Off the Table
Blackberry Farm Brewery

 

a table saison, hopped up pretty good, almost a belgian pale really, in collaboration with rhinegeist, who is making some pretty good beers too! its simple stuff, seemingly pils malt based, all pale and light and yellow and crackery and dry, fresh though, a lot fresher than the imports in the style i am familiar with, and packing enough hops to make this at least partially american literally speaking. great head on this, and through it i smell belgian yeasty esters, a little warm fermented funkiness and rustic character, lots of phenolics, and some juicy hops, sort of new school european, huell melon is in here i am told, but i am unsure about what else. the hops smell and taste enormously fresh, with dry grass and lime zest and honey notes, oily but subtle to some extent compared to their more common north american counterparts. bitterness is light, but even in front of the hops i get the belgian yeast, which really leads the flavor surge here. i think it could be scaled back a little to make this taste as delicate as it feels, and i do think a brett pitch would add a lot. its cleanish though towards the end with great body, a white wine and mango flash, and some fine finishing dryness. you have to like your belgian yeast for sure, but if you do, this is great stuff, well drinkable and well made!