DecaBeer
Off Color Brewing

 

 

Released 5/27/23; drank 6/4/23 @ the Yarchives.

Mostly opaque dull orange/yellow appearance.

A rough pour yielded a HUGE, noisy off-white head (careful pouring!); frothy, tree-rung lace.

Wheat, mild lemon, mild clove & faint peanut butter notes in the nose.

Soft, medium mouthfeel.

Soft wheat & mild clove flavors up front; mild lemon & faint peanut butter notes on the finish. A tiny bit of booze heat emerged as this warmed.

A flavorful saison. I'd have another!

 

 

While I missed the exclusive release at The Mousetrap on Saison Day (April 29), I did find a skid at Binny's Lincoln Park a week later; but settled for a 4-pack.

Initially, this was an exercise in taste memory. I sniff and sip Deca and I say "where have I had this before?" I read Deca's ingredients on the label and long-term memory kicks in. Brooklyn brewed a saison, Sorachi Ace, that used only this hop. (And I miss it very much.) Of course, Deca has three hops and they quickly overwhelm my Sorachi Sensor. But for a micro-second, OCB found the secret formula to single-hop ecstasy on my palate. I will drink more Deca side-by-side with OCB's saison line and give a proper review. But for now, thanks for the Sorachi thrill.

5/23/23 I had a second can next to Allagash's Wildlife Report; setting up a tough farmhouse competition. DecaBeer did not win, in part because I knew Wildlife was a medalist in my honey mustard test. Tonight it was three mustards and potatoes. Deca is too focussed on its hops to be a great table saison. But Deca has pedigree, it just needs to study harder.

Prototypical saison. Earthy, botanical, lightly phenolic aroma and taste. Firmly bitter in the dry finish. Cloudy orange with a generous dollop of foam. Thanks to Bill for this one, and here’s to 10 more years of Off Color.