Draught at the brewery, 7/4/16.
Mostly clear, light golden-honey body is topped by a small but fairly dense white head showing moderate retention.
Delicate honey, soft, floral hops and light Belgian esters emerge in the nose as the basil hangs quietly (but noticeably) in the background. They’ve managed to keep it fresh, light and not overdone in the basil department. No earthy, astringent, stewed herb character, but rather comes off as almost a fresh dry-hop-like character. Pretty impressed by the restraint and the light vanilla-apple-strawberry saison elements show forth nicely, as well. Light earthiness and more floral hops with a touch of biscuit and various grain.
Soft, lightly sweet honey-like malts emerge with a tight carbonation, softly-malted texture and good attenuation. Floral hops blend seamlessly with the fresh, crisp, bright basil notes which are done with wonderful restraint. Not intensely saison-like, but still has some earthiness, moderate esters and a drinkable nature. Overall comes off more like a mildly Belgian golden ale with basil. Still, can’t deny how refreshing and flavorful it is, whatever you want to label it.