West Ashley
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- Wild Ale
Ranked #8 - ABV:
- 7.3%
- Score:
- 100
Ranked #79 - Avg:
- 4.58 | pDev: 6.11%
- Reviews:
- 109
- Ratings:
- From:
- Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- California, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating/Seasonal
- Wants
- 945
- Gots
- 139
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class
Notes:
Orange, lactic, and bursting with apricot aroma, West Ashley is built for consideration and conversation. While Ashley starts as a simple Saison, careful aging in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels with apricots, our house microbes, and warm encouragement transform her into a tart, complex and delectable beer.
Reviews: 109
| Ratings: 1,180
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by Frosty11161:
Frosty11161 from California
4.74/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
May 30, 2017
4.74/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
May 30, 2017
More User Reviews:
DrunkAl from Illinois
2.38/5 rDev -48%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
One of the more overrated beers out there. Apricot pit and mild sourness. Get a de garde imperial apricot bu and thank me later.
Mar 23, 2015
2.38/5 rDev -48%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3
One of the more overrated beers out there. Apricot pit and mild sourness. Get a de garde imperial apricot bu and thank me later.
Mar 23, 2015
Stevedore from Oregon
4.52/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle of indeterminate batch (I think 2), generously bought over by powz87 at our recently celebratory whale tasting today, 3/22/2014.
Review #498.
App- Hazy orange body that looks like orange juice with pulp, nice one finger white head with a normal pour with normal saison retention (which is a lot) and lacing. Beautiful beer.
Smell- Holy apricot funk. Not much acid, but a lot of sweet tangerine/orange citrus flavors and a bit of barrel funk. Not super complex like a Belgian geueze, but so interesting and delicious just the same.
Flavour- Very good! Lots of fruity apricot character, with some tannins and a bit of funk. Not very acidic, maybe 3/10 vinegar, but drinking incredibly well. Like the nose, not as complex as the Belgian counterparts, but not gonna lie, this is really tasty.
Mouthfeel- Crisp yet creamy medium bodied beer that is incredibly refreshing. We drank this between 2012 BADL and Murda'd Out Stout, and this appropriately cleansed our palate in the most enjoyable way. Tart, crisp funk mixed in with some apricot juice on the backend.
Overall- One of the best American fruit sours/saisons I've had thus far. Jeez! So much more delicate yet flavourful than the likes of Chez Monus and Atrial Rubicite. It's up there with New Glarus' Very Sour Blackberry in terms of the drinking experience. Sante Adairius is for real!
Mar 23, 2014
4.52/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle of indeterminate batch (I think 2), generously bought over by powz87 at our recently celebratory whale tasting today, 3/22/2014.
Review #498.
App- Hazy orange body that looks like orange juice with pulp, nice one finger white head with a normal pour with normal saison retention (which is a lot) and lacing. Beautiful beer.
Smell- Holy apricot funk. Not much acid, but a lot of sweet tangerine/orange citrus flavors and a bit of barrel funk. Not super complex like a Belgian geueze, but so interesting and delicious just the same.
Flavour- Very good! Lots of fruity apricot character, with some tannins and a bit of funk. Not very acidic, maybe 3/10 vinegar, but drinking incredibly well. Like the nose, not as complex as the Belgian counterparts, but not gonna lie, this is really tasty.
Mouthfeel- Crisp yet creamy medium bodied beer that is incredibly refreshing. We drank this between 2012 BADL and Murda'd Out Stout, and this appropriately cleansed our palate in the most enjoyable way. Tart, crisp funk mixed in with some apricot juice on the backend.
Overall- One of the best American fruit sours/saisons I've had thus far. Jeez! So much more delicate yet flavourful than the likes of Chez Monus and Atrial Rubicite. It's up there with New Glarus' Very Sour Blackberry in terms of the drinking experience. Sante Adairius is for real!
Mar 23, 2014
ragnar3 from Iowa
4.31/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle into a taster. Lots of apricot and barnyard funk - lactic sourness was present, but not overwhelming. Nice beer, but didn't live up to the hype for me.
Mar 11, 2016
4.31/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle into a taster. Lots of apricot and barnyard funk - lactic sourness was present, but not overwhelming. Nice beer, but didn't live up to the hype for me.
