Alter Ego
Smartmouth Brewing Company

Alter EgoAlter Ego
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From:
Smartmouth Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Saison
Ranked #606
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,205
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 8.97%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
155
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Nov 03, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  45
This brew is a shout-out to the alter ego in each of us, beckoning it out of dormancy. Porter Hardy, IV, brewery president, left his career as an attorney to heed the call of his weekend passion, making beer. Along with some friends who were just as consumed by beer, he established Smartmouth Brewing Company in 2012. Alter Ego, brewed in the farmhouse style of a Belgian Saison, is an effervescent and refreshing beer with fruity notes, a hint of pepper and a dry finish. Try pairing it with seafood, especially oysters or mussels, smoked sausages or cured meats. It complements aged gouda, chevre and ripe soft cheeses.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TheMultiYeast:
Photo of TheMultiYeast
Rated by TheMultiYeast from Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Feb 17, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of HouseKate
Rated by HouseKate

3.2/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
I wanted a little more funk from this and didn’t care for the aftertaste
Mar 03, 2024
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

3.96/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Slightly cloudy light amber, rocky white head, good retention, rings of lace
Green banana, light peppery phenols on the nose
Green banana, apricot, white pepper, gentle malt flavors
Medium bodied, a little heavy for a saison, needs more carbonation
Pretty tasty, but needs to be lighter and more effervescent.
Oct 30, 2023
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.46/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Thanks to Kely for bringing this back from VA. No can date
Pours a light fizzy 1/2 finger head with lower retention, tons of sediment and floating yeast and protein coag, hazy pale golden color

Nose brings a bit of malt, grainy cereal malt, fruity esters with some pome fruit, a bit of citrus, some saison phenol spices, little farmhouse saison notes, touch of honey and sweetness

Taste brings some age to it, light cereal malt, fruity esters more pome fruit, citrus, a little doughy, light saison phenol spices, plenty of spice in general, zesty, then yeasty and some minerals, semi sweet finish with some mild citrus zest and spice lingering, a bit of bitterness

Mouth is med bod, low almost no carb

Overall seems like it has promise, but seemed way too old, wish there was a can date
Sep 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by StanleysCup from Maryland

May 05, 2023
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.37/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Received from @Turkeysdrinkbeer in February 2022 and drunk in December that year.

L: Brilliant gold-coloured, with an even more brilliant white collar of foam. Massive amounts of carbonation are racing up the glass.

S: Ripe plums, with a Dr.Pepper cherryness/medicinal note. There are cloves and a bit of funkiness in there too.

T: The fake cherry/medicinal note shines through, with a tangy, malty body that leaves a lovely, long sweet finish. There's the slightest touch of funk and a little touch of pepper. Really good!

M: Carbonation is mild, and the beer is soft and full.

O: This is a bloody good beer! It's got a slightly weird taste profile for a Saison with that cherry note I picked up but it works, and works really well.

Cheers!
#163
Dec 23, 2022
 
 
Rated: 4.05 by thehermgod

Mar 25, 2022
 
Rated: 3.85 by rorjets from Connecticut

Aug 08, 2021
Photo of BiologyBob
Reviewed by BiologyBob from Texas

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
It looks like liquid gold, a bit hazy, and smells like soap and apricot. There was a nice white head, but it did not stick around. It has a nice balance of hops and farmhouse flavor. Medium bodied and very drinkable.
Jun 30, 2021
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a nice hazy golden color with a generous head and lacing
Aroma had citrus, lemon and pepper hints
The taste follows the nose with a pleasant citrus, lemon and peppery flavor
A light bodied moderately carbonated very crisp beer
A good Saison
Jun 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Velivolus1 from Vermont

Aug 05, 2020
Photo of jfmorey
Reviewed by jfmorey from Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a can purchased at my local supermarket in Vienna, VA, about 200 miles from the brewery; poured into a tulip glass.
I've always liked saisons, particularly in the warmer months. Many brewers miss the point of this style, a drinkable, refreshing ale with the particular note of strangeness from the Belgian yeast. At 6.2%, the alcohol is a bit high, but otherwise Alter Ego hits the mark perfectly.
May 20, 2020
Photo of paging12
Reviewed by paging12 from Virginia

3.67/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Can to tulip.

Just had the sirens lair saison from fair winds, down the road from Smartmouth. It was good, hoppy and strong for a saison.

This Alter Ego is what I think of when drinking saison. The aforementioned didn’t, like I said, a bit hoppy and strong. This is heavy on the mouth, dank dampness, musty, but tart with some citrus and Bhrett. Hazy, unfiltered, golden apricot.
Mar 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Velivolus from Vermont

Nov 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by wilfonzo from Florida

May 19, 2019
Photo of BeerAndGasMasks
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From the can, it pours a hazy amber with a large vibrant head that sticks around and leaves lacing. In the nose, it is malt and a bit of spicy yeast, to me. In the mouth, it is a pleasant malty and a touch of something I can't describe.
Apr 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by BigFishCA from Virginia

Dec 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Stengelfoot from California

Nov 18, 2018
Photo of Kinger22
Reviewed by Kinger22 from Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I love the color of this beer - it's a bright a bright maze yellow with a small head. The smell is heavy on fruit, but the smell is not. The taste is very smokey with a pepper hint as well. This is a pretty decent farmhouse with a lot going on.
Sep 09, 2018
Alter Ego from Smartmouth Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 155 ratings