Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky At Night

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

Tallahassee, Fl. - Market Sqaure Liquors - 12 oz bottle. Dark golden. slightly murky pour with a slight white head - thin lacing. Alcoholy aroma with hints of cloves and bubble gum. Sticky flavor with some bubble gum, candied sugar and banana with a spicy back end. Kind of like a strong American Wheat. Alcohol apparant. Sticky mouthfeel, but slightly harsh. Overall, decent.

A spicy, fruity saison? Not quite what the bottle led me to think, but a nice drink nonetheless. Didn’t see any yeast, but the pour was a wee bit cloudy orange. Too much carbonation up front, but then it mellowed, leaving a peppery sweetness.

2004 bottle. Aroma before even pouring gives off a cinnamon and candied apple note, lots of candi sugar, tons of yeast. Light hoppiness to start the flavor, which progresses well in to a sweet candied belgian ale of sorts. Sticky sweetness and a chewy texture thanks to the carapils make this a thick saison. Good medium-full body. There are some grassy/herbal notes on the finish, light lemony and peppery, which seem to provide only a glimpse at the style. The rest of the beer is heavy belgian yeast, candi sugar and strongly sweet pils malt. Some esters on the end, light bubblegum and some clove. Appearance is highly filtered! but. . . but. . .I love it! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a highly filtered belgian beer this much (ok, I can it was Rodenbach Grand Cru) but anyways, you get the point. For a filtered and clear belgian ale, this is quite stupendous. There is a sharp undercurrent of alcohol notes and the bittering hops are not melded well enough with the rest of the body. It seems most like a saison right on the first couple of flavors that hit the palate and then again on the aftertaste. Regardless, this beer has made me write a lot, I’ve drank it quite quickly too. Whatever the hell it is, it’s damned good, even with all of its crazy out of style characteristics and minor brewing flaws. I think overall, this beer is better than its score inidicates.

Bottle. Very small white fizzy head that mostly diminished, sparse lacing, carbonated, transparent, and a yellow hue. Nose was some malt notes, light hoppiness, sweet, oranges, bananas, note of pepper, spicy, and clove. Flavor was sweet, somewhat sour, lightly malty, lightly hoppy, spicy, bananas, and clove. Tingly mouthfeel. Medium body. This is a complex beer with a lot going on.

Thanks Jeremy for letting me try this beer!! Golden color pour with a white foamy head. Sweet, floral aroma with a hint of hops and citrus. Citrusy taste...kind of sour. Some wheat as well. Overall pretty good though. Finished well too.

Bottle. Light musty/pepper aroma. Clear medium yellow color with small head. Musty dry flavor initially followed by a sweet red cherry and light peach flavor. The dry mustiness lasts long after swallowing. Not quite as complex as its Belgian brothers but still very nice.

Bottle. Poured an hazy orange color with an average frothy off-white head that lasted with spare lacing. Moderate sweet spice aroma. Medium body with a creamy texture. Moderate sweet spice flavor with an average finish. Good brew.

3 oz sampler at RFD in DC: Looks like a standard macro. A slightly metallic taste with some signifigant floral flavors as well. Some hops throughout but sweet sugary malts mixed in nicely. I’m begining to like the Saison style more and more.