7.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
750mL bottled October 2016, drunk 5/13/17.
Burnished copper-golden body is well-carbonated creating a sizable white head that shows moderately-strong retention. Good clarity in the liquid, leaving plentiful sediment behind.
Dusty, doughy, even musty yeast notes vie with peppery phenols and a bit of succulent honey from the malt and plentiful fruity esters emerge as it continues. There’s a good Brett presence, though it’s not domineering, thankfully and for an Imperial Saison, it exhibits very little sloppy ester, malt or booze characteristics; those being the major downfalls of the style. That said, there is some light clove and caramel, but it’s mitigated by the bright yellow fruits and light lime from the Brett. No big additions of hops either and no resin.
Lightly sweet up front, showing mostly honey but a touch of caramel, it adds light bread, dough and strong fruity esters through the middle as a mildly peppery phenolic presence, alongside light alcohol and crackery, rustic grain character help dry it out. Bitterness is low and there are no big American-influences here. That said, it’s a curious yeast, or expression of it and not intensely saison-y. Probably a lot of that comes from the Brett taking some of the focus off. I do like the peppery phenols and lack of bubble gum, cotton candy, peach or banana. Carbonation is strong but natural and the texture is lightly watery-to-malty with proper attenuation.
Burnished copper-golden body is well-carbonated creating a sizable white head that shows moderately-strong retention. Good clarity in the liquid, leaving plentiful sediment behind.
Dusty, doughy, even musty yeast notes vie with peppery phenols and a bit of succulent honey from the malt and plentiful fruity esters emerge as it continues. There’s a good Brett presence, though it’s not domineering, thankfully and for an Imperial Saison, it exhibits very little sloppy ester, malt or booze characteristics; those being the major downfalls of the style. That said, there is some light clove and caramel, but it’s mitigated by the bright yellow fruits and light lime from the Brett. No big additions of hops either and no resin.
Lightly sweet up front, showing mostly honey but a touch of caramel, it adds light bread, dough and strong fruity esters through the middle as a mildly peppery phenolic presence, alongside light alcohol and crackery, rustic grain character help dry it out. Bitterness is low and there are no big American-influences here. That said, it’s a curious yeast, or expression of it and not intensely saison-y. Probably a lot of that comes from the Brett taking some of the focus off. I do like the peppery phenols and lack of bubble gum, cotton candy, peach or banana. Carbonation is strong but natural and the texture is lightly watery-to-malty with proper attenuation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jun 2017
at 18:53
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle - pours gold white head - nose and taste of brett, lemon, funk and oak - medium body
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2017
at 16:34
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle - pours gold white head - nose and taste of brett, lemon and alcohol. Touch of plastic notes? Medium body
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 May 2017
at 16:26
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
750mL bottled August 2016, drunk 4/16/17.
Pale, straw-golden body is well-carbonated and has a flimsy, white head atop. Good clarity, keeping the sediment behind.
Lemon, biscuit, cracker, tea and light lactic notes all make for a very dry nose that is a bit more American wild ale than it is traditional saison. Whatever it is, the aroma has a nicely lagered character and nothing punchy or dominant jumps out. No alcohol or flaw.
Black pepper, lemon and light tea in the mouth give a little bit better impression of a saison, in the flavor. Low bitterness, mild tartness and it’s fairly dry and yet not husky or too grainy. Gains more lemon and tartness as it warms and breathes but I also get a bit more doughiness than I’d like; not exactly sure where it’s coming from. Lots of tropical fruit develops, as well, as it warms; pineapple, lychee, nectarine all keeping it bright and vivacious. Just a bit too much dough and light cake-icing-like maltiness on the very end, but otherwise very solid. Great carbonation and texture with good minerality. Never gets too tart or Brett-heavy and the Brett itself doesn’t feel overworked as it does not contribute any bready or perfumey characteristics.
Pale, straw-golden body is well-carbonated and has a flimsy, white head atop. Good clarity, keeping the sediment behind.
Lemon, biscuit, cracker, tea and light lactic notes all make for a very dry nose that is a bit more American wild ale than it is traditional saison. Whatever it is, the aroma has a nicely lagered character and nothing punchy or dominant jumps out. No alcohol or flaw.
