Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a semi-burnt dark red color with a quickly dissipating finger’s worth of white foamy head. No lacing.
The aroma starts off sour cherry. Dry tart woody balance slides in. An ample amount of that normal \"green apple\" sourness comes back like most Hermit Thrush beers do.
The flavor brings in the sour first and then a nice underlying sweet woody barrel side comes in. Aftertaste is the green apple and tart cherry leads into a quick dry finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sipping quality to it. Low carbonation. Normal Hermit Thrush sly stickiness.
Overall, this is probably their best to date beer. Still, I gotta make my way down to the brewery, I feel need to ask them why is there always that \"stickiness\" in their beers, it’s not cloying, but it’s noticeable.
Mansquito (19100) reviewed Supah Phunk #5 from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
From my dear brother: pours copper with a white head. Aroma is funk, bread, apricot. Taste is somewhat sour. Not a very powerful flavor. It is not exactly watery. Not a bad saison, but I preferred the gin one to this one.
Mansquito (19100) reviewed Gin Barrel Saison from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
From my dear brother: pours hazy yellow with a white head. Aroma is light gin, apricot, flowers, yeast, and funk. Really nice. Taste is yeasty and bready at the bottom. Really nice flavor. Great complexity.
Theydon_Bois (46224) reviewed Supah Phunk #4 from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Can split at Level 42, thanks to Leighton, 07/09/16. Hazed orange with a decent off white head. Nose is punchy citrics, straw, mango, papaya, funky. Taste comprises funk, yeast esters, tangerine, light brett, peach, tangy fruits, light bread, vanilla. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent funky saison.
Fergus (31329) reviewed Supah Phunk #4 from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle shared at the level 42 tasting 7/9/2016. Many thanks to Leighton for this. A hazed golden orange coloured pour with a small white head. Aroma is sour tangy yogurt, apple, semi sweet, lambic, big funky nose. Flavour is composed medium sour, apple, cider, yogurt, granny Smith apple. Palate is tangy, semi sweet, moderate carbonation. Interesting beer.
Leighton (34941) reviewed Supah Phunk #4 from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Can shared in London - picked up at Hunger Mountain. Pours unclear gold with a creamy, fizzy white head. Tangy citrus in the nose, lemon and tangerine, light funky sweat. Tart flavour with lemon, more sweat, wheat, melon. Light bodied with spritzy carbonation. Crisp and tart on the finish, with more lemony notes, pale bread, mellow funk. Good one.
Scopey (25115) reviewed Supah Phunk #4 from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Can, massive thanks to Leighton. It pours cloudy golden with a small white head. The aroma is earthy, funky, fresh, zesty orange, nectarine, peach, lactic, sour candy and sherbet. The taste is crisp, tart, orange peel, kumquat, sherbet, mild acidity, bright, funky, lemonade and white grape with a dry finish. Medium body and fine, foamy carbonation. Pretty delicious.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Gin Barrel Saison from Hermit Thrush Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Can shared by Nelson on 8/25/16.
Off-white head is small-to-medium and shows moderate retention. Deep, golden-brass body shows good clarity.
Gin in the nose is melded nicely in to both ester and malt, with plentiful fruitiness (apples, strawberries, cranberries, gooseberries) offsetting the "sweet" honey notes from the malt. Light earthiness and some moderate lactic qualities are nicely reserved; there’s no punchy acetic character nor any heavy gin botanicals. Nor is there alcohol or flaw.
Lovely body and texture on it, being nearly perfectly attenuated and yet retaining a good malt backbone and engaging carbonation. This really works wonders for the "style" and smooths out the sourness, spreading it across the palate evenly from start to finish, as well as the light oak and gin spiciness. Actual saison characteristics are present as well, not just a big sour acidity. Very well-executed beer.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a bronzed burnt orange to brown color with a quickly dissipating white dissipating head that left no lacing.
The aroma starts off with some woody glazed orange pulpy extra citrus, sly bready. Seems to want to show a ton of potential.
The flavor takes some of the sour to tart citrus to ride into a dry woodiness. Quick aftertaste, sly bready finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a mediun on the body. Dry sparking funk hits my tongue and throat.
Overall, this is that so close yet so far away beer from Hermit Thrush for almost and finally making that breakthrough awesomeness, I think most of us have been waiting for. I’m rooting for you, Hermit Thrush, you have it in you.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
This was poured into a chalice.
The appearance was a dark burnt amber color with a thin white foamy cap of a head. No lacing.
The smell had some of the normal qualities of an American Barleywine hiding underneath big dry sour woody notes of HT’s yeast.
The flavor rests upon the balance of the woody dryness. From the sweet to the sour to the tart with a kick of lemon. All blends into the aftertaste and complements nicely on the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body. Sour boozinesss feels create a sipping quality. Carbonation feels fine.
Overall, yes, I can see it as an American Barleywine with HT’s creativity of making it sour. Quite interesting, perhaps again.