Saint Overload
Rusty Rail Brewing Company

Poured into a chalice: color is gold, nearly transparent, head is frothy and presents with fine to large bubbles and at least two fingers deep, lots of lacing.

Smell is odd as the spice / yeast / malt blend are not working / complementing notes of dry spice, earth, some phenol, hints of yeast, light sweetness ... but an over-riding metallic/papery/minerally like character i cant define well.

Taste is not like the aroma as the spice / yeast / malt flavor is more true to style: dryer spice with some clove and pepper, light herb, yeast is Belgian-like with clove notes, hints of banana and fruit, malt/grain flavor is light toast and biscuit and honey.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness with a dryer finish as it warms; a bit dryer than other Belgian-style golden strong ales.

Overall I was quite excited to find a new, local non hazy/ipa brew and this one comes quite close to being a standout - aroma holds it back but very flavorful and some interesting depth in the yeast/spice profile.

Rusty Rail Brewing Company "Saint Overload"
16 fl. oz. can, "CANNED 112525" and sampled on 041626

Notes via stream of consciousness: Great looking label, and it's a whopping 9.2% ABV; I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't expecting this either - it's a clear golden in color beneath a thumb's width of creamy white foam. I thought for sure that it'd be dark. It's labeled as a "Belgian strong ale", which it's not, but seeing as how it doesn't say Belgian strong golden ale I was thrown off. The label made me think it might be dark as well but I'm an imbecile so that's to be expected. In my opinion it should be labeled as a Belgian-style golden strong ale, but OK, let's see what we've got here. In the nose it's sweetish, malty, clove-like, and fruity. I'm getting apple and pear. There's also some clear alcohol. The taste follows with some additional yeasty spiciness, some more alcohol, a stiff bitterness, some earthy and mineral-like character, and a hint of a mild sage-like herbal note. Additional fruit notes include golden raisins, apricot, banana, and a hint of melon. It's quite nice. They've used Belgian candy sugar to keep it from becoming too malty while still gaining strength, and the balance between the sweetness, bitterness, spiciness, and alcohol is perfect. There's enough yeasty fruitiness going on that it keeps your attention as it warms and offers up new components. In the mouth it's full bodied and creamy across the palate with a fine-bubbled carbonation. This is a heavy hitter. Not only is it strong (Duvel, for example is 8.%% ABV), but it's full of flavor. On a positive note as well, I'm a little surprised that the alcohol isn't hotter. I remember picking up a bottle of Judas by Alken-Maes in Paris and I remember that as being hotter at 8.5%. That's not to say that the alcohol isn't quite clear, just that it's not brash and doesn't seem to have any harsh higher alcohols to it. Could it be better? Well, you can always say that it could be better. I'm very happy with this one, and i think they pulled it off really well. If you're a fan of strong ales, particularly of the Belgian-style golden variety, this could be a dangerous beer as it's fairly easy to drink for what it is. I'll make a note for myself and say that this is an end of the night beer, and a sipper, although it's hard not to drink it faster. Well done.
Review #9,493

Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of yeast, spices. Taste follows the aroma, malts are present, a touch of fruits. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.