Black pepper, lemon and light tea in the mouth give a little bit better impression of a saison, in the flavor. Low bitterness, mild tartness and it’s fairly dry and yet not husky or too grainy. Gains more lemon and tartness as it warms and breathes but I also get a bit more doughiness than I’d like; not exactly sure where it’s coming from. Lots of tropical fruit develops, as well, as it warms; pineapple, lychee, nectarine all keeping it bright and vivacious. Just a bit too much dough and light cake-icing-like maltiness on the very end, but otherwise very solid. Great carbonation and texture with good minerality. Never gets too tart or Brett-heavy and the Brett itself doesn’t feel overworked as it does not contribute any bready or perfumey characteristics.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 May 2017
at 15:37
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle to tulip, the appearance was a semi-hazy light orange to glossy yellow color with a film of a little white foamy head that glistened and fell at a decent pace.
Slight lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of green apple sweetness, some banana, light peach/apriocot fleshy sweetness, some grassy hop, sweet wheat, light amount of white pepper with a glossy sort of semi-sweet to sour Brett brightness at the end.
The flavor took the previously mentioned aromas to blend finely and coated the aftertaste in a nice semi-sweet to bitter and sour manner. Finish had some white pepper with the apricots.
The palate was medium bodied with a decent sessionable strength to it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV seemed to be at the projected strength by the brewer.
Overall, now that’s a really nice imperial version of a saison. Nice gem from Maine.
Slight lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of green apple sweetness, some banana, light peach/apriocot fleshy sweetness, some grassy hop, sweet wheat, light amount of white pepper with a glossy sort of semi-sweet to sour Brett brightness at the end.
The flavor took the previously mentioned aromas to blend finely and coated the aftertaste in a nice semi-sweet to bitter and sour manner. Finish had some white pepper with the apricots.
The palate was medium bodied with a decent sessionable strength to it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV seemed to be at the projected strength by the brewer.
Overall, now that’s a really nice imperial version of a saison. Nice gem from Maine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 May 2017
at 01:31
8.1/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught at the brewery, 2/17/17.
Almost a glowing ruby-copper with a light chill-haze but otherwise very nice clarity. Dark beige head atop is small but shows moderately-strong retention.
Layers of well-developed malt produce a clean, lightly bready character with notes of honey, dry caramel and a touch of vanilla. Esters and phenols as well as just a touch of spicy alcohol-like character add complexity and easily balance the relatively low maltiness (not undermalted, but it’s not a sugary mess like most barleywines). Red berry and other elegant fruit notes (apple, strawberry, very light cherry) perk up the finish with lingering caramel and bread.
Malty at first, with a typical caramel and honey-like character that integrates the fruitiness from the yeast and specialty malts to produce a moderately complex, balanced character with a soft texture and low but engaging carbonation. A "fuzzy" warming sensation is felt towards the finish, as the well-concealed alcohol tickles the palate while dainty fruit notes linger on. Bread, vanilla and more dry caramel notes are evident and the beer is well-attenuated but amply malty and supple for a barleywine. Very nice stuff; still a sipper, but well-made and drinkable. Reminds me of Aaron, though with less malt richness (less succulent raisin and toffee).
Almost a glowing ruby-copper with a light chill-haze but otherwise very nice clarity. Dark beige head atop is small but shows moderately-strong retention.
Layers of well-developed malt produce a clean, lightly bready character with notes of honey, dry caramel and a touch of vanilla. Esters and phenols as well as just a touch of spicy alcohol-like character add complexity and easily balance the relatively low maltiness (not undermalted, but it’s not a sugary mess like most barleywines). Red berry and other elegant fruit notes (apple, strawberry, very light cherry) perk up the finish with lingering caramel and bread.
Malty at first, with a typical caramel and honey-like character that integrates the fruitiness from the yeast and specialty malts to produce a moderately complex, balanced character with a soft texture and low but engaging carbonation. A "fuzzy" warming sensation is felt towards the finish, as the well-concealed alcohol tickles the palate while dainty fruit notes linger on. Bread, vanilla and more dry caramel notes are evident and the beer is well-attenuated but amply malty and supple for a barleywine. Very nice stuff; still a sipper, but well-made and drinkable. Reminds me of Aaron, though with less malt richness (less succulent raisin and toffee).
Tried
on 11 Apr 2017
at 19:30
7.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught at the brewery, 2/17/17.
Dark/milk chocolate brown body of undetermined clarity and a tan head atop with strong retention.
Earthy and fruity coffee in the nose gives way to light lactose, but it’s only marginally evident and well-integrated with the other chocolate, caramel and graham cracker tones. The coffee is not overdone either and expresses a good vibrancy that keeps the stout boisterous. No alcohol or flaw.
In the mouth, sweet chocolate and caramel mix with fruity, moderately roasty coffee. Sticky sugars near the finish mix with light bread and vanilla to produce a very balanced beer that doesnt go overboard on the lactose. Some richness of malt is balanced by a good dryness and moderate acidity from the dark malts. Low but engaging carbonation and no alcohol or flaw.
