Saison du CBC
Cambridge Brewing Company

 

Extremely understated brew. Poured a very clear golden color. No head and absolutley flat in appearance. Nose had a bit of spice anda strange nutty character that was kind of interesting.

Flavor was a lot of muted spice and cloves. As if I was sucking on the real thing through some cheese cloth. Definitely could pick up the flavor but as if it is behind a curtain or screen. The strongest flavoring of any sort was a strong pepper tone. Very slight hop presence. Medium body but a bit cloying. A fine sample of the style.

Tipped my chapeau to the mademoiselles with this one on 4/17/2005. Looks like a 10-oz. pour in a stemmed wine glass at the [AC]PH with Renteria hitting his second homer of the season.

This is what it sounds like when doves cry yin-yang of coverlet carbonation with some intelligence test of lace. Very, very light golden neon hue with bee’s wax lilting to the slow action within. Wet yeast hits the nose straight away, with straw pummeling in to make sure you don’t forget it; lemon rind and assorted grasses. Zing of fruit juices crash on the mouth, but it dissipates quickly to a tart bite of light lime and clover; seems like some candy sugar as well. Medium body, on the lighter end of the scale.

Another hit from the CBC. This was entirely refreshing on a spring day before the marathon, and I could have easily wiled away many more hours with pours of this.

Nice orange-gold color forms a thick 2 finger head that settles slowly. Small amount of lace. Strong anisette or anise seeds on the nose with a slight banana background. On the tongue the anise and coriander seed essence is milder and it is balanced pretty well with the banana taste but it reminds me of a spicy hefe-weisse more than a saison. There is a chalkiness to the mouthfeel that while mild, is a bit too much for me. As far as uniqueness goes, this beer is very different but I think it needs to be a little more subtle on the nose and a little more balanced.

Orange to copper in color, slightly hazy with a thick white head. Very fruity aroma. Pears apples oranges, some coriander clove. A little bread. This is a very complex nose. The flavor does not have as much to offer. The spice is there, but the layers of fruit are missing. Kind of flat, just some citrus, and a little pear. Mediuim drinkability.

August 2003. ABV 5.75% Served in a belgian tulip style glass this beer poured a clear reddish brown body with a small white head.

The nose was rather malty with some subtle spice. It's always tricky to make out distinct smells in a bar atmosphere in a glass filled to the top.

The taste was sweet and fruity. Very light and fresh tasting with light malt. Raisins, plums with lots of spice. Cinnamon mostly. Almost like a very tame redhot. As for hops, they added a very mellow smooth bitterness without a whole lot of hop flavor. Ending with a very smooth bitter finish.

Overall it was a very nice and easy drinking beer. Extremely smooth. Perfect beer for a winter night. Beautiful touch of cinnamon balanced nicely with the sublte fruit flavors.

July 2003 vintage. OG 1.054, FG 1.010, ABV 5.75%. Sampled on tap in tulip glasses at CBC.

This saison poured a cloudy, amber-orange color with creamy white foam that left lace. The smell was mild but included hints of fruit (orange and others), candy sugar, and malt. The taste was malty, herbal, and spicy, with a dash of sugar and a moderate hop presence. Flavors of orange, coriander, and something peppery were evident. The mouthfeel was smooth and crisp and relatively clean, and this beer slid over the tongue nicely. The body was medium. This was a refreshing and very drinkable beer -- a session saison.

Presentation: On tap.

Appearance: Rich golden colour with a pillowy white head.

Smell: Spicy / peppery, phenolic / mildly tart and some grain.

Taste: Smooth and medium bodied with a crisp maltiness that actually helps the spiciness come through. Touch of malt sweetness in the middle which slowly vanishes as a drying grainy and spicy finish hits the tongue.

Notes: Very drinkable, mild on the phenols yet very flavourful and cleans up nice in the end.