Keera's Yard
Atwood Farm Brewery

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. A sneaky light gusher; popped loudly on opening, but nothing initially happened, then the bottle started active foaming. Pours a medium to dark walnut brown with one finger light khaki head with good retention and thick lacing. Aroma of grainy and dark biscuit malt, brown bread and dark rye. Flavor follows, with mixed grains and rye malt, brown bread crust, mild saison yeast, hints of caramel. Sharp, active carbonation; actually a bit overcarbonated as presaged by the foamy open. A richly malty farmhouse style ale with a very pleasant mixture of dark grainy flavors and a little rye tartness with some dark biscuity/bready malt flavors that are unusual and quite enjoyable. I'd like to see more ales of this style. This bottle was too fizzy which attenuated the malt, but it became more flavorful as the carbonation eased off. This brewery is doing a great job on rustic ales and they are largely the malty, rather then sour styles, which I greatly appreciate. Recommended.

 

Pour is a hazy copper color, supporting a fluffy light tan head. The nose is VERY malt forward, wth caramel and toffee notes as well as a bit of rye, and there’s also some sweet fruity aromas. A lot going on.

The taste is all about the caramel at first, but the rye sneaks in the side door, and the fruit is present as the slightest touch of esters.

The feel, though, is where this shines. It has the richness of a malt-forward beer (say, a really nice Oktoberfest), but it also has the lighter, “spritzier” feel of a saison. A really well-executed beer, IMHO.

Just a slight haze in the chestnut-amber brew with streaming bubbles and plenty of foam in the Ciney snifter. Cereal with a hint of apple pie in the nose. An exuberance of creamy carbonation on the tongue. Light but malty and sudsy mouthfeel is a real pleasure.

Warm Cream of Wheat taste with an interesting grainy flavor, like a touch of buckwheat. There is even a winey hint. Slight fruit with some pear flavor. Just a touch of scratchy, yeasty bitterness in the aftertaste. Not very bitter. From the 750 ml bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham. Cap is dated 02-16-17.