Something Nice
Carton Brewing Company

Pale yellow body with a slight haze; excellent carbonation; thick, white head, soft, spongy and lasting; half-rings and spidery legs of foam inside the glass. Beautiful aroma; cereal grain with a citrus and floral element in the background; green apple. Warm, grainy taste; mild fruity esters; peach with a very delicate citrus flavor; mild bitterness on the backend with some phenolic edge; wood. Medium body; soft and velvety; moderate dryness throughout.

This is a wonderful table beer, the spelt (I believe) adding a very tasty grainy flavor to the beer. The saison yeast gives a slight farmhouse character to things with the foeder fermentation adding some wood-like suggestions. Really interesting interplay with the phenols and esters. Well-balanced, beautifully complex, and very easy drinking.

Pouring temperature: 51 °F; bottling data: unknown

So this is my last new brew from my trip out to Carton last month. Things have been really enjoyable so far, but now we’re switching it up to a no-frills Saison. I’m interested to see what they can do with such a clean style. Let’s get into it

Pours a cloudy orange gold with a finger of white head that quickly fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

There's a touch of funk to the nose, and though I usually find myself looking for more funk in the style, it's quite nice. I'm picking up on aromas of pear skin, wet hay, bready malt, lemon zest, earthy wheat, and floral/fruity yeast

The taste picks up the sharpness a bit up front (which is appreciated) but mellows out after the swallow. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting lemon juice, wheat bread, pear skin, apple skin, straw, crackery malt, and light white pepper. The swallow brings notes of earthy wheat, pear skin, rustic bread, wildflowers, wet hay, and crackery malt

A medium body pairs with fine carbonation, resulting in a sharp and biting beer. Finishes dry but has an interesting fluctuation between soft and dry as time goes on

This is approaching what I love most in the style, not to mention it is extremely drinkable. I could drink a decent amount of this

 

(500 ml bottle, purchased at the brewery last Sunday... poured into a fat tulip)

L: clear, yellow-amber liquid with mild-moderate haze; rocky, webby white foam sponge; crescent collar, little lacing... gloopy slug of yeast fell out with last dregs (ill-timed), streaked legs around the glass, wet sand in the nipple

S: doughy donut, lightly floral-phenolic, pear tinged; excellent density and intensity... the spiced pear fragrance becomes dominant as it goes; vague, acetone-ian, brett undertone?

T: cucumber-like fresh greenery right up front, with a delayed swell of the donut-y malt slowly building in the aftertaste... later, it progresses malt-cuke-pear bread... not much bite to its bitterness... doughy for days

F: delicately creamy texture, silky but not quite viscous... could maybe use a touch more dry snap and/or alcohol warmth, but it's got a decidedly sumptuous sip-ability

O: man, I really enjoyed this as my second tap taster at the brewery, and this bottle version did not disappoint - might even be better too... could drink this every day; 'nice' is an understatement... should've got another bottle, ugh (1806)

1st Review, at the brewer. Perfect summer table beer. Feels a bit like wild saison with spring notes, dankness, yeast, mineral, stone. Spring well. Tasted Juneteenth 2021, the start of the equity decade.
a) Hazed saison bod, thin head.
s) cellar, herbal, yeasty, slightly dank.
t) follows aroma. A bit of wet dog, but there are alot of dogs here at the brewer.
f) Refreshing and bold.
o) Hurry up. Let's make this a standard year-round.