8.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Draught at the brewery, 1/22/14 release party
One of the better looking beers I’ve seen. Near-opaque cloudiness with a bright pink color and a half-finger of pinkish-tinged head that hangs around the edges.
Grapefruit wafts up out of the glass (which is odd, since this is a cranberry weisse) while a fair amount of lactic notes give it a good resemblance to orange yogurt. Tart cranberry acids keep it bright and interesting, while a hint of light maltiness (nutty almost creamy wheat) give it some depth. Lots of citric acid....Medium strength of aroma, somewhat dulled by the yeast and wheat (as is the case with this style).
Lightly sweet grapefruit up front, immediately dries out due to the lactic tartness. Berry acids further dry the flavor and the finish is nearly puckering, but for the soft, chewy wheat body. Plentiful acids build up on the palate, very well-attenuated with no sweetness. However, I keep getting a lot more grapefruit than I do cranberry. Finally, after reading the label, I see the beer had a large amount of orange zest added right before bottling. It definitely makes it more of a citrus weisse, with the cranberries really only adding acidity (not that they would really add much else, being almost completely devoid of sugar). Still, the orange zest is delicious, and provides some nice complexity in face of the lactic acid. Engaging, almost spritzy carbonation keeps the beer refreshing and drinkable, while the wheat adds a supple, comforting, almost creaminess to the texture. Fantastic beer! I had high hopes based on the hype surrounding their Berliner Weisse line and this certainly lived up to it. Definitely the best beer I’ve tried from these guys to date. Now if I can only track down some bottles of Ever and Somer weisse.
One of the better looking beers I’ve seen. Near-opaque cloudiness with a bright pink color and a half-finger of pinkish-tinged head that hangs around the edges.
Grapefruit wafts up out of the glass (which is odd, since this is a cranberry weisse) while a fair amount of lactic notes give it a good resemblance to orange yogurt. Tart cranberry acids keep it bright and interesting, while a hint of light maltiness (nutty almost creamy wheat) give it some depth. Lots of citric acid....Medium strength of aroma, somewhat dulled by the yeast and wheat (as is the case with this style).
Lightly sweet grapefruit up front, immediately dries out due to the lactic tartness. Berry acids further dry the flavor and the finish is nearly puckering, but for the soft, chewy wheat body. Plentiful acids build up on the palate, very well-attenuated with no sweetness. However, I keep getting a lot more grapefruit than I do cranberry. Finally, after reading the label, I see the beer had a large amount of orange zest added right before bottling. It definitely makes it more of a citrus weisse, with the cranberries really only adding acidity (not that they would really add much else, being almost completely devoid of sugar). Still, the orange zest is delicious, and provides some nice complexity in face of the lactic acid. Engaging, almost spritzy carbonation keeps the beer refreshing and drinkable, while the wheat adds a supple, comforting, almost creaminess to the texture. Fantastic beer! I had high hopes based on the hype surrounding their Berliner Weisse line and this certainly lived up to it. Definitely the best beer I’ve tried from these guys to date. Now if I can only track down some bottles of Ever and Somer weisse.
Tried
from Can
on 25 Jan 2014
at 12:14
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
A loud pop when I removed the cork with no gushing...yeah, I LIKE that.
It pours a slightly hazy light gold with 2 fingers of foam. Lacing looks to be very good.
I get a very spicy smell. earthy notes..that could be what the label says about salt. There’s a fruity kind of hoppiness going on that’s citrus and more.
It’s pretty darn tasty. Grainy, earthy, can definitely sense some salt, kind of hoppy with the fruitiness and that grain of Paradise thingy going on. Overall, the flavours seem to mesh very well and I am enjoying them.
Fairly light bodied with just a tad more carbonation than I’d like.
4.6% abv, bottled Sept 4, 2013, the foam hanging in there big time, this, imho, is a very nice brew.
It pours a slightly hazy light gold with 2 fingers of foam. Lacing looks to be very good.
I get a very spicy smell. earthy notes..that could be what the label says about salt. There’s a fruity kind of hoppiness going on that’s citrus and more.
It’s pretty darn tasty. Grainy, earthy, can definitely sense some salt, kind of hoppy with the fruitiness and that grain of Paradise thingy going on. Overall, the flavours seem to mesh very well and I am enjoying them.
Fairly light bodied with just a tad more carbonation than I’d like.
4.6% abv, bottled Sept 4, 2013, the foam hanging in there big time, this, imho, is a very nice brew.
Tried
from Can
on 22 Jan 2014
at 13:26
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 5
Draft at the brewery on 1/11/14
Murky, dark orange-amber body has a cream-colored head that displays moderate retention.