Mar 11, 2016
HopHead84 from California
4.29/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
9/7/2013
Big thanks to Chris for the bottle. Poured into a Teku.
Yellow with a little orange and an inch of white froth. Scattered lacing clings to the glass.
Sulfurous, tart, and lactic apricots with wet leather, earth, barnyard, and blue cheese. This is really damn complex and Lambic-like. The overbearing sulfur presence diminishes the overall quality of the aroma, but there are some really impressive things going on that can't be ignored.
Brackish apricot flavor with notes of musty barnyard, hay, and wet leather. Unlike in the aroma, sulfur is not overbearing here. Robust earthy notes blend seamlessly with the lactic stone fruit flesh, pit, and tannic skin. There's a little oak as well. The acidity is citric and lactic, with only a whisper of acetic. Tart throughout, finishing with a piquant flourish.
Lower medium body with matching carbonation. Dry, sticky mouthfeel.
A very good beer with a bit too much sulfur in the nose. Hopefully they get that figured out (it's been present in some of their others beers) as it is detracting. Who needs spontaneous fermentation when you can inoculate with a house strain of this quality?
Sep 09, 2013
4.29/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
9/7/2013
Big thanks to Chris for the bottle. Poured into a Teku.
Yellow with a little orange and an inch of white froth. Scattered lacing clings to the glass.
Sulfurous, tart, and lactic apricots with wet leather, earth, barnyard, and blue cheese. This is really damn complex and Lambic-like. The overbearing sulfur presence diminishes the overall quality of the aroma, but there are some really impressive things going on that can't be ignored.
Brackish apricot flavor with notes of musty barnyard, hay, and wet leather. Unlike in the aroma, sulfur is not overbearing here. Robust earthy notes blend seamlessly with the lactic stone fruit flesh, pit, and tannic skin. There's a little oak as well. The acidity is citric and lactic, with only a whisper of acetic. Tart throughout, finishing with a piquant flourish.
Lower medium body with matching carbonation. Dry, sticky mouthfeel.
A very good beer with a bit too much sulfur in the nose. Hopefully they get that figured out (it's been present in some of their others beers) as it is detracting. Who needs spontaneous fermentation when you can inoculate with a house strain of this quality?
Sep 09, 2013
StonedTrippin from Colorado
4.18/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
my first beer from these folks thats not a collaboration, and its a pretty good one, albeit a little short of where the hype would have it. the apricots didnt seem that prominent to me, but the sour saison base was awesome, and the barrel aspect fantastic. hazy orange tinted blonde color, short but lasting white inch on top. the nose here is more saison yeast than brett, but there is some funk intermixed with the moderate acid tartness. the apricots arent invisible on the nose, but their presence is light, more of an orchard fruit sweetness than apricots specifically, but i get it. the flavor is light on the apricot too, which is fine for me, i dont reckon it needs much. the blonde sour saison beer is just great, with a lot of yeast character in addition to the mouthfeel, its got a little spice, and the wheat malt base has some serious body to it. the carbonation is pronounced, and the finish is dry. as an apricot wild ale, its not my favorite, its not fruit forward enough for that, but as a wild ale in general, its exquisite. the oak on this adds a nice layer that jives famously with the yeast. i would buy this if it were available here for sure.
Apr 13, 2014
4.18/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
my first beer from these folks thats not a collaboration, and its a pretty good one, albeit a little short of where the hype would have it. the apricots didnt seem that prominent to me, but the sour saison base was awesome, and the barrel aspect fantastic. hazy orange tinted blonde color, short but lasting white inch on top. the nose here is more saison yeast than brett, but there is some funk intermixed with the moderate acid tartness. the apricots arent invisible on the nose, but their presence is light, more of an orchard fruit sweetness than apricots specifically, but i get it. the flavor is light on the apricot too, which is fine for me, i dont reckon it needs much. the blonde sour saison beer is just great, with a lot of yeast character in addition to the mouthfeel, its got a little spice, and the wheat malt base has some serious body to it. the carbonation is pronounced, and the finish is dry. as an apricot wild ale, its not my favorite, its not fruit forward enough for that, but as a wild ale in general, its exquisite. the oak on this adds a nice layer that jives famously with the yeast. i would buy this if it were available here for sure.
