Knee Deep Ryedentity Crisis

Formerly brewed at Knee Deep Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Lincoln, California USA

Serve in Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

I like it. I don’t get the hate I’m seeing for it. Aroma is a bit muted, but the proper Rye, sweet wheat, and citrus notes are there. The taste is extremely smooth. Sweet rye, biscuity malt, citrus... classic farmhouse notes. FInish is slightly bitter, but mostly just sweet rye and citrus. This beer hides the ABV really well too. It’s smooth, balanced, and damn good.

Bomber from Total Wine, Greenville, SC. If ever a name was an object lesson in how to avoid snarky ratings, this would be a top contender. But in fairness, it actually is emphatically a saison in terms of its majority characteristics. So no stylistic crisis, but just not an especially good beer. Light copper pour, moderately carbonated, and an unassuming nose of grain, generic yeast, and phenols. Slightly watery mouthfeel does little for the flavors, which come across like buttery popcorn, mild spice, and a bunch of fruits. Meh.

22oz bomber, no date for $8.49 at OB Quik Stop a couple days ago. Clear golden with a small off-white head, low retention down to a thick ring. Sweet rye as well as some fruity sweet yeast esters (overripe peach and banana) and a tinge of earth. No pepper notes so far. Flavor follows suit with overripe fruit and moderate earthy rye sweetness. I can’t believe this is 8% ABV, masked incredibly well. Not a whole lot else going on, as far as I can tell. Dry finish, bitterness peaked at a 3-4. Medium body with light prickly carbonation. Didn’t seem like a saison to me--more like an overestered Belgian ale with some sweet rye.

Not much to this one...straw colored pour with a fluffy ivory head. Yeasty nose with mild pepper, lemongrass, and earthiness. Slightly hoppy with a smidge of citrus. Meh.

Crystal clear golden pour (unfiltered?). Not much of an aroma. Sweet fruity flavor with honeysuckle and a grainy rye finish. Tastes nothing at all like a saison. It wasn’t bad, just boring.

Pours clear light copper color with white head. Grainy and malty aroma. Sweet caramel and cereal malt flavors with some grassy hops. Medium body with average carbonation. OK, but not worth seeking out or having again.

22 ounce bottle pours an orangish color, aroma of orange zest, grapefruit, pine resin and some spicy yeast. Flavor is the same, didnt taste like a regular sassion.

UPDATED: FEB 24, 2012 Pale gold with a white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is orange peel and the slightest hint of sourdough. The taste has some rye and yeasty qualities as well as a bit hit of orange, and an appreciable amount of bitterness to finish. I think the rye/grain flavour and aroma could be played up quite a bit more while still making this drink like a saison.

Tasted at Total Wine tasting. Least favorite of four. It was too citrusy and a hint of pine but not something I can drink a lot of.

A 22-oz bottle shared with Strykzone via Facebook Chat. Poured a hazy orange with a light tan head and a lot of tiny bubbles in the beer. The nose was barnyard, with that slightly moldy damp hay smell, with citrus thrown in. Medium to full body and a slick and very smooth mouthfeel. The flavor is very complex with new tastes coming forward as you progress, including the barnyard, bubblegum, citrus, vanilla, and rye. These flavors continued into the finish, and the beer just more enjoyable as time went on. The alcohol was perfectly hidden. This complex and very tasty beer defies style. It is what it is, and that is very good.