Session # 106 | Pretty Things | Jack D’Or | 6.5% ABV
Saison / Farmhouse Ale | Cambridge, MA | Rating: 94/100
Preface: I want to immediately call out the fact that I realize there is a huge fuzzy on the top of my hair in this video. I also had a tiny visitor later in the video. That’s the joy of reviewing in one steady take. Obviously I didn’t realize I had the fuzzy until AFTER the review. Hopefully it is not as distracting to you (the viewer) as it is me (the creator). But since this is the only bottle of Jack D’Or I have, we’ll just have to laugh about it and move on.
Fuzzy aside… I would have to say that Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, does some of the best labels in the business. I really respect the extra step they take to place labels over the caps of their bottles that clearly call out the batch numbers and bottling dates (as can be seen here). Talk about a brewery with integrity. Jack D’Or, which is the brewery’s Saison / Farmhouse Ale, is no different and I can tell you that this bottle is batch number 10 that was bottled in November 2009. When I opened this beer just before filming, it immediately began to foam out of the top of the bottle. That’s generally a really good sign of bottle conditioning (as most Farmhouse Ales are). So getting it into a glass pretty quickly was a must, and boy is it a nice looking Saison with tons of pillowy, meringue-like, off-white head. In fact, you don’t have to pour this one very hard to see how quickly the head jumps to the top of the glass.
The color, while somewhat hazy, is a nice orange and yellow. Before I even take my first sip of the beer, I am already seeing a great amount of lacing on the glass – much like you’d see from an Orval for example. The nose is spot on for a Saison. There is a good amount of spice that comes from the yeast they use. There are also four different hops in this beer that put off aromas of phenols, caramelized banana, lemon, and funk. The taste is the real winner in this beer. Up front there is a ton of lemon that hits the front of your tongue which unfolds quickly into some grassiness and funky yeast tastes. It finishes every bit as dry as you’d hope, too. Overall this really is a great representation of the style and right up there with some of the best Saisons I’ve had. I will definitely be looking for some more of these (and others from the brewery) in the future.
Up next: Rodenbach Grand Cru
Others: Boulevard Saison Brett, Saison Dupont, Ommegang Hennepin
Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
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Posted by Big Mike on August 31, 2010 at 8:05 PM
Pretty Things Beer and ale project make some nice beers. I’ve had the Jack D’or and their other Saison Field mouse farewell. Both were really good saisons with the Jack D’or being slightly better. I’ve also had their stout Babyaga which was awesome. I’ve seen their version of a quad called baby tree but haven’t tried it yet.
Cheers!
Big Mike
Posted by thehopry on September 1, 2010 at 8:31 AM
I really would like to try their entire lineup. I just feel a connection to this brewery, and I’m not sure why. I think maybe their aesthetic and style speaks to me. Also appreciate the integrity with all the bottled dates listed VERY CLEARLY on the bottles.
Posted by Big Mike on September 1, 2010 at 11:20 AM
I’ll keep my eyes peeled and let you know exactly what’s available to me here so I can get some out there to you.
Posted by theReaper16 on August 31, 2010 at 11:31 PM
Still haven’t gotten a hold of a bottle of this.
Posted by thehopry on September 2, 2010 at 6:08 PM
Coming from the saison king, I’d be curious to hear your thoughts when you do. By the way, what are your top three saisons as of now? And how is your book coming?
Posted by theReaper16 on September 5, 2010 at 12:07 AM
My favorite 3 saisons as of now would be:
1.) Fantome Saison
2.) Boulevard Saison-Brett
3.) Fantome BBB Dark White
My book project is coming along very slowly. I’ve got a ton of projects that I’m juggling – at least three book length projects in addition to standalone pieces that I want to work on – as I am in the beginning stages of my M.F.A.
Posted by Bobby Digital on September 1, 2010 at 5:51 PM
That fuzzy made it to the very peak of Mount Mark.
Posted by thehopry on September 2, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Now that is some funny shizz. Made me seriously laugh out loud. Thanks Bobby D!!!
Posted by placlair on September 2, 2010 at 5:13 PM
I’m really glad that that you got to try – and enjoyed – this. I almost included it as an extra in our trade, actually. Pretty Things has gotten immensely popular in these parts (for good reason), and is consistently one of the most popular booths at local festivals.
Posted by thehopry on September 2, 2010 at 6:06 PM
I can really see the attraction. If their other beers give the same level of enjoyment (from packaging to taste to price) as this one did, then I imagine PT will be quite successful over the years.
Posted by Big Mike on September 22, 2010 at 3:30 PM
I thought Jack was a lemon too. But this comes from their website.
“The creature on the label is Jack D’Or himself, conceived and drawn by Dann. Far away in a small clearing in the woods of New England, ankle deep in the mash tun, he contemplates and perhaps even conjures a batch of beer. For those of you who are new to this, Jack is a grain of malted barley, but more than that: he is the unifying force behind all of the Pretty Things.”
I found that interesting.