Rustic Road
Urban Family Brewing Co.

 

its been way too long since i had a beer from these guys, and i was excited to find it, but it was somewhat of a letdown for me, and in the end i think i definitely wanted a little more from it. its a fine saison, a bit maltier and sweeter than i was thinking it would be, a rusty orange color to it, decent clarity under an airy white head from the bottle, and less of the rye character evident in here than there could be. there is a neat funk to this, bretty but not overly mature to me, lightly vinous, belgian estery too, and a little bit stinky, not as amateur to me as some of their wild beer used to taste when they were newer, but its not fully dialed in either, at least for my palate, and it lingers long and funny, slightly chemical and oddly even bitter, strange with the obvious malt sugar here, but thats what it does. even a flanders sort of tang to it that seems out of place. slight peppery character from the rye but its really mild, a honey sweetness from the barley, and a dried fruitiness to the belgian yeast, white wine, apricot, and even a sherry note comes out as it warms. nice carbonation here, the beer is very lively, but the fermentation is just weird to me, so while i like this, i didnt love it, and it didnt match my high expectations for it. these guys have been getting better and better, but this one was somewhat of a regression in my opinion...

Pours golden orange with a quickly thinning white froth. Sweet and sour fruits flow easily from the goblet. Putting the nose to the glass reveals notes of apple juice, pear, Belgian yeast, and distant cinnamon. Floral and fruity (pear, orange, mango) notes are initially noticed taste-wise. Notes of gum, yeast and grain work themselves in furtively. Soft all the way with a medium mouth-feel. There's a slight alcohol heat in the finish.

A bit sweeter and slightly hotter than expected, but goes down easily and with plenty of flavor when all is said and done.

My initial introduction to the Urban Family leaves me wanting to meet up again.

I was really surprised to find this in San Antonio, but very pleased to say the least. We don't get a lot of lesser-known stuff from the Pacific NW.

Poured into a snifter, this saison is a pretty light peach color with a one-finger head and really nice lace. The nose is filled with banana and clove. Some peach and other light fruits. Maybe a hint of lemon. Faint spice. The taste is similar, with a strong banana flavor followed with other spring/summer fruits. A bit of pepper and clove in the finish. Light bitterness, but not too hoppy. Mouthfeel is firm, not chewy.

Overall this is a fine beer. Great for summers here in hot TX. Would pair well with some sausages on the grill or peach ice cream. Not the best example of the style I've had, but a solid outing. So glad to find something like this in SA. Keep 'em coming.