Apr 13, 2014
jlindros from Massachusetts
4.19/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Huuuuge thanks to rudzud for acquiring this beast.
Light fizzy head fades semi quickly, hazy murky lemon yellow orange color.
Nose is interesting, a lambic like funk, mild sour lemony tartness, a mild apricot juice, tangy apricot, mild genetic stone fruit, light generic funk, light fleshy peach and apricot.
Taste is on, decent bit lighter peach, more like apricot skin and stem, light funk, light stone fruit, hint sour like funk, weird fleshy fruit not really much apricot, mild tangy with mild acidity. Weird orange peel bitterness too. Hint of toasted oak and vinous wine barrel like notes. Finish is dry mild sticky mild acidic bite, little flemmy, hint of apricot and stone fruit. Seems like the nice subtlties of the beer are lost in the funk and fruity notes.
Mouth is med bod, decent but lighter carb.
Overall a huge let down, just ok, not really sour or funky, not much for apricot or stone fruit, just average in general. No idea how this had such a big reputation.
Jun 27, 2015
4.19/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Huuuuge thanks to rudzud for acquiring this beast.
Light fizzy head fades semi quickly, hazy murky lemon yellow orange color.
Nose is interesting, a lambic like funk, mild sour lemony tartness, a mild apricot juice, tangy apricot, mild genetic stone fruit, light generic funk, light fleshy peach and apricot.
Taste is on, decent bit lighter peach, more like apricot skin and stem, light funk, light stone fruit, hint sour like funk, weird fleshy fruit not really much apricot, mild tangy with mild acidity. Weird orange peel bitterness too. Hint of toasted oak and vinous wine barrel like notes. Finish is dry mild sticky mild acidic bite, little flemmy, hint of apricot and stone fruit. Seems like the nice subtlties of the beer are lost in the funk and fruity notes.
Mouth is med bod, decent but lighter carb.
Overall a huge let down, just ok, not really sour or funky, not much for apricot or stone fruit, just average in general. No idea how this had such a big reputation.
Jun 27, 2015
rodmanfor3 from Vermont
4.4/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It took a while to track this beer down, largely due to its west coast whale status and the majorly inflated trade values created by the Bay Area hype trolls, so I am glad that I finally located a trader who would go dollar for dollar on this bottle.
The taste is tart, funky, and lightly fruited with a dry finish.
Overall, a very well balanced and enjoyable beer. It would probably taste better with a bit more tart and a lot more fruit, but that would then become a different beer.
Now having tried it, I have no real need to revisit this beer for quite some time. For what a single bottle of West Ashley commands in a trade, I would be better off trading for Fou' Foune (which is a better beer) or drinking two modestly priced shelf Allagash or Russian River sours.
Feb 21, 2016
4.4/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It took a while to track this beer down, largely due to its west coast whale status and the majorly inflated trade values created by the Bay Area hype trolls, so I am glad that I finally located a trader who would go dollar for dollar on this bottle.
The taste is tart, funky, and lightly fruited with a dry finish.
Overall, a very well balanced and enjoyable beer. It would probably taste better with a bit more tart and a lot more fruit, but that would then become a different beer.
Now having tried it, I have no real need to revisit this beer for quite some time. For what a single bottle of West Ashley commands in a trade, I would be better off trading for Fou' Foune (which is a better beer) or drinking two modestly priced shelf Allagash or Russian River sours.
Feb 21, 2016
mklisz from New Hampshire
4.43/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jul 19, 2015
4.43/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jul 19, 2015
SiddFinch from New Hampshire
4.79/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Jan 03, 2016
4.79/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Jan 03, 2016
cnjosephson15 from Pennsylvania
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Feb 22, 2017
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Feb 22, 2017
pcshotsauce33 from New Jersey
4.83/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Mar 15, 2017
4.83/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Mar 15, 2017
Lucoli from New York
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jun 25, 2019
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jun 25, 2019
vziznznzyz from North Carolina
4.36/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Jan 18, 2016
4.36/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Jan 18, 2016
MarcWP from Arizona
4.65/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Batch 5 into SARA tulip.
Appearance is hazy pale gold with a small white head leaving a thin ring around the edge of the glass.
