North Coast Le Merle

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

500 ml bottle. Golden and somewhat hazy. Throws a really tall fluffy white head - a porous one. Very high carbonation content as bubbles rise to the top quickly. Prickly, peppery and a little pear-like aroma. Straw and some citrus. Dry sensation. Prickly from the carbonation. Acidic and powdery from grassy hops. Cider-like, but drier and more bitter. Citrus-flavours. Peaches and pears. Dry finish from hops.

26.12.06 500ml bottle. I was pretty surprised to see this and actually had forgotten about the paltry (though listed on RB) beer selection at Whole Foods Middletown.

Looks like a saison alright, golden straw with medium sized off-white head that is sturdy and lasting. Aroma is nice, sweet, lightly grassy, some tropical fruits (mostly pineapple), and fairly oakey. Thin to medium bodied, weedy, and lots of tropical fruits with a quick bite of lemon zest. Strong and growing oakiness manifests in a woody astringency and very mild vanilla. Light diacetyl comes through in spots. Huh. Nothing unpleasant about this saision except the $8/500ml price tag. Definitely not worth the money for another go-round.

500ml bottle Purchased at Whole Foods. Enjoyed on Christmas Day, the first of the evening with my good pal Josh. Pours cloudy golden yellow with a puffy white head. The aroma has notes of fruit, and slight hints of citrus. I haven’t been a big Saison guy in the past, but it has been a while since I’ve had one. The taste is light and refreshing with a slightly bitter after taste. The after effect lingers in your throat for a bit. Decent saison from my limited experience with them. Glad to see some covert North Coast Action.

Cloudy Yellow Coloring with White Skin. Yeasty, Herbal Aroma. Very Yeasty Flavor...Dry...Sorry to Say Cardboard Notes at the End...Overall..Herbal/Vegetable Notes..Perhaps Not the Best Bottle but Certainly Not a Bad Saison When it’s in Good Order.

I enjoyed this Saison quite a bit. I noticed some belgian floral characteristics and some yummy yeastiness too. Not a ton of spices which was a bit of a disappointment but they were there. Very smooth and mellow for the 7.3%

0,5 l bottle, thanks grüve. High carbonation, fluffy head. Bread-like smell. Fruity, cider-like taste. Earthy smell. Refreshing. A nice ale.

Big shiny offwhite lasting head over hazy yellow body with lots of carbonation. Bready, yeasty aroma of fruit and earth, with a sharpish metallic edge and citric notes. Sharp earthy, bananaish taste with dry, ciderlike metallic aftertaste. Lots of carbonation in the mouth. A nice saison. Good, but not too special. (0.5l bottle.)

Massive white head with good retention and plenty of stringy lace. Hazy gold colored brew with white highlights. Spicey nose, coriander, citrus, lightly bready, melony, nice spiceyness. Body is light, spritzy with a light oilyness. Spicey, peppery flavors, citrus, light grainy notes. Finish is dry, light and spicey.