Cellar Door | Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Brewed by:
Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Maryland, United States
stillwater-artisanal.com
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.60%
Availability: Summer
Notes / Commercial Description:
Over the ages the term ’cellar door’ has numerously been referred to as the most beautiful term in the English language. Upon setting out to create the first summer addition to the Stateside line up of ales; the feeling that almost instantly came to me was that of beauty & cleansing. Many summer offerings tend to lack the complexity of their bigger, colder season counterparts; so my goal was to craft an ale of extreme balance with a delicate complexity that allows for contemplation while also providing quaffable refreshment. Starting with a base of German wheat & pale malts this crisp slightly hazy foundation was then accented with a blend of Sterling & Citra hops providing a intricate blend of herbal grass & tangerine citrus flavors and aroma. To pull this all together and to complete the ’cleansing’ aspect of my vision I gently finished the ale off with a touch of white sage, lending a mild earthy spice character to the blend. Of course let’s not forget our house saison yeast that brought all the elements together leaving a dry yet intricate finish.
Added by John_M on 05-22-2010
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 1,242 | Reviews: 354
4.1/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This nice saison pours a chill
hazed medium amber with straw highlights and a very nice head of
white foam that subsides to a thick ring, thin layer, and features some very nice
sudsy lacing. Nose of sage, soft wheat, earthy yeast, subtle sweet honey malts,
and herbal grassy hops. Flavors follow the nose with grassy hops and lightly
sweet sage blending with subtle citrus and smooth soft wheat. The "house yeast"
is very prominent on the rear of the taste with earthy notes that finish moderately
dry. Nice body; medium carbonation is lightly crisp and plays off the balanced
elements very nicely and as noted before finishes dry.
Solid for the style and very nice.
Cheers
721 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This nice saison pours a chill
hazed medium amber with straw highlights and a very nice head of
white foam that subsides to a thick ring, thin layer, and features some very nice
sudsy lacing. Nose of sage, soft wheat, earthy yeast, subtle sweet honey malts,
and herbal grassy hops. Flavors follow the nose with grassy hops and lightly
sweet sage blending with subtle citrus and smooth soft wheat. The "house yeast"
is very prominent on the rear of the taste with earthy notes that finish moderately
dry. Nice body; medium carbonation is lightly crisp and plays off the balanced
elements very nicely and as noted before finishes dry.
Solid for the style and very nice.
Cheers
721 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.31/5 rDev -17.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
2.73/5 rDev -32.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
disclosure: 3+ year old bottle.
pours a hazy pale amber with a full head that quickly dissipates. aroma is overwhelmingly spice (white sage) with fruity esters and medicinal off-aromas. body is medium to light. carbonation is very light. there is some oil in the texture and some annoying astringency. flavor again is all about the white sage spice combined with sweet malts and the before mentioned solventy or medicinal off-flavors. there is significant bitterness still there. that bitterness and the astringency bordering on harsh lingers long after...
556 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
disclosure: 3+ year old bottle.
pours a hazy pale amber with a full head that quickly dissipates. aroma is overwhelmingly spice (white sage) with fruity esters and medicinal off-aromas. body is medium to light. carbonation is very light. there is some oil in the texture and some annoying astringency. flavor again is all about the white sage spice combined with sweet malts and the before mentioned solventy or medicinal off-flavors. there is significant bitterness still there. that bitterness and the astringency bordering on harsh lingers long after...
556 characters
3.99/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
4.19/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.8/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours gracefully with a full head that falls attractively. Hazy, bubbly. Fruity with lemon and the wheat is golden . The sage is earthy and overall it smells like a bouquet. You all know how much I like sage. Soft sweetness over the top and a bit of grass. The beer is soft and complex but swift and vibrant. It has an earthy green herb as it's backdrop but the beer is yellow and fruity and pleasantly hoppy. Bubbly breaddy and dry. The sage is crisp and the hops finish it sticky and bitter to show lemon and a bit of tartness in the finish. There was so much earth, but it ends simply and very crisp with a light citrus zest and spicy earth. This is so dynamic and like all good saisons also gentle. Outstanding and I like the flavor very much. I think in some saisons that have tried to use herbs they have used too many and it became overpowering. This one only uses one and I think it is well done.
