Thai Dragon
Empire Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

this is a well conceived beer, a Belgian golden with basil added, has a nice herbal character and a slight floral hit that makes it a nice warm weather drinker. the color is clear and indeed golden as its name suggests. a short but persistent white head lays effortlessly on top. the nose is herbal, not distinctly basil, but its in there. yeast is bright and fruity, lighter than some other Belgian strains, which work well with the delicate malt profile and booze notes. basil is much more prominent in flavor than aroma, and it also works well with the light malt. I think the Belgian yeast and herbal grassy elements compliment each other well, and I have not seen this done before. its a little heavier than it needs to be from the alcohol, and this may also work with a saison yeast as well. good carbonation and unique front of tongue finish, I like this one a lot.

 

 

 

 

The beer pours a hazy dark golden color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a sweet pale malt scent along with a mild Thai basil nose and a wonderful Belgian yeast aroma. It has a nice herbal, yet fruity character. The taste is good. It has a smooth, fruity flavor that boasts of pale malts and Thai basil. It goes down easy for a 7.7% abv. beer. The Belgian yeast provides excellent fruity esters which compliments the basil herbal character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine beer. It's the perfect combination of Belgian yeast and herbal favors.