesn't have any information on their beers.
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