New Glarus Unplugged Imperial Saison

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Saison
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

12 oz bottle - slight haze, light orange with huge white head settling to a thin foam; cloves, lemons, bubblegum, peppery and a little harsh on first sip; astringent with fizzy fruit juice texture; green apples, pears and lemons; fruit starts to dominate; dry and sticky; pretty yucky overall; perhaps the biggest letdown from new glarus yet

12oz bottle shared by suzygreenberg. Cloudy dark golden with big thick white head and cob web lacing. Creamy asertive sweet clove is the first things that hits me. Cotton candy, apple jolly rancher, cardomon, hints of hay. Sweet sugary, estery yeast then a weird slightly metallic tartness that leaves a harsh granny smith apple flavor coating my tongue. Rough, astringent, all over the place with a bad sulfiric green apple flavor that keeps getting stronger. Next stop, the drain.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of tjthresh as a part of NP10v4. Pours a cloudy gold with a moderate linen white head that lasted beyond mid-glass and left partial lace. Pleasant aroma of apples and yeast. The flavor is Granny Smith apples with yeast and a bit of lemon. Mild bitterness at the finish. Medium bodied. No sign of the 8.7% abv. A well done and enjoyable saison.

12 ounce bottle acquired via trade. Pours a clear golden color with a massive inflated white head. The aroma is yeasty, oranges, sour citrus notes, sweet bready aromas as well. The flavor is similar; bready, yeast, oranges and pear, lots of sourness as well. A nice brew.

12oz bottle served in a tulip. Dark golden orange pour, almost amber. A two-finger thick head of off-white foam slowly settled into a lasting cap. A good amount of slick lace was left around the glass. The aroma was very fruity. Lots of apricot followed by honey, ginger, wheat, and also some faint grassiness in the background. The flavor was spicy and mildly alcoholic. Spicy Belgian yeast was in the forefront, followed by apricots, ginger, honey, light candi sugar, along with a warming finish. Medium to full-bodied with a moderate amount of aggressive carbonation. Very crisp on the tongue, but not nearly as drinkable or refreshing as I would hope for in this style. Decent, but the alcohol and imperial-ness gets in the way just a bit.

Poured from bottle to tulip. A: Pours an brilliant, sparkling golden color, with a thick 1 finger head that dissipates quickly. S: Very muted notes of grapefruit, a little boozy smelling. T: Intense tart flavor followed by a mellow citrus aftertaste. A crisp hop finish rounds this brew out. Great balance between all the flavors, I can’t pick all the fruit out. An impressive complex beer! M: Medium body with many differing floral notes and clear sour tones. D: A quite drinkable beer which is amazing considering the style. The higher ABV deteriorates from this ever so slightly. Still a solid addition to the new glarus lineup, and an enjoyable beer.

Bottle: The aroma is fruity along with yeast, floral notes, and a hint of tart peaches. It pours a a hazy dull orange with lots of sediment and a half inch creamy white head. The flavor starts lightly fruity with some yeast. The finish has some mild floral noted and a nice lemony sourness. Medium bodied with lively carbonation that borders on prickly at times.

The Dan Journal #282. Tasted 8/21/09. 12oz bottle. Hazy hue. Good aromas with hints of citrus and a touch pepper. Full bodied and tasty. Very nice dichotomy between the sweet and tart.