Sai-Shan-Tea
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

Had this a couple times, most recently at GI Clyborn, review from notes.

A - Orange colored beer with an impressive head that rose a couple of fingers. Good retention.

S - Citrus, belgian yeast, some grass, tea, lemon zest, tea, lemon peel, tea. Did I mention the tea?

(it smells like tea)

T - Well it is appropriately named. It tastes like tea. Unlike the failure that was Veritas 008, this tea beer is somewhat enjoyable. Grass and belgian yeast make for a decent saison while the lemon provides a nice compliment to the massive amount of tea taste in this. Not necessarily my cup of...tea...but it's not a bad taste.

M - Decent carbonation, lighter, somewhat watery.

O - Not the kind of beer that I would necessarily go for, but was easy enough to drink and not bad for what it is. Worth trying, some may like it a lot.

On tap in a tulip glass at the Clybourn pub awhile back, haven't gotten my notes in until now.

A - Bright almost burnt orange-yellow haze with a moderate head that leaves some light webby lacing down the glass.

S - Light lemongrass tea scent (almost pleasantly soapy) that moves nicely into citrusy hop aroma mixed with subtle yeast esters and the tiniest bit of grain. Just smelling this on a hot day would be relaxing.

T - Delivers on the smell, with a clean, crisp classic farmhouse ale taste, very lightly tart, with a backing from the tea. again subtle yeastiness adds a great layer to the flavor.

M - Light-bodied, with a nice backing from the tea, which ends nice and clean except a slight yeasty finish. Could use a little bit more carbonation, but it is fairly creamy.

D - Highly quaffable. The clean flavors and near dry finish beckon for another followup of this funky, tasty drink.

Please bring this back, Goose!

On tap at the Goose Island Tap Takeover at Market in Rocky River.  After some detective work by Eddy, we have lift-off.  I'd hire Eddy if I ever lost my dog. He's good at solving mysteries. 

The beer is an orange and caramel color with amazing head.  Let's call it tea-bagged orange with active carbonation.  Yep, head and tea bags for sure.  If it was unfiltered it would be a 5.  

Smells of prominent citrus, tea, and Belgian yeasty esters.  Pretty expressive.  Could use more yeast, but the orange and lemon combine with herbs and some light chai.

This is interesting, original and good.  Lemon and bright Soriachi and Citra hops, plus some lemongrass and orange peel make up the citrus part of our evening.  Traditional farmhouse yeasty esters linger without being wild or dirty.  Tea leaf, coriander, clove, and a touch of banana make this more than I ever expected.  Delicious!  

Mouthfeel is a touch thin.  Good carb makes the beer relatively creamy.  The finish is nice with lingering yeast and a touch of tartness.  Another winner from Goose.  I'd love to get a shot at this again, this beer was one of the best of the night!  

Arrives in a tulip glass with a thin ring of clingy foam. Light brown in color, aroma is lemony and tea. Quite interesting.

First sip... wow! Big explosion of flavor. Citrus, tea, lemon, and a soapy, perfumey flavor. Lingering astringent aftertaste. Very interesting to say the least. Kudos to goose island for breaking the mold. Funky brew but good.

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer pours a warm brown body that is clear with a strong carbonation. There is a very creamy thick head that last and last.
S- The aroma of fruity pears and pale malt is well blended with some green herbal qualities in the finish. There is a light fusel note that comes through when the beer warms. The aroma is complex but subtle and well blended.
T- The fruity lemon and citrus flavor has a lemon viburnum taste with a pear fruity quality. There is a soft tangy yeasty flavor to follow leading to the finish of lightly soapy bitterness, which is the Sorachi Ace hops and some dried lemon rind notes linger.
M- This beer has a creamy full mouthfeel with that head that last and last and no real alcohol heat noticed.
D- The great creamy mouthfeel and nice blend of floral and fruity flavors fit nicely in this crisp easy drinking beer. I was surprised to see it was 7.5%ABV.

Draft at the Goose Island Clybourn pub. The citrus tea aromas make their presence known right off the bat. Big notes of lemon citrus in the nose. Poured a straw copper color with a very slight head. The taste is pretty nice; sweet and citric with some belgian yeast floral flavors. A very slight medicinal taste in the end. Really like this one. Great for the hot weather. The alcohol is well hidden.

Enjoyed on tap at the Brewpub. Saison brewed with tea using Sorachi Ace and Citra Hops.

Body is a bit of a tea stained yellow-orange. Soft antique white head is set atop with very good retention. Lacing was noted though not in abundance.

The aroma base was typical saison yeast aroma. The secondary smell expanded from that base working in a rather complimentary fashion. The tea was herbal and spicy though more subtle. The combination of Sorachi Ace and Citra lent a very pleasant citrus presence to the nose.

The flavor is much of what you would expect from the aroma. The yeast is aroma, as it is in most beers in this style, largely delivering a clovey flavor. The tea is interesting, slightly spicy and a bitterness which really reminds me of hot tea. The citric hops blend well with the previous flavors making for a very cohesive taste.

Light bodied with lively carbonation. The texture is light and smooth on the tongue with a rather dry finish.

I was surprised with the quality of this beer. I found it tremendously enjoyable and easy to drink. Yet another reason to visit a brew pub, this is the one off beers you will not find elsewhere.

on-tap at the brew pub. it literally looks like a glass of iced tea, just without any ice cubes - murky brown color without any head. the smell is sorta like chai tea - very herbal. maybe some citrus also. taste is similar to black tea flavors, but very mild. kinda boring. thin and very little carbonation, so I'm not fond of the mouthfeel. an interesting brew, but wouldn't try it again.

Thanks to Botham for sharing the growler, which sprung a leak after getting knocked around in the car. Consumed less than an hour from filling.

Glowing orange into a small snifter, it had a lasting head of eggshell foam. Clarity was good, and carbonation was visible.

Orange peel citrus, lemon and banana esters.

Somewhat hoppy, big juicy fruity flavors, orange and banana. Tea leaves give it some spicy complexity. Notes of cantaloupe in the middle, and some lingering phenolic spice in the end. Sorachi Ace lend an exotic quality. Definitely a big estery Belgian yeast on display. Lots of carbonation, creamy feel. Went back for a second pour, it gets my official seal of approval.

Pours a clearish orange/golden color with some nice white head that lingers on the edges leaving lacing around the glass.

Aroma of citrusy tea and lemons dominate. Flavor is similar but pleasantly more intense. Very tasty and refreshing.

There is a nice smooth feel to it making it very drinkable.

Already looking forward to my next pint! Delicious!