 maltdog (432), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Feb 17, 2008
Three fingers of lather float atop the furiously fizzing blonde ale. The nose is rife with hard-to-identify tropical fruit… kiwi and blueberry are easily pinpointed, but other scents frustrate with their elusiveness or ambiguity. Baby powder, wet canvas, sea salt, ragweed pollen and sumac seed combine with aromatic spice that corresponds to no culinary ingredient I can imagine. Flavorwise, the beer follows a narrower, yet differently directed path: mixed tart citrus, yeast, grass and wheatberries, and muted tastes of peach and mandarin orange. Hot alcohol is prominent. A lively mouthfeel features light body and creaminess, and sharp sandpaper carbonation… “spritzy” sums it up well. The saison tapers to a discordant grapefruity citric/bitter bitter and chalky aftertaste which, as carbonation wanes, trades bubbles for shrieking sourness of near-lambic proportions. Interesting and appropriately rustic, if unfocused and acerbic. Still, this beer craves crusty bread slathered with rich farmhouse butter, and a slab of crumbly sheepsmilk cheese. PS- the label is hideous.
EricE (254), Beltsville, Maryland, USA
Oct 10, 2008 Very hazy yellow-orange pour. Fluffy thick white head. Looks like a glass of champagne. Fruity malt aroma. Very wine like with grape and apple. Slightly sour fruit flavor with citrus and berries. Bitter hoppy finish. Very easy to drink. I really enjoyed this.
mgermani (621), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Oct 8, 2008 Pours a lightly hazy golden-blonde with a loose but enormous head with decent retention, which leaves a lot of lacing when it eventually subsides. Aroma is dry rubbing alcohol with a hint of sweet mango. Apple cider taste with sharp, sweet malting takes on a spicier aftertaste with a light hop bite. Reasonable carbonation and a crisp body. I could have gone with a bit more funk for this style, and a bit less apple. Reminds me a bit too much of a blonde ale, but still excellently executed and very quaffable.
darn1207 (335), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Oct 3, 2008 bottle. hazy light orange pour with a big bubbly white head that never fully goes away - and spotty lacing. aroma of spices (pepper and clove), lemon and general sourness. pale malts, bread and spice in the taste. finishes a quick dry bitter. tight and crisp. good, but not quite great. K-7.5
FishManLA (182), Abita Springs, Louisiana, USA
Oct 1, 2008 Foggy brass colored pour with a medium sized foamy and fizzy head with moderate persistence. Medium lacing. Nose of yeast with traces of citrus. Initial taste impression is a sharp tartness, like an apple. Notes of citrus and bread in the taste as well. Initial tartness rather quickly and abruptly segues into a classic hop bitterness that lingers to form the finish. A nice, if not outstanding, saison.
TheKeg (10), Louisiana, USA
Sep 23, 2008 Pours bright yellow-gold color with a thick white head. Moderately cloudy, with citrus and spice notes.
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