Sacred Tree
Phantom Farms Brewing

 

my first from these guys, a stronger saison done with patagonian pepper, which i dont know much about, and its interesting beer, although maybe mostly because of the pepper. blonde and light looking, well carbonated and heady, glowing yellow with at least an inch high crown, effervescent. the aroma is estery, a little generic on the yeast and pushing into the almost phenolic area, pear, white florals, white wine, white pepper, honeysuckle, dish detergent, pils malt and white wheat, just a little zizzle of alcohol, the pepper is floral and hits more like peppercorn than chili pepper, but i do not really know, light musk, preserved lemon, springy, herbal, lighter than i was expecting. its confusing but it grows on me. the flavor is citrusy up front, and i actually do get a little throat heat on the swallow from the pepper element, not quite chili level, but more spicy to me than black peppercorn or something, i think its subtly dosed but still a defining element of this, right there with the yeast, which i wish was a little more subdued, cut flowers, white wine, lemon polish, trace tartness but not bacterial, green gooseberry, and the grain stays light. the ferment is close but it comes across just a touch amateurish to me, which brings the overall down a little bit, but its unique and distinctive beer on the whole, drinks easy for what it is, and has some cool complexity, the pepper is a fun add, id love to taste that on its own. props for an nice mouthfeel too, lively and delicate for its strength, quick for being as yeasty as it is, a few refinements from being real special...