Belgian yeast is subtle in the nose, providing only light, playful fruitiness that is quickly washed away by the orange/grapefruit tag-team that is cascade. The finish shows some unwanted yeast blandness, light phenolic character and resin, along with a touch of alcohol heat....
Flavor mimics the aroma, with too much actual yeast and or hop residuals imparting a very bland/nutty/dulling effect to the flavor, masking much of the intended hop brightness. Fiery orange hop character and grapefruit bitterness do breakthrough at times, and are very enjoyable, while some light Belgian yeast fruitiness is apparent, but either this beer needs to sit longer/get fined to drop this stuff out of suspension or this keg was shaken up before serving. Will try again and see if I can get a brighter sample.
Murky, dark orange-amber body has a cream-colored head that displays moderate retention.
Belgian yeast is subtle in the nose, providing only light, playful fruitiness that is quickly washed away by the orange/grapefruit tag-team that is cascade. The finish shows some unwanted yeast blandness, light phenolic character and resin, along with a touch of alcohol heat....
Flavor mimics the aroma, with too much actual yeast and or hop residuals imparting a very bland/nutty/dulling effect to the flavor, masking much of the intended hop brightness. Fiery orange hop character and grapefruit bitterness do breakthrough at times, and are very enjoyable, while some light Belgian yeast fruitiness is apparent, but either this beer needs to sit longer/get fined to drop this stuff out of suspension or this keg was shaken up before serving. Will try again and see if I can get a brighter sample.
Tried
from Draft
on 13 Jan 2014
at 22:06
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 4
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draft at the brewery on 1/11/14
Soft pink-hued body, has a touch of haziness and a moderate amount of off-white head that eventually recedes to cover.
Trying to make the best out of the nose, but you really can’t get around it. It just smells like old (dead) flowers, bland nutty yeast and dirt. Some notes of citrus (white grapefruit, lime) are in the background but it’s not ideal. I’m guessing hibiscus either leaves a pretty poor aroma in beer, or the reaction of the hops and the hibiscus leaves the unexciting aroma. It’s not unclean or spoiled/bad, as if the ingredients or brewing went awry, just the way the ingredients mix together, I would imagine.
Fortunately the flavor is much, much better. A strong malt backbone is immediately apparent. Nutty, biscuity notes easily balance the moderate citrus hop flavor, with some light peach and nectarine character on the finish that is quite enjoyable. Very dry, almost too much so, but for the soft, supple mouthfeel and tight carbonation. Light herbal notes grace the finish and hop acids linger as well. Fine beer, very-well made. Pity about the aroma.
Soft pink-hued body, has a touch of haziness and a moderate amount of off-white head that eventually recedes to cover.
Trying to make the best out of the nose, but you really can’t get around it. It just smells like old (dead) flowers, bland nutty yeast and dirt. Some notes of citrus (white grapefruit, lime) are in the background but it’s not ideal. I’m guessing hibiscus either leaves a pretty poor aroma in beer, or the reaction of the hops and the hibiscus leaves the unexciting aroma. It’s not unclean or spoiled/bad, as if the ingredients or brewing went awry, just the way the ingredients mix together, I would imagine.
Fortunately the flavor is much, much better. A strong malt backbone is immediately apparent. Nutty, biscuity notes easily balance the moderate citrus hop flavor, with some light peach and nectarine character on the finish that is quite enjoyable. Very dry, almost too much so, but for the soft, supple mouthfeel and tight carbonation. Light herbal notes grace the finish and hop acids linger as well. Fine beer, very-well made. Pity about the aroma.
Tried
from Draft
on 13 Jan 2014
at 21:56
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
On draft at the brewery, 1/11/14
Small white head, slowly recedes atop a fairly bright golden-colored body. High clarity.
Brett and barrel character are melded wonderfully in the nose. Acetic acid, leather, lime and nectarine all give a clear impression that this could be a really special beer. Very little maltiness in the nose, perhaps some crackery, biscuity flecks, but the brett has done its job and dominates the nose. The aroma is only of moderate strength, but what’s there is perfectly done.
Unfortunately, it somehow dosent translate to the flavor. There is a quick note of tartness and some oily/leathery woodiness, but it’s quickly and completely gobbled up by a doughy, almost nutty malt flavor. It’s not sweet, which is good, but it’s all I get on the palate. Chewy, almost thick texture is not what I was expecting and the beer finishes fairly bland. Don’t know what happened here. Perhaps the brett didnt get enough sugar to really churn out enough acid. I’ve never seen the aroma so different from the flavor. Anyways, there’s nothing wrong with the beer, still very drinkable. Get little/no brandy character, most likely older generation barrel.
