Grand Arbor | Southern Tier Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Southern Tier Brewing Company
New York, United States
southerntierbrewing.com
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by JimmyFlatRock on 01-10-2014
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 293 | Reviews: 57
3.34/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I'm a fan of funky, farmy saisons, but this one was a bit too funky for me. It was OK but nothing I'd necessarily drink again. It was supposed to have been brewed with maple syrup, but the maple flavor was quite faint.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I'm a fan of funky, farmy saisons, but this one was a bit too funky for me. It was OK but nothing I'd necessarily drink again. It was supposed to have been brewed with maple syrup, but the maple flavor was quite faint.
220 characters
3.63/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.15/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.1/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
From a bomber bottle.
Pours with a large foamy white head over a light copper body.
A bit dank and earthy, with moderate bitterness.
Overall: Disappointing, but then not a favorite style.
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look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
From a bomber bottle.
Pours with a large foamy white head over a light copper body.
A bit dank and earthy, with moderate bitterness.
Overall: Disappointing, but then not a favorite style.
188 characters
4.16/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a clear light golden amber color. 2-3 fingers of thick creamy white head. Mild lacing.
S: Belgian yeasts... bananas and bread mixed with lemon zest.
T/F: Taste follows smell. Bready and yeasty with notes of banana and citrus. Honey and maple syrup sweetness up front with some thyme and spice. Zesty mouthfeel... well carbonated and spicy which lingers a bit on the aftertaste.
O: A very pleasing saison from Southern Tier. Better than I'd expected and definitely one I'd enjoy having again.
558 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a clear light golden amber color. 2-3 fingers of thick creamy white head. Mild lacing.
S: Belgian yeasts... bananas and bread mixed with lemon zest.
T/F: Taste follows smell. Bready and yeasty with notes of banana and citrus. Honey and maple syrup sweetness up front with some thyme and spice. Zesty mouthfeel... well carbonated and spicy which lingers a bit on the aftertaste.
O: A very pleasing saison from Southern Tier. Better than I'd expected and definitely one I'd enjoy having again.
558 characters
3.5/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
"Flemish brewers add sugar as an adjunct during fermentation. We add "American sugar" in the form of real maple syrup made by our neighbors at Big Tree Maple, a farm literally across the road from us. Cheers to collaboration and bit old trees." Brewed in the style of a Farmhouse Ale with Maple Syrup, available in 750ml. bottles and on limited draft.
Poured from a 750ml. bottle to a tulip glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of a pale beige cream tone over a moderately hazy amber body with abundant carbonation with light sediment. Retention is good and lacing is light. 3.75
(Smell) Fermented syrup with a biscuit malt presence and a light spicy and fruity yeast profile. Potency is moderate. The aroma of maple syrup certainly is not difficult to notice in this beer. 3.5
(Taste) Biscuit and caramel malt with a distinct syrupy undertone, finishing quite dry with a slight yeast presence of peppery spice and light fruit. At its current spot, it drinks closer to a Tripel for the feel of a much heavier, and somewhat grainy body. 3.5
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, moderately syrupy, peppery and medium dry. Carbonation is full, generating a moderate frothiness and a briskly crisp finish. Body is medium/heavy for the style and medium+ overall. Balance is slightly peppery spicy and grainy over sweet. Alcohol presence is moderate and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) The inclusion of Maple Syrup does change the overall composition of this beer tremendously, generating
a thicker body, slightly more exposed graininess and a higher perceived alcohol presence than usually expected in a Farmhouse ale. Notably, I find the saison yeast used insufficient to produce much of a counter flavor to challenge or balance out the enhanced malt body with its added malt backbone. I'm not too big a fan of this but don't consider it all that awful, it doesn't come off as much of a saison, but as a hybrid beer style, it's passable. 3.5
Southern Tier Brewing Company's
Grand Arbor Bottle Conditioned Ale
3.54/5.00
2,050 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
"Flemish brewers add sugar as an adjunct during fermentation. We add "American sugar" in the form of real maple syrup made by our neighbors at Big Tree Maple, a farm literally across the road from us. Cheers to collaboration and bit old trees." Brewed in the style of a Farmhouse Ale with Maple Syrup, available in 750ml. bottles and on limited draft.
Poured from a 750ml. bottle to a tulip glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of a pale beige cream tone over a moderately hazy amber body with abundant carbonation with light sediment. Retention is good and lacing is light. 3.75
(Smell) Fermented syrup with a biscuit malt presence and a light spicy and fruity yeast profile. Potency is moderate. The aroma of maple syrup certainly is not difficult to notice in this beer. 3.5
(Taste) Biscuit and caramel malt with a distinct syrupy undertone, finishing quite dry with a slight yeast presence of peppery spice and light fruit. At its current spot, it drinks closer to a Tripel for the feel of a much heavier, and somewhat grainy body. 3.5
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, moderately syrupy, peppery and medium dry. Carbonation is full, generating a moderate frothiness and a briskly crisp finish. Body is medium/heavy for the style and medium+ overall. Balance is slightly peppery spicy and grainy over sweet. Alcohol presence is moderate and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) The inclusion of Maple Syrup does change the overall composition of this beer tremendously, generating
a thicker body, slightly more exposed graininess and a higher perceived alcohol presence than usually expected in a Farmhouse ale. Notably, I find the saison yeast used insufficient to produce much of a counter flavor to challenge or balance out the enhanced malt body with its added malt backbone. I'm not too big a fan of this but don't consider it all that awful, it doesn't come off as much of a saison, but as a hybrid beer style, it's passable. 3.5
Southern Tier Brewing Company's
Grand Arbor Bottle Conditioned Ale
3.54/5.00
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3.85/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.35/5 rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.89/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours pale orange with a full white head. There is plenty of lacing as the head recedes.
Aroma: It has high fruit aromas of citrus and orange. There are also low aromas of caramel, earth, cheese, and spices.
Taste: It has high fruit flavors with orange and citrus leading the way. There are earthly elements, cheese, and a bit of a malty caramel like backbone.
Feel: It has a high moderate feel to it. It has a dry, bitter finish.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours pale orange with a full white head. There is plenty of lacing as the head recedes.
Aroma: It has high fruit aromas of citrus and orange. There are also low aromas of caramel, earth, cheese, and spices.
Taste: It has high fruit flavors with orange and citrus leading the way. There are earthly elements, cheese, and a bit of a malty caramel like backbone.
Feel: It has a high moderate feel to it. It has a dry, bitter finish.
444 characters
3.63/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.7/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This beer definitely has about 2 years age on it, but it's been stored properly so we will see how it developed.
Look is a hazy orange with a thin half inch head.
Funky saison aroma with a heavy molasses malt smell.
Definitely more of a malt bomb. Light herbal flower from either the yeast or the hops. But then a lot of toffee malt and a slight maple sweetness.
367 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This beer definitely has about 2 years age on it, but it's been stored properly so we will see how it developed.
Look is a hazy orange with a thin half inch head.
Funky saison aroma with a heavy molasses malt smell.
Definitely more of a malt bomb. Light herbal flower from either the yeast or the hops. But then a lot of toffee malt and a slight maple sweetness.
367 characters
3.94/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Saison to the core - promises of maple syrup were a little unkept but many lesser beers would have overdone it. Slightly bitter for my taste, but it is a saison.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Saison to the core - promises of maple syrup were a little unkept but many lesser beers would have overdone it. Slightly bitter for my taste, but it is a saison.
161 characters
3.3/5 rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Grand Arbor from Southern Tier Brewing Company
3.79
out of 5
based on 293 ratings.
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75