Moon Farm
Cellar West Artisan Ales

a slightly maltier saison here, this one done with something called skyrocket hops, the first i have seen or heard of these, a very unique beer here. its more clear than some of their others and a few shades deeper in terms of color, brassy looking in the glass under a nice airy white head. google tells me this hop is a derivative of chinook, but it is really its own entity, at least in this context with some cool belgian vinous esters from the yeast, together i get pear and papaya and white grape and grapefruit juice in aroma and in the taste, fresh as can be, slightly funky with the classic cellar west rustic fermentation profile, and balanced by a touch of grain sweetness. its really a cool showcase of the hop because of the obvious compatibility with this flavorful yeast, but it also has me kind of curious about trying it in a pale or ipa type where it was a little bolder and the bitterness was allowed to run. i have not heard of anyone else using these yet, but hopefully soon. a fun and sort of experimental beer, clean in the mouthfeel, nicely carbonated, and very well executed overall. i like the grainier base to this, and the skyrocket hops really make it distinct.