Golden Boy Saison
5 Seasons Westside

Appearance: Pours a hazed, shimmering gold body with a ½-inch-high head formed of off-white froth.

Smell: Ripened orchard fruits, a bowl of Golden Graham cereal, and a thin coating of ground spices leaning towards coriander in the fore. Jigger of liquor and some distant florals in the background.

Taste: Light pale malts with slightly tangy portions of pils malt and perhaps some malted wheat. Honey alongside a hint of caramelized sugar though, don't get me wrong, it's not overtly sweet. Teaspoon of powdered coriander provides for an earthy spiciness throughout. Touch of florals. Fruity accents of ripe pears and Golden Delicious apples. Relatively light bitterness. Earthy finish with a bite of spice from the yeast and alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: GB Saison has a nice body to it, without tipping past that line where the saison becomes heavy, flabby, and disappointingly cloying. So, how many saisons has Crawford pumped out at this point?

On-tap at the brewpub.

Pours a slightly hazy golden color (strange) with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of crisp pilsner malts with large amounts of pear and lighter amounts of green apple aromas. Also present are slight hints of breadiness and leafy hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though better integrated. Smooth pilsner malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by ripe pear and candied green apple flavors. Midway through the sip the fruit flavors fade a bit and mild amounts of leafy and earthy hop flavors work their way into things. The hops and fruits carry through to a crisp and lightly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall this was another nicely made saison by 5S. Well worth a shot.