Small white head, slowly recedes atop a fairly bright golden-colored body. High clarity.
Brett and barrel character are melded wonderfully in the nose. Acetic acid, leather, lime and nectarine all give a clear impression that this could be a really special beer. Very little maltiness in the nose, perhaps some crackery, biscuity flecks, but the brett has done its job and dominates the nose. The aroma is only of moderate strength, but what’s there is perfectly done.
Unfortunately, it somehow dosent translate to the flavor. There is a quick note of tartness and some oily/leathery woodiness, but it’s quickly and completely gobbled up by a doughy, almost nutty malt flavor. It’s not sweet, which is good, but it’s all I get on the palate. Chewy, almost thick texture is not what I was expecting and the beer finishes fairly bland. Don’t know what happened here. Perhaps the brett didnt get enough sugar to really churn out enough acid. I’ve never seen the aroma so different from the flavor. Anyways, there’s nothing wrong with the beer, still very drinkable. Get little/no brandy character, most likely older generation barrel.
Tried
from Draft
on 13 Jan 2014
at 21:44
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draft at the brewery on 1/11/14.
Brassy-gold body, has a thin head that is mostly receding. High clarity.
Lovely, reserved aroma has plenty of bacterial influences, with red appleskin notes, light touches of caramel and nutty maltiness (barrel character perhaps?). Hints of vanilla and black pepper give way to the oily, tannic, acetic notes. Certainly not the strength of some of Dupont’s best, but what is there is clean (can you use clean to describe bacterial notes??) and well-presented, with no off-notes.
Apple skin, very well-attenuated juice and plentiful brett greet the palate, with a gentle, somewhat lazy carbonation and some dry, almost nutty pale malts. Acetic sourness finishes it off and light leather and apple notes linger. Almost none of the spices mentioned in the Fallen Apple emerge (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice). Interesting that some of NS’s beers are full-on spice/herb bombs (Rose) while this one you can barely note it. Fine with me though, the wild yeast and apple flavor is lovely. Could certainly use more maltiness, though. The base beer is just a golden ale, which I don’t think holds up well enough to the cider, wild yeast and barrel treatment. Not quite enough body. Alcohol, I believe, was somewhere in the 8 to 9% range.
Brassy-gold body, has a thin head that is mostly receding. High clarity.
Lovely, reserved aroma has plenty of bacterial influences, with red appleskin notes, light touches of caramel and nutty maltiness (barrel character perhaps?). Hints of vanilla and black pepper give way to the oily, tannic, acetic notes. Certainly not the strength of some of Dupont’s best, but what is there is clean (can you use clean to describe bacterial notes??) and well-presented, with no off-notes.
Apple skin, very well-attenuated juice and plentiful brett greet the palate, with a gentle, somewhat lazy carbonation and some dry, almost nutty pale malts. Acetic sourness finishes it off and light leather and apple notes linger. Almost none of the spices mentioned in the Fallen Apple emerge (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice). Interesting that some of NS’s beers are full-on spice/herb bombs (Rose) while this one you can barely note it. Fine with me though, the wild yeast and apple flavor is lovely. Could certainly use more maltiness, though. The base beer is just a golden ale, which I don’t think holds up well enough to the cider, wild yeast and barrel treatment. Not quite enough body. Alcohol, I believe, was somewhere in the 8 to 9% range.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Jan 2014
at 14:16
8.1/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draft at the brewery, 1/11/13
Perfect pour yields a long-lasting white head atop a slightly hazy golden body. Very well-carbonated.
Chardonnay and yeast notes are integrated nicely in the nose. White pepper-like phenols and plentiful fruitiness complement each other, while there is a slight woodiness and touch of alcohol on the end. Neither are overdone and the aroma is plentiful and sustaining as the beer warms. Don’t get much of the lemon or lime, probably just so well-integrated with the rest of the beer.
Saison yeast produces banana, light bubblegum and tons of pepper, while the grape flavor is both juicy and bright. Significant drying on the finish due to the oak and alcohol, though neither is persistent or out of place. Ample body provided by the malt, but very well-attenuated; this is certainly all about the yeast and barrel. Tight carbonation, very well-balanced. Would like this with a little less alcohol, but that’s just a personal preference. Listed abv on website is 9.1 but the menu at the brewery said 8.8.
Perfect pour yields a long-lasting white head atop a slightly hazy golden body. Very well-carbonated.
