Caulier Saaz Ale
Brasserie Caulier

Caulier Saaz AleCaulier Saaz Ale
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From:
Brasserie Caulier
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.56 | pDev: 14.89%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 04, 2008
Added:
Dec 21, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of dsa7783
Reviewed by dsa7783 from New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Single, 11.2 oz, swing-top bottle purchased from Super Saver Liquors on Route 22...
Pours a bright orange hue with a decent-sized foamy head that quickly dissipated...
Strong Saaz Hops aroma with hints of mint and honey...
Taste strongly complemented the smell, with a noticeable hoppiness on the tongue, along with candied sugars, sweets, honey, and caramel...
Medium-bodied mouthfeel along with a pretty good level of drinkability...
Not bad...
Aug 04, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Has that typical hearty characteristic, as usual, for the Belgian stuff...this one seems a bit smoky on the palate though. Maybe a little bitter and acidic too. Overall, nothing different and unusual than what I had been drinking a lot of at the time (transcribing from notes).
Dec 30, 2007
Photo of Citadel82
Reviewed by Citadel82 from New Jersey

4.32/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500 ml flip top bottle from New World Beverage in NYC.

Pours a slightly hazy pale straw color. Generous white head that quickly fades but left nice lacing in its wake.

Aroma is floral and fruits. Pears and Apples with some melon.

Taste is a nice balance of hops and sweet malts. Some doughy notes and crisp biscuit as well. Some sweet summer fruits - faint traces of citrus but mainly ripe apples and pears maybe a hint of melon and berries.

Not really much of a crisp/spicy pale ale but definitely worth trying if you like a nicely balanced ale.
Aug 26, 2006
Photo of mdagnew
Reviewed by mdagnew from Northern Ireland

3.06/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500ml bottle bought from Blaney Wines, Ballymena...

Poured a very pale hazy golden straw colour... White head poured very big and foamy then faded to thin layer....Some light carbonation bubbles punched the surface... Lots of sticky lacing...

Aroma - Strong spicy fruitiness (strong apples, lemons and pears), peppery, light biscuity malts, quite strong medicinal notes, pine, yeasty, honey sweetness, bready, talcum powder.... too much medicinal sweetness for my liking...

Taste – Watery fruits (grapefruits, lemons, pears), slight wheatiness, coriander notes ? Peppery, bready / biscuity notes, no real malts, light spicy hops, basil hints, again some medicinal notes, some faint vanilla... all very washed out...

Feel - Pretty sharp and dry. Light body. Quite refreshing initially but very sickly after a while...

Overall - A pretty poor pale ale... worth a try maybe once...
Jul 25, 2006
Photo of marcobrau
Reviewed by marcobrau from Illinois

3.69/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
This Belgian Pale Ale pours a hazy straw hue, with ample carbonation and a sustaining white head. The aroma is a subtle mix of yeastiness, fresh biscuit malt and a peculier herbal character. This Belgian Pale Ale has a strong cookie-like malt character and an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel. The hop bitterness is kept in check by a full-bodied malt character. The finish has a fairly assertive yeast "bite" that is slightly tart. Overall, a drinkable Belgian Ale that based on other reviews, is quite fresh. (Purchased at Blue Max in Burnsville, Minnesota.)
Jul 25, 2006
Photo of ommegangpbr
Reviewed by ommegangpbr from New York

3.2/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This beer happens to fall within a beer flavor profile that I just don't dig. It drinks way too much like apple juice. Pours a hazy golden color with a white head... be careful with the yeast on the bottom of the bottle; there's a huge deposit of yeasty sludge.
Smells like a decent, lightly spiced cider. Loads of unsweetened apple juice flavors and textures. Has a malty sweetness that doesn't go over board; could stand to use more hops.
I think this is pretty well made, I just don't happen to enjoy the making.
If you like your Belgian pale ales to taste like apple juice.
Jun 07, 2006
Photo of scooter231
Reviewed by scooter231 from New York

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
This may be one of the most unattractive brews I've ever seen. Even at that, it's not ugly though. Still... grapefruit juice with tons of floaties and chunks. Yes, chunks. This is either old, or... I don't want to know. Little head, no lacing. And just not attractive. Ick. Smell isn't much better. Apple juice, alcohol, and a rough Hennepin-esque smell.

Taste I'm just not digging at all. Old juice, spoiling vanilla bean. Rotting fruit. This reminds me of a lot of several beers I like gone wrong, mixed together. It could be delicious, but it's just not done right. Or well. Mouthfeel is wet but thin. A bit bubbly. Not so drinkable. I've had worse, and I didn't toss it down the drain, but this was mostly an unpleasant experience.
Jun 07, 2006
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

4.12/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml Flip top bottle. Orange hued with nice bubbly head that stayed the coarse. No real indication of what to expect from the first smell. A slightly farmhouse yeast scent with a lot of Saaz hops. Warm, delicate and a little bready. Quite neat. Reminds of the Christoffel Blonde in the same way that its outside the boundaries of the style - creative and well crafted. Very well crafted actually. Drinks exceptionally well, very tasty, but far more filling than your average pils or Belgian pale ale. A lot of fruity-esque notes come through as it warms. A good and comfortable finish that stays in the mouth. The yeast in this really grows on you as you work your way through it - I found it tremendously distinct. Darn good! Thanks northyorkSammy!!
May 24, 2006
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.82/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pilsner hops and creamy fruit Belgium creamy yeast. Expires in one year. Yeasty malty aroma. Light orange fruity and creamy, with sediment. Medium plus mouthfull unexpected, active carbonation, fresh, fruity, sugar, a touch metallic. Unique Belgium found at SuperSavers, NJ.
May 22, 2006
Photo of paterlodie
Reviewed by paterlodie from Belgium

