LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison
12 oz. long neck bottle - probably a few months old now? Pours a brilliantly clear pale golden yellow with a gorgeous craggy bright white 1" head. Visible fine carbonation uprising. Lacing in thick rings all the way down. Fresh scents of citrus peel and a sharp mineral/stoney undertone. A bit of banana and bubblegum compliments of the Belgian yeast strain I imagine. The Belgian farmhouse elements (spicy, esters, citrus) are all in here - and well represented too. The lemon is present also, but subdued. I'm REALLY diggin' the white pepper flavor that is very well placed. The back label reads 'grains of paradise' were used - which makes sense because it has a similar flavor of Bell's Batch 8000, (which also used grains of paradise). Mouthfeel is a tad to the right of light bodied with a perfect amount of spritzy medium-sized carbonation. The flavor ends a little spicy, but not so tart (like the label reads). Drinkability is great. I'd love to pair this with crab cakes and dijon dressing. This beer is begging to be paired with all kinds of food. Overall a great saison ale that I was a little leary at first to try. I say this because I haven't had many domestic brewed versions of this style. I have to admit this beer really exceeded my expectations in really every category. The pepper flavor is perfectly placed. And when I say this beer begs to be paired with food, I really mean it. I almost want to call my local seafood restaurant and see if they'll let me bring a couple bottles in and drink with their fare. The lacing on this ale is crazy thick, sticky and all the way down the glass. A very, very good beer for sure.