Dogfight Sorachi Ace Saison
American Sky Brewing Co.

Lemon, spice, orange and apricot greet the nose.
Beer pours hazy gold with a lacy 2” off-white foam cap.
Very creamy palate with big fruit including apricot, orange, lemon, spice, and biscuit leading to a bitter earthy, citrusy finish. Leaves a little sugar on the lips.
Has a very rich, moussey texture.

750ml
$12.99
Coffee Grounds - Eau Claire. WI

May '14

Dogfight glugs from the big waxed cap 750 into the glass with a darker than expected amber hue. There is some golden in there but it's mostly a dirty orange, amber hued beer. A touch of haze runs throughout. The dirty white foam grows quickly and fizzles just as fast to a short cap and even ring. Velvety lacing does stick well. Not a bad looking beer, just much darker than most saisons I run across and the foam doesn't quite have the staying power.

Wow! This beer must have been hopped to 11 because it was bottled in May and still stinks to high heaven of Sorachi Ace. The malt base is graham crackery in nature with a candy-like essence, candi sugar me thinks. The hop profile? Well, it's all Sorachi Ace. Bold lemon, somewhat artificial like lemon Windex, but I've for some reason always liked this aspect. There's an underlying but certain note of dill as well. I've always been a big fan of Sorachi Ace so I'm digging the smell of this beer. Your mileage may vary.

The flavor mimics the nose perfectly. Bright lemon gets it going, a little artificial, like Lemonheads. The lemon softens and segues into dill, soft and pleasant before moving back into lemon on the swallow and it's vibrant again. The graham cracker base lays a simple platform that works well to showcase Sorachi Ace.

I didn't notice the abv was 9.2% until I got about halfway through a glass. For a saison that size this guy is snappy, light, and dangerous. The carbonation is on the upper side of the spectrum, the body sits at moderate but the bubbles cut through and move fast enough to make it feel lighter. There is zero signs of alcohol. Insanely drinkable.

I have to say, I didn't expect a ton from this beer and I'm very happy with the outcome. If you like Sorachi Ace and it's incredibly unique flavor profile you'll love this beer, it's stuffed to the gills with that particular hop. If you're not a Sorachi Ace fan, well, you better stay away because you will hate this beer. It's a great showcase for a hop that seems to have fallen by the wayside.