Sample at 1808 American Bistro. The beer is a clear dark amber color with a medium off-white head that diminishes quickly. Short stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of malt and dark fruit. Medium body with a malty character and notes of raisins and yeast. The finish is sweet with a fruity aftertaste. Decent overall.

Draft. Blackish beer with a tan head. Sour and light acetic aroma. Light acetic and dark fruit flavor with light dark malts. Medium bodied. Light acetic notes and dark fruit linger with light dark malts and a hint of whiskey barrel.

Draft. Dark mahogony beer with a tan head. Bourbon and red wine aroma withmalt and tartness. Tart, red wine flavor with malt. Medium bodied. Tart and red wine linger with light bourbon and malt.

Total Wine, Chantilly 12oz ($2): Pours an amber color with an off-white head. Aroma is light citrus hops and plenty of malts. I found this to be a bland and somewhat unbalanced IPA. Beers like this are utterly forgettable to me. It’s organic... so... yeah.

Draught. Arbitrary score 4/5 for Appearance, as nighttime conditions prevented correct assessment. Indeed, both honey and basil identifyable; Herbal, sweet and strangely exotic. Balance is good, but the finish exhibits some of the less agreeable liquorice notes cooked basil can have. Light bodied, not even very slick. More interesting than great.

Bottle. Pours with a clear, yet surprisingly dark golden amber body with a lasting white head that leaves decent lace. Aromas are floral, with a really nice basil character. Light earthy notes, citrus zest, bready malts, floral honey. A complaint: it smells a bit too sweet and caramel heavy. Flavors are bready, caramel, earthy, hay, some sweet bready character. Medium floral and earthy basil notes keep a refreshing edge. Some spice. I feel that this is a bit too sweet to really perfect the concept as the caramel weighs down the delicate basil. More crispness would be nice. Still solid. A honey like floral note with a bit of herbal-chamomile which I assume is honey or basil. Lively bubbles, medium bodied, well hidden alcohol with a floral finish. Somewhat sessionable. Nothing off, but I wish it were a touch drier.

Bottle. Mahogony beer with a cream head. Malt and light toffee aroma with yeast. Malt and yeast flavor with light caramel. Medium bodied. Malt and light caramel lingers with yeast and light spice.

Tap at the Turn Verein Sacramento Beer Week Belgian Ale Festival. Pours dishwater orange with a white head. Aroma is earthy, peppery citrus. Med body. Flavor is funky/earthy, floral, maybe citrus, with a light peppery aspect.

22oz bomber pours dark yet a bit clear mahogany with thin tan head. The aroma seems spicy and metallic at first. Later I get sweet rich dark fruity esters and a pleasing almost funky earthiness as well as a bit of spicy black licorice. The taste is cool with rich sweet dark fruity esters, firm earthiness, some roasted malts and a touch of muted spicy Belgian yeastiness. In between those notes I get spiciness and a light sense of metallic notes. Nice stuff overall.