Punctuated Equilibrium
Speciation Artisan Ales

A - Pours a pale yellow with a large fizzy head. The head recedes quickly leaving some very light soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is green apple, lemon, white grapes and straw.

T - The taste is lemon peel, green apple, white grapes, peppercorns, hay and cracker.

M - Light body with medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a nice crisp finish.

O - Nice easy drinking grisette. Flavors are nice and bright. Definitely could crush these on a hot summer day.

 

 

Thin white head immediately dissipates, leaving just a tiny ring around the outside of the glass. The liquid is moderately cloudy and a dark straw color. The nose is fruity, a bit of hay quickly overtaken by white grapes, apple, and banana. This is extremely light on the palate, like a German hefe and a nice saison had a baby and gave it a bath in a chardonnay barrel. Extremely crushable, but with some interesting notes to explore. Crisp mouthfeel and short clean finish. Definitely a fun brew.

19.2oz Can

Big thanks goes out to Mark for this one! Punctuated Equilibrium is a nice looking drink. It's bright lemon yellow with very little translucency. Reminds me of lemon curd in the glass, actually. A fizzy, lively, tightly bubbled head rises to two fingers on the pour and rather quickly crackles down to a thin ring and an island of fizz.

The nose is a bit on the mild side but what's there is certainly appetizing. A drizzle of honey gets it moving before wildflowers take hold. There's a bit of orchard fruit in the middle that leans heavily toward pear. A whisper of bubblegum and some soft barnyard funkiness round it out. As it warms a mild lemon yogurt lactic acidity shows itself. There's a little spice from the oak but I don't get much in the way of vinous qualities.

There's a lemon brightness off the bat that sets the stage nicely. Soft lactic acidity flashes through along with a touch of horseblanket for depth. Sugar cookie-like sweetness makes up the malt base while a smattering of orchard fruits round out the whole. Again, there's a touch of bubblegum here, a touch straw there. The barrel presence is near nonexistent adding just a touch of spiciness. The overall impression is good if a little watered down.

The body is plush off the bat before a snappy carbonation kicks in creating a bit of prickliness. Moderate in weight with a lively feel. A soft tartness permeates the whole mouth. The mouthfeel starts off well and then the finish is just a little flaccid and not really there. It's a little dry but it just has a rather weak finish. With that said, it's highly drinkable.

Punctuated Equilibrium is a solid beer from Speciation. The flavors all meld well and it shows some depth but it's a little watered down, unfortunately. It's just a little flat here and there.

19.2 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 10/2018. Pours fairly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, floral, grass, wheat, and cracker; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, cream, buttery chardonnay, leathery/musty funk, and yeasty/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrel, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, floral, grass, wheat, and cracker; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, cream, buttery chardonnay, leathery/musty funk, and yeasty/oak earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness, and light Brett/wine tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, oaken vanilla, cream, buttery chardonnay, light leathery/musty funk, and yeasty/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrel, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with an awesome malt/spiciness balance, and no astringent flavors after the finish. Moderately crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately silky/grainy, fairly tangy/tannic, and lightly acidic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4%. Overall this is an outstanding grisette. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrel, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink with the mellowly spicy/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Very flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Amazing Brett/Saison yeast complexity, and perfect Chardonnay barrel integration; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on wild saison style example as expected.