Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
2 twelve oz bottles consumed at the brewpub on 3/21/06 from a tulip ranging between refrigerator temperature and near-room temperature.
The first thing I note upon pouring is the deep red color. However, I don’t think it ever gets rusty, brown or too dark. It was a red ale base, so you can hardly fault the brewer points for making a darkish gueuze. Especially since the introduction of the dark saison. What it does have is a lovely clarity, with only light sediment at the bottom after a careful pour. Gentle, but full, moderately well-retained head is an old-ivory color and eventually fades to cover, but never disappears altogether. However, there is no lacing left on either of the two glasses I had. Bubbles rising in the liquid are tiny and numerous.
The aroma beckons with oily pediococcus and yet, vibrant, deep brett. Sour, cedary almost, with some light sawdust, definite barnyard/old blanket sort of effect, and I’m proud to say, it practically screams forth, you don’t have to sit and strain to pretend you are smelling these things. As the beer warms, the pediococcus wanes while the brett seems to be amplified, perhaps carried hand in hand with hallertauer or styrian goldings. More overtly aromatic here than in a lambic from Belgian, but decidedly complementary to the brett, evoking images of Orval.
The flavor. Mmmmmm. It takes a few sips to get my bearings. It is certainly one to ponder. For sure there is diacetyl that the pediococcus has thrown off, though it’s not forceful or terribly disruptive. More or less the same effect as having a bottle of Supplication that has diacetyl that has not broken down. Minor, in fact, because the palate accustoms itself to it, and while I’m never able to completely get around it, it just melds in as a lightly buttery/nutty flavor. The main force of the beer is consumed by a sour, pedio note nearly on par with Cantillon products in flavor, though it doesnt have the truly souring or lasting effect of that one. Still, it’s far more sour than any other American example I’ve seen. Brett adds light tartness on the end, a more easy (for the style) flavor that is tart (limes, lilacs) and dry. Another strong point here, is the near perfect level of attenuation. This isnt any more or less sweet/dry (significantly so) than a Belgian lambic, nor does the malt have much influence, other than to add light texture and some minor flavors seen in a red ale. The carbonation is perfect as well, tight and engaging, very expressive, with light wateriness on the tail end. Hops are quite prevalent in the flavor, especially upon warming, as in the aroma, but are tastefully done and lend yet one more layer of complexity.
All in all, aside from the diacetyl and light sawdust notes, this is a Grand success for American brewing. If someone slapped a glass of this down in front of me blind, I would actually be able to identify it as a gueuze style beer. An American gueuze with a Flanders red flare to it. Bravo!
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Draught pint at the brewery on 3/21/06
Opaque or near opaque maple syrup colored brown body has some deep tan and light mahogany hues in it. Head is initially small, tannish-yellow and poorly retained, forming a ring on the edges, with no lacing.
The nose has your typical esters and phenols; bananas, bubble gum, clove, black pepper. Don’t remember the alcohol, but there’s no sign of it. A very sweet, brown sugar and caramel malt note grows stronger and prunes seem to come forth as it warms. Prunes or light raisins, anyways. The phenols keep it sufficiently dry in the nose, while there is a light graininess from the unfiltered/unpasteurized character of the beer.
The flavor begins with light milk chocolate, dotted with flecks of light toasted brown malts, almost a touch of vinousness, but blotted out by a bubble gum and banana ester that sweetens things considerably before being, in turn, dried out by strong, strong phenols on the end. More black pepper, than clove, as they arent so much flavorful and spicy as they are just dry and peppery. I appreciate the low carbonation with which these Belgian styles are served, and this one is no exception. Sweet, richly malted texture, sugary and thick with non-filtration. Rather dominated by the esters/phenols, which prevent too much malt complexity from arising, at first. But the longer I sit and drink it, the more a sticky, caramelized sugar note begins to emerge and really stick to the palate and lips, quite chewy. Perhaps palate accustoms itself to the phenols (more than likely) but they are not nearly as dominant towards the end as the start. No alcohol, even after fully warming and breathing.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 3.5
Draught goblet at Marthas on 2/18/06 with Muzzlehatch. Lifeless, or near lifeless appearance with almost no visible carbonation in the goldenrod-hay colored body, lightly hazy. Off-white ring of bubbles sit on the edges, which very soon are gone as well. The nose shows some spicy white pepper/coriander notes, with a long, drying alcohol presence, though just a sharp perfuminess, not raw fusels/ethanol. Heavy sugar cookie dough pulverizes the potentially delicate yeasty phenols, though as it warms, there are brief interludes of light pineapples and lemon. The flavor is HEAVILY sweet, defining syrupy and cloying, with an almost sour, very abrasive alcoholic sharpness. Yeast is not overly doughy, but this beer is just way too sweet. I’m never a big proponent of brewpubs doing draught trippels and this one exemplifies my reasoning: undercarbonated to the extreme and with very large, loose bubbles from artificial pressure really exacerbate the huge sweetness. If this beer was properly carbonated, it might stand a chance, but not like this. Sweet canned peach syrup, honey and phenols of pepper and almost a rye like dryness (which is severely subsumed by the sugars).
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draught pint at Marthas, 2/18/06 with Muzzlehatch. Deep black colored body, rather limp-looking in the glass with a beige head that is initially very small and quickly recedes to a small ring on the edge. Minor lacing in small patches. The nose is very grainy, with plenty of chocolate sweetness to fill in the gaps and a fair amount of coffee roast flavors. But there is a prominent vanilla suggestion that entices and invites further ponderance. A strong prune-like vinousness emerges as it warms, and there is some light fudginess, but it’s all so weak and poorly expressed. Drying licorice and alcohol vapors on the end, with barely any hints of Belgian yeast (this is supposed to be a Belgian Stout). Seems like a lot of oats and green barley. The flavor is stronger than the aroma, thankfully, or I should say, more expressive. Oily chocolate and light coffee tinges mix with sweet vanilla crème notes. A light merlot-like winey-fruitiness begins to emerge as it warms, adding playfulness. But the sagging mouthfeel, very low carbonation and too much exposure to wateriness seems to drown what poignancy or livliness it could possess. Still not sure if I would call it Belgian. The malts are precariously held together by a breadiness that almost gets too drying, but then there is some sweet chocolate to provide relief. No alcohol flavors or warming noted in the flavor, very low yeast apparency. Certainly not an Imperial Stout.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5
on tap-pours a tan, creamy head that laces. Color is hazy orange/brown. Aroma is malt, barn/wet hay, a hint of caramel. Taste follows with a hops finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4
on tap-pours a light tan head with cloudy gold color. Aroma is dry hops. Taste is bitter hops, dry. Kind of one dimensional and middle of the road.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5
on tap-pours a brown creamy head that laces with black color. Aroma is coffee, malt. Taste is coffee, dry, malt, thin. 090506-rerate
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
on tap-pours a reducing white head with gold color. Aroma is grain, sweet, banana, spice, nail polish remover. Taste is overly sweet, alcohol. 090122-rerate-a nice interpretation of a tripel, nice sweet malt, fruity and semi dry.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4
on tap-pours a reducing white head with pale yellow color. Aroma is grain. Taste is a barely noticeable grain, mild carbonation, watery. 061220-mild.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
[Cask at GBBF 2005] A hazy orange beer with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet malty combined with a slight hoppy note. The flavor is sweet with a dusty hoppy note - my guess is Goldings. Somewhat boring.