Neighbor Girl
Paradigm Shift

my first from this operation, unique little beer here for an american brewer, slightly maltier than many, a tad richer in color, without a ton of body, whatever extra sugar they add for gravity works here, and even though the ferment is pretty familiar and nonspecific to this beer or brewery, i think the use of it is pretty solid. it could stand to hold its head a little better as a belgian, but its close. a little alcohol does show through this, but its okay in the style and its not out of place. i like the subtle pear and taffy esters the yeast brings, which defines this while also not being overwhelming, some restraint in temperature i think prevents that thankfully. it warms well enough, there is a light sharpness on the back end which i dont love, but some herbal bitterness that balances this well sets in before its an issue, and i think the carbonation is almost high enough for the style too. mighty close on a lot of the intangibles here, and for a beer from a brewery i had never heard of before, a solid first impression. seems almost toasted at times, wheaty at others, maybe slightly more complex on the grain side than a lot of these, a hint of orange late too. overall not lights out, but a more than tolerable pour. good enough to have me intrigued about this brewery, cool to see a no frills classic belgian style in an american lineup like this, appreciate the effort!