Saison Athene C
A - Pours with two fingers of fluffy, white foam on top of a perfectly brilliant, golden body. The foam settles relatively quickly and leaves just a touch of lace. S - Deep, funky aromas of wild yeast, with notes of pineapple, pear, lavender, and leather. Some biscuity malt in the background with a hint of herbal hops. T - Rich, bready pilsner malt up front with light, spicy hops and a bit of musty pineapple flavor. Some acidity joins with the other flavors in the middle and accentuates the pineapple character. More tart fruit and a bit of a dry white wine character in the finish with moderate bitterness and a nice dose of continental hops. Lingering funky dry fruit, lots of pear and pineapple. M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a dry finish. D - Very good, this alternative brett strain is nearly as good as the best bottles of the regular Saison Athene, though I think I still prefer the original. The tropical fruit is an interesting departure from the deep funk that can developed in well aged bottles of normal St. Somewhere and it works very nicely with the rich pilsner malt while it also has the somewhat surprising effect of bringing the herbal hops more to the front of the beer. Quite nice, I would definitely drink this again, though I understand that it owes its existence to a logistical accident, so I doubt that I will have the pleasure. This beer really drives home to me just how extraordinary and under appreciated this brewery is. They may not have the huge variety and innovation of some other excellent, up and coming breweries, but at their best, St. Somewhere's beers are possibly the only American made beers in the Belgian tradition that truly stand on the same level as the best of those produced in the old world. I really think that a well conditioned bottle from St. Somewhere is up there with the likes of De Dolle and Fantome, which is quite an accomplishment.