Stillwater Artisinal Ales Cellar Door American Farmhouse Ale

Dog Brewing Company
Westminster, MD

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Pretty gold, very hazy. Creamy head, fine bubbles. Head lasts and lasts.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Fruity, dry. A bit sour. Floral, peppery notes, chamomile, banana. No appreciable hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Lemongrass, orange peel, ginger, honey. Bready, subtle licorice. No real hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Subtle hop bitterness at finish, a hint of sage.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Nice body, full, effervescent. A little boozy.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Interesting, complex (as expected, given the style). Bright. A nice Belgian Saison/Farmhouse. The subtle sage notes make for a spicy finish.

TOTAL: 15/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Not a bad Farmhouse Ale. I'm always intrigued by the style, they're always complex and unpredictable. This one was just okay, in my opinion.
Ben: A bright, fruity, floral beer. Strong Belgian notes. Nice! A tad boozy, but overall a nice example of the style. Maybe more hop? I'd buy it again, and pair it with Thanksgiving turkey.

Note: I must say, the label for this beer was damned near unreadable.

New Glarus Spotted Cow Wisconsin Farmhouse Ale

New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus, Wisconsin

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Hazy gold color. Thin, white, persistent head.

AROMA: 3/4
Clean, crisp, slightly sweet. No hop aroma. Could use a fruitier nose.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very malty, clean. Minimal hop bitterness–could use more.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Sweet, slightly corny aftertaste. Subtle bitterness at close.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Clean like a lager; sweet, dry like a cream ale.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Quite sweet. A clean yeast–no fruity or spicy notes, not what we'd consider a farmhouse ale, but refreshing.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice beer–crisp like a pils, sweet like our cream ale, but not a farmhouse ale.
Ben: A clean, crisp, refreshing beer ideal for the dog days of summer.

Boulevard Smokestack Series–Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company

Kansas City, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 3/3
Deep gold. Creamy, foamy head. Pretty–hazy, unfiltered.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Spicy, fruity. Citrus nose–grapefruit–plus pepper, bubblegum, a little hop.

TASTE: 8.75/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Noticeable citrus hop. Grassy, malty.
  
• Aftertaste: 3/3: Big grapefruit finish. Subtle, lingering bitterness. Grassy, meadowy.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Dry finish, subtle alcohol. Big and bouncy.
  

OVERALL: 2.75/3: A little lingering bitterness, but the citrus makes it work.

TOTAL: 18/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: Very rich, but very drinkable. Deceptive in terms of ABV–no heavy alcohol. Very bright and citrusy. True to style–classic and definitely worth a try (or two). Another nice aperatif.

Le Merle Saison

North Coast Brewing Company
Fort Bragg, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
White, creamy, rocky head. Tiny bubbles. Honey-gold color. Slight haze. Effervescent.
AROMA: 3.5/4
Citrus, pineapple, passion fruit, floral. Earthy notes. Very aromatic. Spicy, little hop aroma (true to Belgian style).
TASTE: 8.5/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4
  REALLY complex, a lot going on here. Pineapple, grapefruit, champagne notes. Tangy. Spicy notes–cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Plum, raisin, honey. All malt, very little hop; could use more bittering hop.
• Aftertaste: 2.75/3
  Slightly bitter finish, lasting spice flavor. Earthy. Slight residual alcohol.
• Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3
  Effervescent. Bouncy, tangy. Dry finish. Fruity, spicy, true to the style.

OVERALL: 2.75/3
A refined Saison; the city mouse to Saison Dupont's country mouse. True to style, but unique–a new flavor with every sip. NOT a session beer, by any means.

TOTAL: 18.25/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: A little of this goes a long way! Really complex and interesting, a nice interpretation.
Ben: Good example of a Saison. Earthy notes along with spicy citrus flavor–a great beer. Would be good paired with fish or fowl.