Sandpiper
Zero Gravity Craft Brewery

this was lower gravity when we had it at their american flatbread location in burlington, a summery and clean saison, brewed with some neat local malt and fermented down to dry. its more of a belgian/french type than anything to rustic, farmy, or funky on the yeasts side, but there is a pleasant floral ester to this, notes of white wine and pear as well, and nice and tame, so i dont wish it was much more old worldy. i like the malt flavor here, dry as can be and almost raw tasting, earthy without being toasted or anything, and crackery, like a plain bagel that hasnt been toasted, but somehow interesting too, some terroir in here. the hops are noble-esque in taste but without the usual bittering element, and there is a real freshness to them that i dont always notice in saison like this, so i dig that being just a little bit different too. hints of lemongrass, dried apricot, and peppery spice, floury bread crusts, and cut flowers too. drinkable and basic beer, but very well made, as is so often the case here. i could drink a number of these, especially with their epic pizza!

 

The appearance was a semi-light bronzed golden sort of color with a film of a white foamy head. Trickling lace. The aroma had some semi-sweet fruity estery sort of spices to malts. Light Belgian sugars and extremely light on the spices. Some grassy hops. Light bubblegum. The flavor yielded to the sweetness of the estery fruits and bubblegum. Belgian sugars seem barely here. Just a touch of some toast and then a light bready aftertaste. No finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light on the body trying to assert some body towards the medium side, doesn’t really happen. Fairly smooth along my tongue. Good carbonation and ABV felt appropriate. Overall, pretty nice saison worthy of having again.