Samuel Adams Rustic Saison
12 oz bottle from Summer Styles pack poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint. "Best by" date of October. Appearance: Some have said that this looks like a macro lager, which is somewhat accurate. The body is a crystal clear golden, nearly yellow when held the light. A vigorous pour produces about two fingers worth of pillowy foam which fades fairly quickly to a complete cap of film, leaving some broken and loose lacing down the glass, more so on the bottom half. Not a bad looking brew, lots of carbonation bubbles rise up from the nucleation point. Smell: I was vaguely reminded of a hefeweizen, probably because of the abundant yeasty and spicy notes in the aroma. There is a little bit of grassy funk in there as well as some citrus fruit, but this seems to be a very yeast and spice-oriented nose, with maybe a hint of bubblegum lingering back there. Enticing, to say the least, but a little weak. Taste: Wasn't sure what to expect from this one since I haven't tried the saison style. I pick up some fruity and citrusy flavors out front, although I can't place anything specifically; it seems to just sort of wash over the palate. There's a very subtle underlying note of some cracker-like malt in the middle for balance, which then gets washed out by a big spicy/herbal finish with that "barnyard funk" from the yeast. Complex but refreshing, although the yeast flavors throw me off a little. Mouthfeel: Roughly medium bodied and lightly carbonated, so this helps the refreshment factor of the brew. Leaves a little chalky drying on the tongue with lingering yeast flavors. Not bad, a good summer thirst quencher. Overall: Not my favorite out of the Summer Styles pack, but a fairly refreshing brew overall which challenged my palate a little (first I've had of this style). Worth a try, but nothing too intense or crazy. Just a good overall summer beer which is measurably better than the Summer Ale, in my opinion.