904 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours gracefully with a full head that falls attractively. Hazy, bubbly. Fruity with lemon and the wheat is golden . The sage is earthy and overall it smells like a bouquet. You all know how much I like sage. Soft sweetness over the top and a bit of grass. The beer is soft and complex but swift and vibrant. It has an earthy green herb as it's backdrop but the beer is yellow and fruity and pleasantly hoppy. Bubbly breaddy and dry. The sage is crisp and the hops finish it sticky and bitter to show lemon and a bit of tartness in the finish. There was so much earth, but it ends simply and very crisp with a light citrus zest and spicy earth. This is so dynamic and like all good saisons also gentle. Outstanding and I like the flavor very much. I think in some saisons that have tried to use herbs they have used too many and it became overpowering. This one only uses one and I think it is well done.
904 characters
4.12/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.66/5 rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a pale straw color with a huge white head. The nose is lemony and funky. The flavor has a trace of pepper and light funk. There is a souring dryness on the finish.
169 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a pale straw color with a huge white head. The nose is lemony and funky. The flavor has a trace of pepper and light funk. There is a souring dryness on the finish.
169 characters
4.75/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.33/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A beer curious. Sometimes classifications seem a bit incomprehensible. This cervesasembla Belgium. As always, the producer gives us a beer made with craft and professionalism. repeat
182 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A beer curious. Sometimes classifications seem a bit incomprehensible. This cervesasembla Belgium. As always, the producer gives us a beer made with craft and professionalism. repeat
182 characters
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Pours a pretty dark golden straw color with a massive head. Hazy, giving the beer a glowing appearance. Great lacing, and great head retention.
S: Herbal notes, some lemon, peppery and earthy farmhouse yeast. Delicate wheat and pilsner malt, with floral hop notes. A bit soapy, but otherwise balanced between fairly rustic with some more vibrant hop aroma.
T: Earthy and rustic yeastiness, with some floral esters and hop notes. Tangerine and wheat play against a dry, estery canvass. A lot of grassy bitterness and peppery yeast notes late in the finish.
F: Medium bodied with prickly, slightly creamy abundant carbonation. Pleasant crisp finish. Pretty perfect for the style.
Thoughts: Another solid farmhouse ale from Stillwater. As with some of their other offerings I’d like them to reign in the grassy bitterness a touch and try to address the soapy character on the nose, but this remains a good domestic example of a classic rustic saison.
957 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Pours a pretty dark golden straw color with a massive head. Hazy, giving the beer a glowing appearance. Great lacing, and great head retention.
S: Herbal notes, some lemon, peppery and earthy farmhouse yeast. Delicate wheat and pilsner malt, with floral hop notes. A bit soapy, but otherwise balanced between fairly rustic with some more vibrant hop aroma.
T: Earthy and rustic yeastiness, with some floral esters and hop notes. Tangerine and wheat play against a dry, estery canvass. A lot of grassy bitterness and peppery yeast notes late in the finish.
F: Medium bodied with prickly, slightly creamy abundant carbonation. Pleasant crisp finish. Pretty perfect for the style.
Thoughts: Another solid farmhouse ale from Stillwater. As with some of their other offerings I’d like them to reign in the grassy bitterness a touch and try to address the soapy character on the nose, but this remains a good domestic example of a classic rustic saison.
957 characters
4.01/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Slightly hazy, orange, fluffy white head small and big bubbles
Hay, apricot, pepery, sweetness from pale malts, noble hops spicyness
Not much taste a first aside from a destinct but not overwhelming sourness, had to work out some of the carbonation, than the dryness becomes more aparent, the malt sweetnes gives balance and a lingering pepper note finesse
Lots of prickly carbonation, that removes any substance from the liquid, later much more substance.
Nice Saison with layers, just too much carbonation that should be swirled out by the drinker
549 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Slightly hazy, orange, fluffy white head small and big bubbles
Hay, apricot, pepery, sweetness from pale malts, noble hops spicyness
Not much taste a first aside from a destinct but not overwhelming sourness, had to work out some of the carbonation, than the dryness becomes more aparent, the malt sweetnes gives balance and a lingering pepper note finesse
Lots of prickly carbonation, that removes any substance from the liquid, later much more substance.
Nice Saison with layers, just too much carbonation that should be swirled out by the drinker
549 characters
4.09/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Earthy m, sweaty sweetness (that "funk" everyone talks of), with herbal green hop in the back- Complex flavors with that added unfiltered fuzzy wheat, sage, & tangerine flavors. I am really digging this.
203 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Earthy m, sweaty sweetness (that "funk" everyone talks of), with herbal green hop in the back- Complex flavors with that added unfiltered fuzzy wheat, sage, & tangerine flavors. I am really digging this.
203 characters
4.04/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cellar Door from Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Beer rating:
4.02 out of
5 with
1,242 ratings
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