Jack D’Or might be the flagship beer of Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, I would pick their other Saison, Field Mouse’s Farewell if I were forced to choose between the two (that’s not to say that I don’t like Jack D’Or, I just prefer Field Mouse’s Farewell). They’re both roughly in the “Saison” style, but very different beers.
Field Mouse’s Farewell is described as a “rustic golden ale brewed with barley, oats, wheat and rye” on the label, which still leaves quite a bit to be discovered about the beer. Their website does a bit more explaining, stating that it’s “Mostly inspired by Nord Pas de Calais “biere de garde” and Wallonian saison styles”.
As far as I know it just showed up in San Diego for the first time recently (along with a few others from Pretty Things) but it’s listed as a late spring seasonal on their website, so I don’t expect it to be around much longer. I found it at Bottlecraft, and I’ve seen it at Olive Tree Market and Best Damn Beer Shop as well.
Field Mouse’s Farewell is a bit on the sweet side upon the first sip, but finishes dry like a Saison should. A little bit of bitterness sneaks in towards the end of the swallow, but I don’t think anyone would describe this beer as bitter. The oats add a nice silky feel to the beer which plays nicely off the slight sweetness.
Like most Saison’s this is a pretty yeast driven beer with a distinct spiciness. There was quite a bit of sediment in the bottle which I was careful to avoid pouring into the glass at first. After drinking most of the beer in the glass pictured to the left I poured more in, letting some of the yeast from the bottle get into the glass. As expected it got much more cloudy and the taste changed quite a bit. The yeast flavors came out much more with an earthy mustiness as well as strong fruity banana flavors. I wouldn’t describe either way (less yeast sediment in the glass or more) as being better than the other, just different. I highly suggest trying it both ways to see which you prefer.
