Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky At Night

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

Coppery, bloody, leafy, citrusy, doughy aroma. Hazy yellow gold with a thin ring of white head. Sweet, doughy, malty flavour is somewhat generic - not much saison character. Some light alcohol flavour in the finish. Slick and somewhat oily mouthfeel with fair alcohol warming. Bottle (purchase before Nov. 2004) sampled with MartinT, Olivier_MTL and Rastacouere. Thanks, ClarkVV.

Tasted again recently, I rated it exactly the same. From a bottle courtesy of lilkem. The body is medium yellow and orange. The aroma has funky cherries with wine and hay. The taste is caramel with toffee and some peaches. There is also iced tea with funky cheese rind. A decent saison.

Golden hue with initial good frithy head and good lace. The aroma has notes of lemon and apple, grassy and floral hops, white pepper and clove, and a hint of belgian sugar. The taste starts fruity and sweet, detected some banana I didn’t get in the aroma. Yeasty and a bit bready in midsection. The finish is grassy and a bit spicy. The feel is a bit underwhelming, sort of flat on the palate. The alcohol does make it’s self known at the end. Good but not great beer, below the better Saison available. Still worthy if a try. Thanks Rich for the bottle.

Pours a hazy gold with a huge off white head. Aroma is sweet with apples, sugar, touch of banana and yeast. Flavor is sweet and yeasty with fruit and light spice. Lively mouth feel and nicely warming.

Received a single 12-oz bottle via trade with kmweaver. Pours a clear pale golden yellow colored brew with a fast dissolving off-white head that leaves behind a minimal lacing and ring. Aroma of Belgian yeast, some light golden grain malt, and a touch of bubble gum. Taste is light bodied, some flavors of golden grain malt, cloves, a hint of Belgian yeast/banana esters and some mild spice. Finish is semi-dry with a light yeast and clove aftertaste.

On tap at the Brew Kettle. Poured a clear brighter golden with a creamy cap of spotty beige head. Nose was spicy and rich, with lots of underlying malty sweetness. Alcohol emerged as this warmed, stealing too much of the show. Flavor found spicy alcohol-fueled lighter fruits and some caramel... weak finish with sliced pears and apples. Crisp on the palate with a bit too much alcohol presence. Felt like the bottom dropped out at about the middle of the drink, with some crisp lighter fruits coming back for the finish. Not too good for the style.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with biegaman, my bottle. Clear gold, decent frothy off-white head. Moderate yeast/peppery spice aroma, grainy malt, slightly flowery. Taste is quite sweet and floral, soft sweet pungent spice, pungent linger. Pretty thick body, light astringency, moderately spicy/bitter finish. Very nice, not as complex as advertised, but pleasing and soft.

Just the right amount of spice and sweetness for a late nightcap after hard physical work. Good aroma and lasting head, light colour. A fine saison.I hadn’t realized this was out for about 3 years, and picked it up this year.