Jester King El Cedro
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Tasting Notes
El Cedro is a farmhouse ale brewed with cedar, and the wood registers as a dry, resinous note layered over the yeast-driven funk and mild tartness that defines Jester King's house character. The aroma carries light stone fruit, a faint earthiness, and that distinctive cedary warmth without veering into potpourri. Body is lean and moderately carbonated, with a dry finish that lingers on the wood and a subtle wild yeast tang. It's a measured, contemplative beer — the cedar integrates rather than dominates.
About the Brewery
Jester King operates out of Austin, Texas, on a small farmstead in the Hill Country, and has been one of the more influential American producers of wild and mixed-fermentation farmhouse ales since opening in 2010. They use local ingredients, foraged flora, and on-site well water to ground their beers in a specific sense of place. Their lineup leans heavily on spontaneous and co-fermented ales, and they've helped establish Texas as a credible home for Belgian-inspired, terroir-driven brewing.
Food Pairings
The dry, tannic cedar note and wild yeast character here make it a strong match for roasted pork or smoked lamb, where the wood in both the beer and the meat create a resonant echo. A washed-rind or aged goat cheese works well because the funk in the cheese meets the funk in the beer without either overwhelming the other. Grain-forward dishes like farro or wheat berry salad with herbs let the beer's earthy farmhouse profile come forward cleanly. Grilled cedar-plank salmon would be an obvious but genuinely effective call, reinforcing the wood note while the fish's fat softens the beer's dryness.
Style Guide
Saison, also called farmhouse ale, originated in the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, historically brewed in cooler months to provision farm workers through summer. The style is defined by its highly attenuated, dry body, lively carbonation, and complex yeast character that can range from fruity and spicy to funky and earthy depending on the strain. ABVs typically run from around 5% to 8%, and the style is distinguished from Belgian witbier by its dryness and from Belgian tripel by its lower alcohol and rusticity. American producers like Jester King have pushed the style further toward wild fermentation and local ingredient expression.