Brasserie Dupont - Saison Dupont

Widely considered to be the king of saisons, this original Belgian ale is 6.5% ABV.

Appearance: The beer is golden straw colored, cloudy, with a thick 3-4 finger head that recedes down to about one finger's worth with thick lacing left on the glass.

Smell: It's musky (or do I mean musty?) and vaguely woody, or possibly grassy. I'm reminded of hay. There is also an undertone of ester -- banana possibly. Given that saisons are known as "farmhouse ales," it's really rather appropriate that this kind of smells like I'm eating fruit inside of a barn. (As an aside: it's interesting how often the taste and smell of some beers are described using traditionally unflattering adjectives or descriptions. It's why I include an "overall" section at the end of my reviews, so that I can be much more clear on whether or not I actually like it. I'll cut to the chase here and say that despite saying Saison Dupont smells like a barn, it's actually not unpleasant. You'd have to smell it yourself to understand what I mean.)

Taste: Very nice. Apple cider opens on the palate, and it gives way to earthy spiciness and lemon. I suspect the yeast is contributing the majority of the character here, as there is no sweet maltiness present at all and very little bitterness from grain. It's all earth, fruit, and (pleasant) funkiness.

Mouthfeel: Light and clean. Saisons always strike me as being great for spring and summer, with their (usually) low alcohol content, refreshing carbonation, and earthy tastes evocative of laying in a field next to an apple orchard.

Overall: This is absolutely exemplary of the style. Many saisons brewed stateside have some kind of adjunct or other gimmick, but this is definitely traditional. It's uncomplicated but still delightful, and as I mentioned earlier, I suspect that the carefully-cultivated Belgian yeast used in the origins of the style is largely responsible for the finished product. It's not an in-your-face beer or one that is necessarily a standout amongst all beers, but amongst saisons it's easy to see why this is a must-try. It's quietly accomplished and likely to be enjoyed by all, from novice beer drinkers to seasoned experts.

4/5

New Belgium Lips of Faith - Clutch

The Lips of Faith series beers frequently includes collaborations between New Belgium Brewery and another brewery. Clutch is a dark sour ale, and the collaborating group here was the Maryland Hard-Rockers. It's 9% ABV.

Appearance: As promised, Clutch is dark -- opaque cherry-black. Though I wasn't able to snap a photo quickly enough to capture it, a thick three- to four-finger head gathered when poured. There is minimal lacing on the glass, and both the full head and the residual head are a dark cherry brown color.

Smell: A chocolate-covered cherry lollipop. Seriously. On the nose, there's not a lot of evidence of sourness that I expect from the taste. It's  simply a very sweet smelling beer that has a smidge of coffee character at the end.

Taste: Now here is a beer that tastes exactly how it smells -- the first to hit the palate is rich dark chocolate with cherry, followed by a short but pronounced coffee note. There is a bit of a sour funk that comes through right at the finish, but it is very, very mild.

Mouthfeel: This is a thick, viscous beer, very similar both in taste and physical character to a stout. It's really much more reminiscent of a stout overall than of a sour ale, which it is supposed to be.

Overall: This is no doubt a tasty beer, but I have to say, I'm still kind of disappointed. It's basically a less sweet version of Stone's recent collaboration on the Cherry Chocolate Stout (which I'll review here at some point,) and given that it's billed as a dark sour ale and not a stout, I was expecting something completely different. There is, as I said, a bit of funk at the end, but honestly, if I wasn't expecting a sour, I may have just as easily thought that the very slight sourness at the end was just residual bitterness from the roasted malt/coffee flavors. I have another bottle of this that I'll hold onto for awhile to see how the flavors develop and change, because as of now it doesn't really live up to what is promised on the label. Though, as I said, it's not a bad tasting beer, it's so far my least favorite of the Lips of Faith series.

3/5

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

This is my favorite pumpkin beer I've had. It has a rich ale base and great pumpkin spice, compared to some other pumpkin beers that are a bit on the subtle side when it comes to the actual pumpkin / pumpkin pie flavor.

Appearance:  The beer is the color of deep cherry wood, or "burnt sienna" (don't you just love creatively named colors that no one is really sure what they actually mean?) The head receded very quickly from originally being about one finger's worth. There is negligible lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and brown sugar malt are predominant. There is a bit of sweetness, but it's not sickly or overpowering because there's a nice spice element that lightens it.

Taste: The first wave of flavor includes all of the pumpkin pie spices -- the cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg apparent in the nose are clear here. The pumpkin itself is also a lot more apparent in the flavor than in the smell. Throughout the body the spice mellows out and there is a bit of a bite from the alcohol, which then gives way to the brown sugar and more malty sweet flavors.

Mouthfeel: It's medium-bodied, a bit on the heavier side. However, both the savory spiciness of the beer and the effervescence prevent it from feeling sticky or viscous.

Overall: This is a great seasonal beer for autumn, and as I mentioned, my favorite pumpkin beer. It's very drinkable, and I could very easily see someone who is not really a "beer person" enjoying this. It's rewarding for the seasoned beer pro as well due to its richness of flavor, but familiar and warming enough for the neophyte as well.

4/5