Pretty Things Jack D'Or Saison Americain Review
Brewed by longtime Massachusetts brewer, Dann Paquette, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Company was started in 2008 after he returned from brewing in Yorkshire, England. Jack D'or Saison Americain was launched first as the flagship beer, and Pretty Things hasn't looked back since. Dann started out renting space at the Paper City brewery in Holyoke, MA but has since moved on to renting space on a much bigger system at the former Buzzards Bay Brewery in Westport, MA. A bigger system means more beer, and more beer means we can more regularly get Dann's delicious (and pretty) beers. Jack D'or is a classical Belgian style Saison with a bunch of American hops thrown into the mix. The result? Well, let's see:
Appearance: This beer pours with a big, dense, pillowy white head. Not as fluffy and light as some Saisons, but you can immediately smell the hops! A dark golden hued, slightly cloudy beer sits under it... being a bomber, you get a second pour and this one is much cloudier from the yeast. In the past, Dann has told us to tip the bottle before opening to distribute the yeast as this lends it the flavor he intended.
Smell: The first thing you get, as mentioned above, is hops. You can literally smell it while pouring without even getting your nose close. This comes with a great spicy, phenolic smell from the yeast that really complements the the citrusy aromas of the hops. There is a hint of malt in here, but maybe only because I know it's there?
Taste: To sum this up as succinctly as possible, this beer is dry on the end and bitter up front through the finish. It's delicious! The carbonation is nice and light, a bit prickly even. The dry and bitter along with the carbonation would be great on a hot summer day! We can only imagine sipping a glass of this while sitting outside in the sun on a hammock. At the very end you get a hint of alcohol, but not in a bad way at all. This beer is dry and super hop and yeast forward, exactly what I like in a Saison with an American twist.
As you may remember from our Beer and Cheese Pairing Article: Eat Local, Drink Local, this beer goes great with cheese, especially one with some shallots in it. Give the pairing a shot, or just drink the beer. Either way, it'll be delicious!
