Citrusitus
BarrieHaus Beer Co - Tampa

 

Thank you jrc193 for this one!

16oz can - no date - poured into a Grolsch pils stem at 40°F.

Pours a crystal-clear honey golden colour, with a short fizzy head that loudly disappears quickly, leaving no trace or lacing behind. Some effervescence is visible.

Nose: Pale, dry, crackery grain shows up along with a little bit of honey, but all beneath the prominent dried orange peel note. Not just orange peel, but orange peel that has seem simmering with mulling spices and then used for potpourri. Notes of dtied ginger, cinnamon, clove, and even some fresh herbs come together to lend an aromatic vibe much like Thanksgiving morning, sans turkey.

Palate: Once more, some flaky, dry grains - this time with a distinct wheat note show up, but beneath a strong mulled orange peel note. The spice component isn't nearly as strong, but in its place, a distinctly Belgian ester character presents itself, in the form of unripe banana peel, clove, and even a bit of dried apricot. A bright minerality that opened up begins to fade, bringing focus to the sweeter, almost tacky malted wheat note, and the estery flavours beside it, lending an almost classic saison-like element. A peppery phenolic note peaks through, and the finish highlights the grainy malt, with a lingering hint of mulled orange and pith.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is crisp, clean, and light-bodied with a lively effervescence and shiny minerality. There's some underlying malt weight that serves to lend presence, but despite the added components here, it remains snappy, crisp, and very refreshing.

Overall: A hugely different take on your typical lager. I'd forgive someone for going in blind and thinking it was a Belgian saison. The whole mulled orange peel element alone is very nice, and quite enjoyable. I can't help but notice how good the base beer feels, and wonder how ot would be without the orange overtaking it. It's balanced, but not subtle. Of you want a hint of orange in your lager, look elsewhere, but for something that highlights this holiday spiced orange deal, while remaining ultra crisp and refreshing, it's definitely a fun beer, with no significant hiccups.

No canning date (presumably canned ~late-11/2020); consumed on 1/13/21

Pours a clear, dark gold body topped with a finger and a half of firm, fluffy, slightly off-white foam; solid head retention leaves a vague layer of cap, thin, frothy collar, and minimal spotty lacing temporarily holding to the walls of the glass.

Aroma opens with some of the freshest orange rind notes I've encountered in a beer, softened by crisp wafer tones and taking on a touch of vanillin as it embraces an underlying honeycomb sweetness over the middle; tinges of mossy tones into the back end offer an interlude as a hint of lemon reaffirms a brightness to the bouquet, supported by subtle, flaky malts as it fades.

Taste overwhelms with the familiar, ultra-fresh orange zest/oil/peel notes upfront, this time eased by a lighter honey texture and some toasted cereal grain into the mid-palate; soft pale malts and light grassy hops present steadily as water cracker and fresh white bread are textured into the finish, with orange zest lingering past the swallow.

Mouthfeel brings a medium-light body with a carbonation on the lower end of moderate; a delicate spritz fades over mid-palate to a consistent and taut back end, light though rounded in texture with a dry, snappy finish.

An ultra-refresher imprinting the brightness of citrus against a balancing honey sweetness to advance an established pale lager base; a fun, casual brew steeped with the usual refinements of a BarrieHaus lager.