North Coast Le Merle

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Fort Bragg, California USA

75cl bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa, FL). Rated on 3/3/08. Pours a clear golden with thick, creamy, off-white head. Reasonable head retention. Aroma is slightly bitter with notes of hay, straw, ripening fruit. Flavor notes includes vegetables (most notably cucumber), slightly sweet malt, slightly bitter, hops-like taste. Hints of tart fruit and muscat grapes on finish. Becomes more complex as it warms. Medium-bodied, quick, slightly bitter finish.

I wrote my initial review and hit submit and damn, I wasn’t logged in. There for my short version review. Beer looks good in the glass and mathces the style. Beer has the aroma of a saison with lots of esters and a good earthy yeastiness. Flavor doesn’t quite match up IMO with the finish being a bit overly sweet rather than dry and spicy.

Le Merle Saison: A sprtitzy, fruity ale that is almost like a weak barleywine. Strong boozy taste dominates despite being less than 8%, yet it works overall. Personally I will not be having this again (except in the incarnation of Silver Jubilee); It’s just not my bag, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t enjoyable. It is enjoyable and very high-quality. Deserves a try by any beer lover.

(75 cl bottle from Systembolaget, thanks to deft for getting it)
Labeled 7.9% ABV
On June 15, 2008
Hazy golden color, fluffy white head. Fruity apricot and pinapple scent. Bitter, hoppy, slight acidic and lactic taste. Moussy mouthfeel, low bitterness.

750ml bottle-pours a big shaving cream white head that laces and yellow/gold color with effervescence. Aroma is spices-?/pepper, earthy/musty, grain, yeast. Nice aroma-true to style. Taste is mellow, spices-?/pepper, earthy/musty, grain, yeast, citrus, grain, light malt, nice taste, true to style. Spices are solidly in place and not overpowering. Nice beer. Soft carbonation. Thanks to Joe-jwc215 for sharing.

Cork popped out with a wet *thump* and immediate, though curtailed foaming over ensued. Cloudy almond, with titratable extremely fine head. Nutty, estery aroma, with fruity aspects - banana, but also tropical fruits as noted in description. Cleanly malty flavor, nice hoppy bitterness, spice and prominent lemony acidity. Moderate sweet/dry balance, edging towards the sweet. Mineral, nicely bitter finish; high but pleasant carbonation level. My cup of tea entirely.

(bottle): Pours a golden color body, cloudy. Smallish white head. Belgian flower aroma, sugary, super sweet. Carbonated, sour taste, mediciney. Warming up, mellower, medicine taste is gone. Flowery taste.

Bottle (750ml) shared at ’Biegaman’s Second Annual Saison Tasting’ -- courtesy of biegaman. Pours a slightly hazy gold with an average size frothy white head. Nice lacing. Nice aroma of spices, fruit, yeast and light hops. Flavour’s fruity and bitter along with sweet malt, yeast and spices (pepper and more). Long spicy bitter finish. Alcohol pretty well hidden. Average to medium bodied. Quite enjoyable, I liked it.