LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison
A 12 oz bottle picked up at the Brass Rail. A: The saison has a huge head, over three fingers of craggy head that lace nicely as they recede. Underneath the head, a goilden straw ale, clear save for the haze generated by the cold temperature. S: The nose is sweet, more lemon than pepper. Smells like a fruity yeast strain and pale candi sugars were used without abandon. T: Bitter lemon rind and a musty yeast flavor really drive the ale. Pale malts, a nonfactor, allow the saison flavors to linger without interruption. As the fruitiness passes, coarse ground black pepper kicks in with a blast of spicy heat. The pepper is strong, far stronger than it probably needs to be when pairing with the lemon. Pepper is a good thing, too much pepper isn't. And this is borderline on too much. M: The mouthfeel is muddled, Belgian-y and German-y (candi sugars and citric bite). And that's before the pepper decides to pop up. A sweet flavor that quickly turns hot. D: Interesting, but not one that I'd want multiple bottles of. Tone down the pepper and I'll take another look.