New Albanian Saison III

Found this rating lurking near the end of my gmail account, dated November 4th, 2008.

Pours amber with a fully receding off-white head. Aroma of lactic acid, pears, chardonnay, Tastes of tart lactic, light grain, fruity notes: pear, white wine. Thin to medium bodied, light lactic tang, and mild fizzy carbonation. The lactic acids detract alot from any fruitiness. Not very impressive.

Something went wrong here. Poured super cloudy. Very little taste. Some saison aroma, but not much else. Either poured wrong or a bad version. On tap at NABC. When is said to the waiter something was wrong with it, he paid little attention.

On tap at brewpub

This was the second of three pints enjoyed while passing the time before heading down to Keg Liquors. As far as saisons go it was decent; I was not overly impressed by the apply textures which seem to indicate that it came out a little too soon. Perhaps time will help it mellow. In the meantime lower your expectations a little bit.

Aroma / Appearance - The bronze clear body was alive with carbonation. Sour apples melded with vinous notes which make me wonder if this had just been tapped. A distinct smell of Granny Smith apples that you don’t usually expect from a saison makes me suspect that is the case.

Flavor / Palate - Evident in the taste as well the greenness is offset by sweetness and a trace of oakiness. It lingers on the throat with only a bit of hoppiness. Very easy to drink it just lacks some of the things you would expect from a decent saison. I’d still take another pint but not without exploring other options first.