Dark/milk chocolate brown body of undetermined clarity and a tan head atop with strong retention.
Earthy and fruity coffee in the nose gives way to light lactose, but it’s only marginally evident and well-integrated with the other chocolate, caramel and graham cracker tones. The coffee is not overdone either and expresses a good vibrancy that keeps the stout boisterous. No alcohol or flaw.
In the mouth, sweet chocolate and caramel mix with fruity, moderately roasty coffee. Sticky sugars near the finish mix with light bread and vanilla to produce a very balanced beer that doesnt go overboard on the lactose. Some richness of malt is balanced by a good dryness and moderate acidity from the dark malts. Low but engaging carbonation and no alcohol or flaw.
Tried
on 11 Apr 2017
at 18:36
7.4/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draught at the brewery, 2/17/17.
Light blonde with brighter brass-gold hues and a moderate haziness. Medium-sized white head shows strong retention.
Juicy, NE-style nose shows plentiful ruby red grapefruit, cherry and mango yet there’s also some light pine and hints of resin. Malts stay out of the way for the most part, adding only bits of honey and crusty breadiness. A bit of earthiness and lots of marmalade also lingering with no alcohol or flaw.
Juicy again in the mouth but with quite a bit more bitterness than expected and a hint of alcohol on the finish. Mango, pineapple and grapefruit are spread over a lightly malty, wheat-laden texture with low but fairly engaging carbonation. Quite dry overall and maybe just a bit more punchy and bitter than I’d prefer, though it’s still excellent. Hard to beat the mango smoothie ipa that preceded it, though.
Light blonde with brighter brass-gold hues and a moderate haziness. Medium-sized white head shows strong retention.
Juicy, NE-style nose shows plentiful ruby red grapefruit, cherry and mango yet there’s also some light pine and hints of resin. Malts stay out of the way for the most part, adding only bits of honey and crusty breadiness. A bit of earthiness and lots of marmalade also lingering with no alcohol or flaw.
Juicy again in the mouth but with quite a bit more bitterness than expected and a hint of alcohol on the finish. Mango, pineapple and grapefruit are spread over a lightly malty, wheat-laden texture with low but fairly engaging carbonation. Quite dry overall and maybe just a bit more punchy and bitter than I’d prefer, though it’s still excellent. Hard to beat the mango smoothie ipa that preceded it, though.
Tried
on 11 Apr 2017
at 18:30
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draught at the brewery, 2/17/17.
Bright, ripe apricot-copper body shows a strong haziness, though it’s not soupy. Beige-apricot-flecked, off-white head atop is small but shows moderate retention.
Mango is bright and juicy in the nose with honey-like malts reinforcing it and both fruit and hop acidity balancing as it finishes. Green, leafy, lightly citric hops add mango and light pineapple as well while the malts provide honey and very light biscuit for some dryness. Definitely strong on the mango, though with the complex hop bouquet, it doesn’t feel overdone or dominant. No alcohol or flaw.
Juicy, of course, and very tropical but with a good biscuity, light graininess to the malt, as well as light honey-like sweetness that helps balance in concert with the fruity, juicy, leafy and lightly spicy hops. Stone fruity minerality and lip-smacking acidity, assumedly from the mango, linger on the finish. Medium-bodied with a soft texture and low to moderate, engaging carbonation with no alcohol or flaw.
Bright, ripe apricot-copper body shows a strong haziness, though it’s not soupy. Beige-apricot-flecked, off-white head atop is small but shows moderate retention.
Mango is bright and juicy in the nose with honey-like malts reinforcing it and both fruit and hop acidity balancing as it finishes. Green, leafy, lightly citric hops add mango and light pineapple as well while the malts provide honey and very light biscuit for some dryness. Definitely strong on the mango, though with the complex hop bouquet, it doesn’t feel overdone or dominant. No alcohol or flaw.
Juicy, of course, and very tropical but with a good biscuity, light graininess to the malt, as well as light honey-like sweetness that helps balance in concert with the fruity, juicy, leafy and lightly spicy hops. Stone fruity minerality and lip-smacking acidity, assumedly from the mango, linger on the finish. Medium-bodied with a soft texture and low to moderate, engaging carbonation with no alcohol or flaw.
Tried
on 11 Apr 2017
at 18:26
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Poured from tap at York River Landing murky pineapple with a thin white head. Aromas of dank citrus resinous pine mango pineapple malt. Taste is floral hops pineapple grapefruit pith and an astringent lingering bitterness.
Tried
from Draft
on 02 Apr 2017
at 12:02