Sorachi Ace Bitter
Brasserie Du Mont Salève

 

L - amber colour with sediments in the bottom and an ok head that doesn't stay long

S - Coconut and earthy notes mostly

T - Aggresive bitterness then mango and a bit of coconut, quite complex actually

F - Good carbonation and not watery even with the low ABV (2.5%)

O - An excellent session ale, a really great use for sorachi ace! I only knew Brooklyn Sorachi Ace and I can tell that this one is tastier for sure!

 

 

 

Had a glass on tap at La Fine Mousse in Paris. Love it. This bitter-inspired beer packs as much hops flavor and bitterness as possible into a 2.5% beer. Having enjoyed a many bottles of Brooklyn's Sorachi Ace, I'd say this beer actually has more hop flavor as the mild malts are just a foundation for the herbal, lemony hops to shine. In fact, it's so flavorful, it makes a fine sipping beer. Overall, huge creamy, lemon rind and spice rolling over your tongue. Check it out if you can.

 

Continued tour of French beers. Bought in Lyon, poured chilled in ale glasses, chez buzzlitebeer

A: pale amber color; medium head; black floaties; great carbonation
S: smells like Griffenbow (Sam Adams); oaken, sweet hop aroma; coconut overtones
T: bitter grapefruit; very aggressively hopped; no malt backbone; lemon zest finish
M: bright

Overall, ho hum; their others are much better.

 

 

 

Pours cloudy and beige-ish orange, a light wood tone. It's opaquely hazy, but there was quite a bit of sediment on the bottom, so that may have contributed. The head puffs up aggressively with each pour, which made filling the glass into a bit of a chore. Tons of lacing and good retention. The aroma is pretty much all Sorachi Ace, a difficult to describe mix of herbal and citrus notes. There's lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemons, grass, peppercorn and earth, but it's heaviest on the herbs and not terribly juicy, as far as citrus-y hops go. There's some fresh barley in the background. The taste is dry and bitter. The bitterness doesn't knock you over the head, but it's firm and somewhat sharp, as such beers are wont to be - and by that, I mean low abv beers that are dry and hoppy. Very good hop flavor on the tongue. You really get a nice blast of Sorachi Ace's lemony herbal notes. There's also a pleasant background of fresh malt sweetness, though, again, the beer is pretty dry. Mouthfeel starts out quite lively, but once the head dies down enough to drink the beer comfortably, the beer has a certain smoothness. It's fuller than expected. This beer packs a ton of flavor into 2.5% abv. Great showcase for Sorachi Ace, probably the best that I've come across. I would love to have this on local store shelves, and considering it survived some time traveling around Europe and a flight back to San Francisco, I would encourage the brewery to consider distribution here. It's particularly interesting to see some excellent, non Biere de Garde/Saison work come out of France. I would love to try more from this brewery.

Huge thank you to the owner of La Cave a Bulles for recommending this beer.

 

 

 

 

A-hazy yellow orange color with a nice white head and decent lacing

S-lemon, pine , grassy

T-grapefruit and lemons with pine and a powerful bitter finish, minimal malt presence

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and prickly mouthfeel

O-a real hop bomb, amazing amount of depth and flavor with only 2.5% alcohol, a great session beer

 

750ml bottle purchased at La Cave a Bulles.

A: Pours a mellow orange with a nice tuft of white foam.

S: Nice aroma of mango, lemon, pineapple. Sorachi Ace stepping up to the plate.

T: Grassy bitterness, slight lemon and pepper, fresh grain. Dry and bitter.

M: Light with moderate carbonation.

O: A bit too bitter in the taste, but sessionable with a nice hop profile for sure.