Chardonnay and yeast notes are integrated nicely in the nose. White pepper-like phenols and plentiful fruitiness complement each other, while there is a slight woodiness and touch of alcohol on the end. Neither are overdone and the aroma is plentiful and sustaining as the beer warms. Don’t get much of the lemon or lime, probably just so well-integrated with the rest of the beer.
Saison yeast produces banana, light bubblegum and tons of pepper, while the grape flavor is both juicy and bright. Significant drying on the finish due to the oak and alcohol, though neither is persistent or out of place. Ample body provided by the malt, but very well-attenuated; this is certainly all about the yeast and barrel. Tight carbonation, very well-balanced. Would like this with a little less alcohol, but that’s just a personal preference. Listed abv on website is 9.1 but the menu at the brewery said 8.8.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Jan 2014
at 14:04
6.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
750mL bottle, batch 12, bottled 11/20/13, drunk 1/7/14.
Peachy-amber hued beer has plentiful, well-retained off-white head and there is a very healthy layer of sediment on the bottom. Small bubbles rise rapidly in the mostly-clear liquid.
Very peppery nose! I saw on their website the first batch didnt go very well as they didnt crush the peppercorns. Well, they’ve certainly crushed a lot in this batch. Sweet, doughy, pale malts attempt to balance the nose, with light vinousness coming through on the end. Rosemary is there, but not overbearingly so. Plenty of powerful things going on...not sure how cohesive this is though...
So with not much of an idea of what to expect, I dive in to the glass. ROSEMARY. Like dunking my head in to a bath of it. Wow. It barely leaves any room for the peppercorn at first and seems incredibly overdone. The finish finds room for some maltiness, moderately attenuated, full of honey dough and sweet cream. It’s helpful in balancing the rosemary, but may be a bit forceful itself sweetness-wise. Thankfully, about 15 minutes in to the bottle, or so, my palate adjusted to the rosemary and I was getting far less of it and quite a bit of a vanilla-yogurt-like flavor. Far more enjoyable, but still backed by the slightly overbearing maltiness.
A strange beer, for sure. Seems like they just need to age the beer (off the peppercorns) a little longer. This one still seemed too rough around the edges. And tone down the rosemary, for sure. Otherwise, the mouthfeel, bottle conditioning and general production of the beer were fantastic. Looking forward to more from these guys.
Peachy-amber hued beer has plentiful, well-retained off-white head and there is a very healthy layer of sediment on the bottom. Small bubbles rise rapidly in the mostly-clear liquid.
Very peppery nose! I saw on their website the first batch didnt go very well as they didnt crush the peppercorns. Well, they’ve certainly crushed a lot in this batch. Sweet, doughy, pale malts attempt to balance the nose, with light vinousness coming through on the end. Rosemary is there, but not overbearingly so. Plenty of powerful things going on...not sure how cohesive this is though...
So with not much of an idea of what to expect, I dive in to the glass. ROSEMARY. Like dunking my head in to a bath of it. Wow. It barely leaves any room for the peppercorn at first and seems incredibly overdone. The finish finds room for some maltiness, moderately attenuated, full of honey dough and sweet cream. It’s helpful in balancing the rosemary, but may be a bit forceful itself sweetness-wise. Thankfully, about 15 minutes in to the bottle, or so, my palate adjusted to the rosemary and I was getting far less of it and quite a bit of a vanilla-yogurt-like flavor. Far more enjoyable, but still backed by the slightly overbearing maltiness.
A strange beer, for sure. Seems like they just need to age the beer (off the peppercorns) a little longer. This one still seemed too rough around the edges. And tone down the rosemary, for sure. Otherwise, the mouthfeel, bottle conditioning and general production of the beer were fantastic. Looking forward to more from these guys.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Jan 2014
at 21:08
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle - thanks Felipe! Pours a clear pinkish peach color, quite pretty with a small white head that dissipates quickly with some lacing. Aroma is tart fruit, lemons, windex, light funkiness. Flavor is quite tart, fruity, lemon leading to a somewhat clinical aftertaste. Light body, low carbonation. No cinnamon detected.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jan 2014
at 19:43
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Draft at the brewery taproom. Pours hazy gold with a rich, fluffy white head. Decently sweaty funk in the nose, then some raspberry comes in next. Light sweet flavor with big, lip-puckering sour bite, moderately acetic, with more sweat and mellow mint. Light in body with fine, spritzy carbonation. Piercing sour finish with some cooling mint, mild cereal and underripe raspberries. Nice.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Dec 2013
at 01:21