King Billy
Central State Brewing

 

 

A - Pale golden body, hazy but mostly translucent, with a white moderate head, and extensive tight bubble lacing.

S - Typical farmhouse nose, sourness and a bit of grass and sharp acidity.

T - Follows the nose, with pungent sourness of lemon, malty sweetness of pear and apple, minerality hinting limestone, and a slightly bitter close, with tea and herbal elements.

M - Brisk carbonation, light feel, a lingering dry close.

O - This is a fine, fine farmhouse. Rustic farm notes, fruit esters, and a nicely bitter bite on the close, Central State is showing is fine control here. Solid.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a snifter. Had a golden yellow color and a cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy fizzy head that lasted an average amount of time. Not much lacing, though.

S: A decent aroma of ginger, citrus, yeast, spices, and some malt.

T: Tasted of a moderate amount of citrus fruit (lemon, in particular), a tinge of coriander, some pepper, a whole ton of ginger, light malt, and a bit of Belgian-style yeast. This is an odd and unbalanced flavor, but it has its charms. The ginger seems to dominate the flavor, but this isn't a horrible thing.

F: A fair amount of carbonation with a lively finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Definitely an uneven beer, but I give Central State credit for trying something kind of different with a saison. Worth a try.