Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky At Night

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

Had this last night from a bottle at pizza port’s strong ale fest. A belgian saison who’s flavor and nose is on the bananna end of the belgian spectrum. Cloudy pour with a light large-bubbled head.

Bottle. From my Secrect Santa. Pleasant sourish scent on the nose, and a thin white head. Light golden in colour and alot less sour tasting than the initila scent would have suggested. Was looking forward to that citric/sourness. A light but pleasent brew, would like to try on tap.

Bottled. "Best by" notch at April 2005. Nice bright gold color under a thin fizzy head. Pleasant beery, slighty tart smell, perhaps a tad of skunk from its age. Bottle-conditioned, and pouring kicked up a bit of dead yeast. Still, it’s spritzy, with lemon and cherry, and just a touch of cinnamon and clove. A tad alcoholic with post-bottling fermentation. Nice light Pils malts, a very pretty pour. Despite its age, it shows and tastes very nicely.

Light tasting, fruit-harvesty. Not my favorite, but a nice sweetish palate attempt. On tap, Boulevard Woodgrill, Arlington, VA.

Decent but not the best. Didn’t have the best aroma but it was drinkable. Have a bottle.

Bottle from SpringsLicker. Pours a lightly opaque light amber color with a very dense white head that rises about 1.5 inches above the liquid level upon pouring. Foamy lacing left behind. Aroma is funky, like ketchup/katsup.. Light bodied, full of bubbly carbonation. Very delicate flavors, light in mouthfeel. Enough alcohol and residual sugar to believe that Candi sugar was used. No alcohol harshness. Full of carbonation, light, bubbly and fairly spicey. Pretty well done, a bit above ABV if you think the workers are going to get back to the fields any time soon. Enjoyable, if not exactly to style.

Unlike typical offerings of the style, this one came in a six pack of 12 oz. bottles. Hazy pale yellow color with a ton of streamers and a large egg shell head made this look the part of a classic Saison. The aroma was more hoppy than anticipated, with a spicy, citric smell, more typical of an IPA, than a Belgian style. There was also a background of perfumey, alcoholic, earthy smells. The taste was light, spicy, and citric, and dry, but not quite as dry as other Saisons. Very delicious and quenching, and a good approachable take on the style.

Bottle. A nice golden pour with a finger width of white foam head. Very little aroma off this beer. Not a bad beer but not a great saison. It tastes a little like citrus with a slight tang at the finish.