Evicted
Central State Brewing

 

Central State Evicted

A: This self-described "farmhouse blonde" from perennially underrated Central State pours slightly darker than hay gold, certainly within the realm of blonde, the hair and the style. The head is a tower of white, soapy suds, four fingers on a standard pour. Retention is almost annoyingly great. Lacing is good as well. Particulate is visible in the glass, and the overall opacity is mildly cloudy; this is obviously a rustic, unfiltered beer, and it looks every bit as expected and then some. 4.75/5

A: The nose is quite restrained with crackery malt alongside light farmhouse Brett notes and Belgian spice. The Brett funk is not too crazy, just a little leather and slight barnyard. Pepper, coriander, and a little clove are the usual Belgian spice suspects. Rustic, exotic grain bread loaves and general yeastiness add to the aroma. Finally, lemony, spicy, and grassy hops completes the smell. It is surprisingly complex in its subtlety. 4.5/5

T: The flavor cannot quite live up to the great aroma, but it also adds a few more nuances as well. The hops come out first with nice tangerine, orange, and clementine flavors, as well as a little lemon-lime. A spicy and grassy bitterness takes hold rather quickly and leads into the classic Belgian spices: black peppercorn, coriander, and very light clove. White peppercorn, which always has a bit of a barnyard funk, provides a nice transition to some minerality and a subtle leathery and farmhouse Brett. A surprising amount of bitterness combines with aggressive dryness to create slightly unpleasant astringency. Still, this is great. 4.25/5

M: Viscosity is on the low end of medium, but the ample carbonation makes for a fluffy, lively feel. The bitterness from the taste carries over here, which does impact the feel somewhat by aggressively drying out the beer. Of course, at only 4%, the alcohol is nowhere to be found. This is refreshing, very drinkable, and mostly on point per style, but the very high dryness and moderately high bitterness hurts. 3.5/5

O: Central State really needs much more attention on a national stage for the great work they are doing in the farmhouse styles. This, like almost everything they put out, is an excellent and tasty beer that really does everything it needs to (besides keep the dryness and bitterness completely in check). It is mostly subtle in all the right ways, and the flavor is great for such a low ABV beer. Pair with Converge's "I Can Tell You About Pain," which has its sharp edges but plenty of subtlety and complexity to digest in a small package. 4.5/5

A - Pale golden body, hazy, with a fat white head on the pour that fades to a thin cap. Lacing is extensive, tight bubbles that run over the glass.

S - Light fruit, a definite earthy funk, horse blanket and a hint of plastic. All pretty typical for a farmhouse ale.

T - Follows the nose, with a strong lemon quality in the front, a bit of limestone and spice in the middle, then a bit of pith and earth in the close.

M - A touch spiky in the open, clean in the close.

O - A very well built, super-drinkable beer that works well as a companion for a meal or as a simple, clean option when you aren't looking for a heavy hitter.