Spelunker
Barrier Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had at Over the Eight in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A. An extremely dark, nut-brown color with a big, thick foamy light-tan head with some good lacing.

S. It has a malty and roasted nut scent.

T/M. True to the scent, there's a roasted nut taste, mixed with a bark roughness on the tongue. Grassy at the end. Some watermelon sweetness, perhaps a bit of caramel. It is quite carbonated and medium to full bodied.

O. I enjoyed the taste of the beer, but it was more a simple nut brown ale to my taste than a saison.

 

 

 

 

Had a tulip at Crescent and Vine in Astoria. It's sort of a mix between a light-bodied porter and saison. The barley lends a gentle cocoa roast that can stand up for itself and balances nicely against the peppery Belgian spice. It's a well-made take on the dark saison with more roast than most but it works.

This was one of a number of Barrier Brewing Company beers that I sampled on a recent visit to Rattle N Hum in Manhattan's midtown area. This is not my favorite style of beer but I liked this one very much.

Appearance is a little dark for a Saison. Almost amber in color. Nic carbonation that stuck around for a while.

Aroma was citrusy/spicy. Very nice.

Flavor was quite interesting. Spicy and refreshing with a very nice balance of yeast, malt and alcohol.

Overall a very good Saison.

A: Dark reddish-brown, like a brown ale. A very thick, khaki head that quickly subsides. Splotchy lacing.

S: Fruit and spice, a touch of chocolate roastiness. The smell turns medicinal if I concentrate on it too much, but I don't have this problem when I drink from nonic.

T: Grapes with a bit of vinous acidity. Dry and a bit spicy at the end. A roasty, mineral aftertaste lingers pleasantly.

M: Medium to light with medium to heavy carbonation. The mouthfeel is basically what one expects from a saison, but it doesn’t match the color and roastiness.

O: I’ve never had a dark saison before, so I don’t have much to compare it to. It’s certainly an interesting beer, and I liked it, but I’m not surprised that I haven’t seen more dark saisons.

Reviewed from notes.