No Exit
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

I got a late start on this past Sunday's NBS (Week 774) & I did not finish up my DelMarVa (+ DC) adventure as planned. 8=( Further, I have promised that next week's NBS (Week 775) will be dedicated to the wonderful beers sent to me by @jkblr who seems to have a real handle on my drinking habits. CANsparency is key in these things! As a result, I am going to CANcentrate over the next few days on eradicating everything that would have CANbined to form the finale of the DelMarVa (+ DC) adventure. Sit down, strap in & hang on. It's gonna be a wild ride!

Speaking of Wild, thanks to staying with BAL & MD, I now have an AmeriCAN Wild Ale as my next beer!

From the CAN: "Dry Hopped Sour A L E with White Sage"; "Tennis/Stillwater Artisanal"; "Label Design Based On The Original Artwork of Luca Venter".

Now, I just had to Crack! open the vent & I was GTG. I never know how to act with these beers, other than to be surprised by whatever I get. I went with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass & was quickly met by & with the formation of two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with really quite good retention in a style not known for its head retention. Color was a gorgeous Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was … Let me put it this way, as The Gelt Gang of Croesus, Midas & Mammon storms into my kitchen, the nose smelled like the sewer line had given 'way & I had not even leaned in! This smell was overtaking both my (crock) Pot Roast & the Christmas tree! 8=p It's pungency was quite startling, to say the least. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not watery, but not much removed, either. The taste was MUCH better than the nose. It was less sour than tart, quite puckering with just a slight tingling in the hinges of my jaw. There was a lemony citrusiness, but that is too simple of an analogy. The white sage imparted a piquant quality that actually worked well as the pine scent of my tree beCAN to return to the room.

Have I mentioned about my tree? It is the first at Chez Woody since I closed on the house nearly 11 years ago. I was walking downtown yesterday afternoon to see "The Lighthouse" & in passing Clipper Magazine Stadium on the way, I noted that their tree lot was closed with a sign reading "Free Trees! Merry Christmas!" I helped myself to one on the way home & it is slated for a friend's fire pit in coming days.

Back to the intense tartness of the beer. As I drank through it, I beCAN to wonder about its pairings. I might go with a sharp cheese on wheat or rye crackers. The milkiness of the cheese might help to diffuse some of its intensity. I am sure that others are laughing at this as it is probably an AWA on training wheels, but to me, it was a revelation. Finish was tart, sour & dry & it made me wonder what was CANming next since I have a few more from this brewery ahead.

2019-02-11
16oz can served in a WABL sample glass. There's a date on the bottom, but I can't read it.

Pours hazy amber with a big head. Smell is mild, tart, lemonade.

Taste is lemonade and tea. Arnold Palmer, I guess.

Mouth feel is dry and coarse. Overall, it's not bad.

16 ounce can - $4.99 at Sprayberry Bottle Shop in Marietta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, yellow-hued body with an initial surge of white, airy foam.

Smell: Earthy, herbal sage with a scent of salt crust and a passive aggressive spurt of lemon juice.

Taste: Citrusy, earthy leafiness, floral, lemony and solidly acidic with a strong briney quality and splash of white wine that closes out with a tingly zip of carbonation at the tail end.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Well carbonated.

Overall: Its acidity hits a bit too hard, aided by the carbonic bite, making for a surprisingly slow-going journey to the bottom of the can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a unique sour ale brewed with sage, this stillwater beers just keep coming, its seriously incredible how many beers they are putting out, such a pace! this is a little strange for me, and while i think the flavors of the sage, the bacterial acidity, and the hops are quite compatible, i also find the sourness to be a little bit over the top, too sour to want to drink the whole can, even though i end up doing it, its a little harsh on the teeth and in the gut, if it were scaled back by a third or so it would be a much more drinkable and arguable better beer, but subtlety isnt usually their thing, and the robust nature of the pucker here is bracing. the sage is cool, aromatic and culinary and natural, frosted green leafy and pungent, autumnal even, essential oily, delicious with the green citrusy hops, a great synergy there. i also think these elements like the acid, just not this much of it. its almost like an herbal lemonade or something. not much there from the grain, this is light in the regard, dry and simple, well carbonated and clean for what it is. a fun and flavorful beer, but to me a little more sour than it should be, more funk less acid would improve this as well. these guys really have my attention right now!