2.6/5  rDev -27%
look: 1 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 1
BB 09-07 Lot A. Wowww what a presentation. Best shaken champagne can't do this! By opening this 0.5l bottle beer comming out inches high and unstopable. Lost more then 30% of the brew before i had a glass under and another 30% ran in my beerglass before flipping the bottle. This was undrinkable so poored the remains in another glass to sample. Nose is actually good; no taste involving infection but probably some high fermenting contamination in there, at least I think. Guess brewer and malter will also talk about the ingredients though! Anyway the hops still smell nice as there is obvious candysugar in and with that some decent sourness. Nowhere fresh and flowery as a beer with saaz should though. No empty mouthfeel also, gonna put a claim to the brewery to inform monday.
Taste is drinkable; quiet empty, dry( against smell) and litle sour.
Jul 30, 2005
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poppity-pop, goes the swingtop cap...pours out a hazy golden, with an enormous head, with tremendous activity inside, billions of bubbles, scads of scurrying yeasties. Pure white head slowly sizzles down, leaving lovely lace.
Nose is clean, snappy, bone dry, and just a little bit spicy, the Saaz hops in command, there.
taste: big hop action at the front, with a brisk, citric feel in the flavor, lemon peel and ginger, very dry now, very citric, starting to pucker. Very interesting.
Which is to say that it's more of one thing and less of others, not exactly what I care for, but a pretty swell brew, nonetheless.
Light to medium body, lightly citric finish, quickly fading.
I paid $6.69 for the priviledge of sampling this 11.2 oz. bottle...bit much, gotta say, and I probably won't repeat the effort.
Aug 30, 2004
Photo of GreenCard
Reviewed by GreenCard from Maryland

3.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: pale straw color, slightly hazy (bordering on a wit), lush white foam with excellent head retention, lacy as hell

Aroma: floral saaz all over the place, background of light malts and graininess, kiwi-strawberry fruity component, very delicate (don't sniff too hard or you'll break it!)

Flavor: grainy malt backbone with an enveloping grape-skin tartness, slight vegetal overtone (cooked cabbage?), mellow hint of saaz flavor, finishes dryish with an aftertaste of grain and yeast

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, zesty carbonation, soft texture

Other comments: I expected a little more saaz given the name of the beer and all. At least more of it in the flavor. When you see a beer with a name like "Saaz", you expect it to be a love-letter to saaz, but this is more of a wit with a heavily floral hop nose.
Aug 28, 2004
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

4.13/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: A rather unique and attractive looking 11.2 fluid ounce brown glass bottle. A wide base is topped by a curved shoulder and an hour glass thin neck that is sealed with a ceramic (as opposed to the newer white plastic) stopper fitted with a red rubber washer. A sturdy wire is needed to hold this in place because when it was released, it had a furious “phuppp” and a thick light blue wisp of gun smoke slowly rose as the stopper clinked against the neck.

A vertical neck label covers the swing top steelwork, and has the words ‘Alc. 5.5% Vol. - Caulier Saaz’. The main obverse label has a picture of two old fashioned copper brew kettles above the words ‘Caulier Saaz’. The words ‘Top Fermented Specialty Ale, Bottle Conditioned’ are below. A reverse label is nicked to indicate that this is from ‘Lot Nr.E’ and ‘Best Before 05-2007’.

Appearance: Infused hazy yellow body that is cloudy. A decent white head forms at first but even after it settles the cap covering has a creamy silky look set amidst the delinearated but sticky lacing. Finely attenuated conditioning means that a quick swirl produces a beautifully thick creamy carpet head. It looks good in my Duvel Goblet. Oh yeah. Top-ups produce a fine looking wit bier effort.

Nose: Biscuits and Pilsner Malts mixed in with a yeasty feel. Light hoppiness in the nose that exhibits a fruity quality set in a raw wheat cereal background.

Taste: Bitter start that laces wheat laden pilsner malts and a dried citric fruit aspect to the middle. Dry ending, powdery, like the experience of having eaten too many ant-acid tablets all at once. But this is still a good tasty brew. Lingering fruity bitterness. This is a damn fine brew and rather unique one in its own way.

Mouthfeel: The 7.5% bitter alcohol is certainly in the mouthfeel, but aided by the soft fine-tuned carbonation it lends some vitality to this “whatever it is” style brew.

Drinkability: Tough at first, but as soon as you think you understand this one it sinks easily. Way too easily.

Overall: I was at the Brewery on Friday 9th April, 2004, literally only 5 months ago, and this was the one Caulier brew I wanted to try, but when I asked they said they had none of this left. Fuck! So here I am, I finally got to try this, five months and several thousand miles later I pick one up in New York and have it shipped Westward thanks to Davo. Well, this is a pretty good offering for a Belgian brew. Damn tasty offering. But what the fuck is it??? I suppose this is a “bitter” Belgian Blonde, but there again, aren’t they all? LOL.
Aug 28, 2004
Photo of beerluvr
Reviewed by beerluvr from Canada (ON)

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours from the swing top bottle with an immense foamy bright white head settling over hazy yellow/gold liquid, looking like a Witbier in appearance. A very flowery nose, with delicate background nectar-like sweetness. The taste has a light suggestion of honey with some bready notes and spice thrown into the mix, with a faint sour tang and flavorful hoppiness holding all together nicely. Finishes slightly bitter, slightly sweet...neither one becomoing dominating. A nice but "ho-hum" ale, next...
Dec 21, 2003
Caulier Saaz Ale from Brasserie Caulier
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 14 ratings