Aroma is very fruity citrus forward, soft fresh flower and slightly spicy brett phenols, oak, and hints of vinous white grape.
Taste is apricot fuzz, tangerine juice, sweet lemon, blood orange, hints of pineapple, oak, and the faintest white wine. Lovely apricot!
Mouthfeel is light, medium carbonation, very tart throughout but not sour. Drying on the finish with the oak coming to help that drying affect.
Like other fruited SARA Saisons this is not dominant on the fruit but just a very integrated and pretty complex farmhouse ale. As it warms the apricot comes out more on the nose and the taste gets more complex. Fantastic wild ale, love them apricots.
Nov 29, 2014
4.65/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Batch 5 into SARA tulip.
Appearance is hazy pale gold with a small white head leaving a thin ring around the edge of the glass.
Aroma is very fruity citrus forward, soft fresh flower and slightly spicy brett phenols, oak, and hints of vinous white grape.
Taste is apricot fuzz, tangerine juice, sweet lemon, blood orange, hints of pineapple, oak, and the faintest white wine. Lovely apricot!
Mouthfeel is light, medium carbonation, very tart throughout but not sour. Drying on the finish with the oak coming to help that drying affect.
Like other fruited SARA Saisons this is not dominant on the fruit but just a very integrated and pretty complex farmhouse ale. As it warms the apricot comes out more on the nose and the taste gets more complex. Fantastic wild ale, love them apricots.
Nov 29, 2014
atrocity from Virginia
4.56/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Apr 03, 2015
4.56/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Apr 03, 2015
NizzleEGizzle from New York
4.86/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
L: this poured a glorious crossbreed between a lime-yellow and sunshine orange into a sniffer. Fantastic white fluff head retention. This is California sunshine in a glass.
S: opened with plain barnyard, a little disappointing. But as it warmed out of its tenure in the fridge it developed a fantastic amount of complexity for a sour of this sort: green grape, green apple, some apricot, lactic acid, barnyard funk.
T: basically the first time seeing Star Wars. I mean COME. ON. It starts with a lactic bite, finished with a punch of apricot and barnyard funk. As it warms it belies a dusting of cinnamon and cardamom. This is really a symphony of flavor in the best way; everything is working together, advancing the thesis of this beer.
F: somewhere squarely in the middle of the dryness of a Belgian lambic and the creaminess of something like Love Child No 5. A lot to work with. Nicely balancing.
O: this is my new favorite sour. A sour, by definition, at least in my head is not balanced. It skews to one side of the oral Richter scale. This, however, is of another sort. The first truly subtle and nuanced sour I've ever had, and I wouldn't be shocked if it was the last. Basically happy faced emoji and dancing girl emoji.
Jan 19, 2016
4.86/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
L: this poured a glorious crossbreed between a lime-yellow and sunshine orange into a sniffer. Fantastic white fluff head retention. This is California sunshine in a glass.
S: opened with plain barnyard, a little disappointing. But as it warmed out of its tenure in the fridge it developed a fantastic amount of complexity for a sour of this sort: green grape, green apple, some apricot, lactic acid, barnyard funk.
T: basically the first time seeing Star Wars. I mean COME. ON. It starts with a lactic bite, finished with a punch of apricot and barnyard funk. As it warms it belies a dusting of cinnamon and cardamom. This is really a symphony of flavor in the best way; everything is working together, advancing the thesis of this beer.
F: somewhere squarely in the middle of the dryness of a Belgian lambic and the creaminess of something like Love Child No 5. A lot to work with. Nicely balancing.
O: this is my new favorite sour. A sour, by definition, at least in my head is not balanced. It skews to one side of the oral Richter scale. This, however, is of another sort. The first truly subtle and nuanced sour I've ever had, and I wouldn't be shocked if it was the last. Basically happy faced emoji and dancing girl emoji.
Jan 19, 2016
Mark000 from Michigan
4.23/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mar 20, 2017
4.23/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mar 20, 2017
robgage from Pennsylvania
4.64/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jun 20, 2015
4.64/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jun 20, 2015
Skellbop from New York
4.59/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Feb 07, 2019
4.59/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Feb 07, 2019
West Ashley from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Beer rating:
100 out of
100 with
1180 ratings
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