8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

12 ounce can into tulip glass; no can dating, but was just released. Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky white head with awesome retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, citrus zest, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, melon, peppercorn, white grape, light clove, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, candi sugar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, citrus zest, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, melon, peppercorn, white grape, light clove, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, candi sugar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness; light herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and slight yeast tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, citrus zest, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, melon, peppercorn, white grape, light clove, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, candi sugar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly crisp/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.8%. Overall this is an awesome imperial saison. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink for the ABV, with the modestely bitter/spicy/drying finish. Awesome balance of classic Saison yeast complexity and pale/wheat malts; with solid earthy hop presence/balance. Not overly sweet/heavy for the ABV from lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.