Stirring the Wort

If I remember correctly, the New York Times' beer page has a bait of stirring the pot in the beer community. It wasn't that long ago that the winification of beer column hit the internet and struck up a storm (I'm pretty sure that was the New York Times).

One can make the argument that the beer community needs a kick in the behind once in a while in order to keep everything in check. Whether it be the LA or the New York Times, there is another interesting piece that was posted recently. Now, the argument is being made that the Saison should now be considered as the top summer beer.

I'm still getting used to the intricacies of the style. I've even had a few rough go-arounds with some of them. Still, when you justify that any beer should be a top beer in any season by calling the public "IPA-swelling" you'll have my attention.

Beer Review: Victory Helios Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 7.5 percent

Appearance: Helios Ale has an appearance that's close to that of honey. It's a very similar shade of gold. There's also a noticeable haze that's most likely from the yeast used in this beer. The head is a vivid white and has somewhat weak retention. It sinks back into the beer fast and doesn't leave any lacing at all. There was also a ton of small bubbles that quickly rose to the top of the glass. As I've started to notice in saison brews, the yeast used in the process helps the bubbles to travel in lines. They appear to be following each other towards the top. Aside from the weak head on top of this beer, this is a very pleasing beer to look at.

Smell: The aroma of this beer is certainly yeasty. There was quite a few more layers behind that. There was definitely an interesting hop backbone, too. I also sensed an overload of spice and/or pepper. It sort of tingled in the nostrils. It was somewhat enjoyable, but I'd rather not have it smothering the citrus notes as it was in this particular instance.

Taste: The yeast was very present in the taste as expected. The next strongest flavor on the tongue was definitely the spice and/or pepper that I noticed. That gave me that zesty sizzle on my tongue that I love to write about in brews that I'm able to try. I got a bit more citrus (which I was able to identify as both orange and lemon) in this section than I did the smell, but it was still overpowered by the pepperiness. The carbonation I noticed after the pour resonated in my mouth. This beer had an awesome texture with all of those bubbles.

Overall Rating: 

I had high hopes for this beer, but it fell just short. There were some great qualities in this one, though. I surely didn't like the weakness of the head and the overabundance of the spice/pepper, but these two things were far from ruining this beer.

Beer Review: Boulder Honey of a Saison

Serving Type: Draft/Growler

ABV: 11.5 percent

Appearance: Honey of a Saison pours a dark shade of amber. It also has hues of both orange and red throughout the body. There wasn't any carbonation bubbles present, but the head of this beer was thick and towering. There was an above-average head even on the latter pours from the growler. I expected it to be an ivory or cream color given the dark amber of the body. Surprisingly, it was almost as white as snow. It faded away after a few minutes, but leaves plenty of thick lacing.

Smell: This beer was very estery after my initial smell. There was also plenty of yeast in the aroma. What lacked was the honey. It was there, but only slightly.

Taste: The yeast and the honey mixed quite well on the tongue. There was a strong alcohol presence from that 11.5 ABV on the finish./ This beer's taste packed some heat. It had a familiar burning sensation to bourbon or rum when it goes down your throat. I tend to prefer the alcohol a little more masked in brews with a higher ABV.

Overall Rating: 

I'm still trying to learn the eccentricities of the saison/farmhouse style of beers. I mostly enjoy them. This one was a little too strong for me. Especially the boozy presence. Not only did I feel the burn in my mouth, a hefty buzz followed soon after. If you're into brews that pack a punch like this one you might like this a bit more than I did.