Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky At Night

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: Saison
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Faintly cloudy orange, with a nice constant carbonation. Mellow perfuey, citrusy aroma. Flavor is tart and winey. Not sure how typical of the style is, but it is tasty and refreshing.

bottle. not bad, but not very exciting. Not really that dynamic and I tend to agree with the other ratings that this is more of a tripel than a saison. And a kinda boring tripel at that. It pours a light golden with no head. Some spice and yeast in the aroma. Medium body. Spicy on the tip, but muted. Although this beer is not that exciting, it is very drinkable and you don’t really pick up on it being close to 8%.

Very tripel-ish for a saison. Almost like a Bell’s Sparking Ale, but not as good. Split with the wife. Not bad. The beer that is.

Smallish head. White. Bright yellow to amber. Smell is not especially appealing on first hint: lemon with a heavy alcoloish scent. Hints or pepper or cloves and quite malty. Great summer beer for its light body.

Poured a golden, amber with a two finger head. Nice wheat malt aroma with a spicy/peppery undertones. Taste is a peppery/spicy earthy hop flavor with a wheat malt (clovelike) in the background. Light to mediium body with a dry aftertaste. Well balanced brew staring w/ the wheat malt transitioning to the spicy hop flavor finishing with a dry spicy. earthy aftertaste. Very easy brew to drink and thirst quenching.

Bottle. Golden yellow with medium white head. More transparent than expected. Very fruity and spicy nose: sour grapes, green apple, coriander, possibly cinnamon and clove. Nothing subtle about this beer. Similar palate, but very sweet. This really tasted like a tripel to me, and not a very subtle one, though the alcohol was well hidden. Might have ranked it higher if I was expecting a tripel, but as it was, I felt disappointed that this wasn’t very saison-like.

12oz bottle purchased for $10.99 for a sixer at Bauer Wines in Boston. Pours a clear light gold with lots of carbonation and head. Decent lacing. No sediment seen, regardless of what the label says. Very nice Belgian yeasty, spicy aroma. The first taste provides a surprising smooth mouthfeel without the expected bite from the spices and carbonation. As it goes down the throat, the spicy bite kicks in. However, the flavour is lacking something.

12oz pour from variety pack into a Chimay glass. Nice white head that disappeared quickly but left plenty of lacing and stickiness. Looks like a tripel with a cloudy golden/yellow color. Nose of Belgian yeast spiciness. Nice little whiff of hops. Tastes more like a tripel than a Saison but that is no put down. This beer is very good and very well balanced with spice, malt and slight choppiness. Finish is dry similar to many tripels. A great beer from Maryland that would pass as authentic in Belgium. I would love to know which yeast was used in this. A very versatile Belgian beer. No hint that it is 8%.