Classique | Stillwater Artisanal Ales

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a finger of head on a clear light golden body.
The aroma is light grain.
The taste is mild lemon bitterness and water.
The texture is softer.
It lakes real flavor.

 169 characters

2.61/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

The can says "Postmodern beer". I can't tell if these guys have their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks or are gigantic douchebags. It poured a cloudy yellow with a big fluffy white head. The smell is some grassy hops and a bit of citrus. The taste is dominated by the hops. It's piney and grassy, very little malt sweetness to offset. The astringency of it lingers on the palate. The mouthfeel is pretty aggressively carbonated. I dunno, I was hoping for something a little more. Thoroughly underwhelming.

 511 characters

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Classique is bright lemon yellow, somewhat foggy, and has a sudsy head - a fairly classic look indeed. Interestingly enough, its colour almost matches that of the can. A small bit of sediment made its way in but these tiny specs of yeast don't disturb the ultra-bright highlights.

The selling feature of this beer is supposed to be that it's made with corn and rice. The brewer also promises "loads of your favourite old-school American hops". But the real signature here, as with so many Stillwater offerings, is the yeast. It smells 'farmhouse-y'.

What do I mean by that? There are zestful, lightly peppered notions of orchard fruits and plenty of straw-like cereal grain. These impressions, though strongest on the nose, spill over onto the palate with strong flavours of hay, lemon, white pepper, and apples. There's no shortage of mouthfeel either; this is hearty, grainy, and pleasantly bitter. And for 4.5% it's pretty filling.

It's ironic isn't it: most beers brewed with corn and rice won't admit to it but their cloying and distasteful flavours make it obvious, while Classique promotes its use of those adjuncts and is full of wholesome, distinguishing character - little to none of which comes from the corn or rice.

Is a good rendition of an average, dull-ish beer good or is still merely an average, dull-ish beer only slightly better? Answer that question and you have my opinion of this "postmodern deconstruction of the American industrial lager". While the choice between Classique and any similar mass-produced beer is a clear no-brainer, I don't know that it's something I'd reach for often.

 1,621 characters

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

4/5  rDev +3.9%

4/5  rDev +3.9%

4.16/5  rDev +8.1%

4.04/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 ounce can, w/o freshness info.
Pours heavily hazed yellowy and dull in color. Nice looking fine and light near white head, goes to a film, thicker collar and quality looking strands and webs of fine lacing.

Spiced, perfumed, citric and tropical nose. nice

Sightly tart, brightly flavorful, with more citrus, lemon/lime comes to mind. Spicy, astringent and biting yeast and hop notes in the rear adding to the intrigue and complexity. Real nice stuff, fine summer kinda brew.

Would be great with all sorts of foods- cheeses, thai, spicy all candidates for pairings.

 571 characters

4/5  rDev +3.9%

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: 1 inch head, high carbonation, straw yellow in color, clear

Smell: apple and hay

Taste: sweet apple, hay, lemon, slight banana

Mouthfeel: sweet start with funkiness, light bodied and high carbonation

Overall: A good saison. I like this a lot better than their Stateside Saison. Very light and crisp. A good warm weather sipping beer.

 349 characters

4/5  rDev +3.9%

4/5  rDev +3.9%

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

4/5  rDev +3.9%

4.51/5  rDev +17.1%

A slightly tart nose joined with light grains and a hint of fruit and lemon.
Pours very light effervescent hazy straw under a 2” white persistent foam cap that produces rich lace.
Palate: Citrusy fruit over light water cracker malt with an assertive grapefruit rind bitter accent on the finish. Bone dry with the lemony tartness and light fruit balancing the assertive bitterness.
Light, refreshing and effervescent – a perfect summer beer.

 448 characters

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

3.69/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy in appearance with scents of lemon, grass, dandelion, peppercorn and musty basement. Taste is tangy with lemon and pine leading the way followed by a slight musty and funky flavor. Mouthfeel is crisp . . . way to crisp for this style in my opinion. Overall I would have expected better from Stillwater but I see what they are going for and it is sure to please some.

 372 characters

4/5  rDev +3.9%

3.89/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can. Canned(?) date stamped on the bottom of August(?) 2013.
Pours pale golden-yellow; hazy; very good head.

Aroma: banana, bubblegum, green tomato ... there's more, and in total it is much nicer than this mix sounds.

Flavor: some Belgian notes; like nose; no musk or funk.

Feel: very clean, especially for style

O: Another excellent canned beer.

 359 characters

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a globe glass)

A- This beer pours a pale lemon yellow body that is hazy with a thick sticky snow white head of cream that has some nice lacing. There is a swirl of microbubbles billowing to the surface.

S- The hint of pils malt is followed by a soft lemon pith with some slight soapy qualities to it.

T- The dry grapefruit pith flavor is soft with some field corn hints to it and a dry finish that has some sulfur or pepper hints to it. It is a clean but dry finish.

M- This beer has a light mouthfeel with a crisp fizz in the finish.

O- This is a nice looking beer and pretty taste but it is a bit dry with very little yeast profile to make it a session beer. Especially if price is a factor.

 713 characters

3.82/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On tap. Hazy yellow color with an impressive head that recedes quickly and leaves a small ring of lacing. Aroma of fruity esters, pepper, and floral hops. Body of slightly sour yeast, bright floral hops, pepper, and spices with a pleasant hoppy finish. Medium body and high carbonation.
Well spiced and balanced farmhouse that lays down a complex body. Very nice and refreshing year rounder. The yeast and hops stand out but don't take over. Also a wide distribution.

 475 characters

3.51/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

3.99/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A brilliant gold, this Saison is bright and clear. A large, clean white head is heavy and rocky, a strong one nearly a full finger's height after peaking at two. Plenty of patching clings as it recedes.
This beer's overall profile is light but firm, with a gently musty, dusty earthiness and spices under an even base of pale malts with underlying floral and herbal notes, lemon zest gently adding to the depth in each sniff and each sip. A lightly dry, vinous sort of character is a major part of the character.
The feel is bright, crisp and clean in a light body with a strong carbonation that doesn't take away from the soft strength, but it does add a strong spritziness that, with the dryness, throws things off ever so slightly.

 734 characters