Santa Rosa
From The Ground Brewery

 

Bottle from the farmers market in Rhinebeck, NY: pours a clear light amber orange with minimal head and lacing, smell is funky sour plum/apple/grape skin, tart plum/apple/grape flesh, floral white wine, hint of pollen and wet hay, taste is funky plum, fruity funky and tart white wine, hint if apple cider and champagne, feel is light, and bright, mild acidity, dry finish. A fruity wine forward elixir.

A; The beer is pinkish red in color and seems to have a moderate amount of visible carbonation behind the haze. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down but never completely faded away.
S: Light aromas of plums are present tin the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell but has moderately strong flavors of plums and faint bits of associated sweetness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really liked the plum flavors in the taste of this beer. It was very fruit-forward, and the only thing that was saison-like was the lighter body nature and associated drinkability.

Serving type: can

From The Ground Brewery "Santa Rosa Farmhouse Ale"
22 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, no apparent freshness or production dating
$10 from the brewery stand at the Union Square Greenmarket

Appearance: Hazy orange body beneath a pillowy head of white - both have a bit of a pinkish cast to them. The head retention is excellent, bolstered by the very fine-bubbled effervescent carbonation coming from below. Solid walls of lace are left following each sip before they slowly slide back down into the liquid, occasionally breaking up and leaving wide streaks and splashes.

Aroma: Fruity like plum and peach with limited background leaves and earth.

Flavor: The fruit remains with a subtle acidity and mineral component. Mild, basic, lightly grainy malt supports it and helps carry it through to the finish. A low level bitterness is all that's needed to balance it, and it passes across the palate from start to finish with little change.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and gently effervescent with a very fine bubbled, seemingly natural carbonation. It delicately bristles upfront, and then foams a bit to become almost "fluffy" before fading smoothly away.

Overall: This delicate and charming, fruity and slightly sour ale is remarkably refreshing; and although limited in complexity (it is somewhat one-sided), what it does offer is interesting and more than good enough to stand on its own. Worth trying.