Just received the dreaded Shipping exception from fed/ex. I needed to drink something really good so I went with this one. Thanks flexabull for this one A batch 4 bottle poured into a snifter produced a good two fingers worth of white head. That turns to a thick lace that tops of a clear golden orange body Nice yeasty aroma fills my nose. With some nice sweet fruity smells as well as a spice (pepper) note in the end. Yes it’s light and refreshing The flavors are very light on the tongue as well bananas and citrus flavors are evident up front. The spiciness of the hops comes of well and keeps this brew extremely well balanced. Light mouth feel and good carbonation keeps this thing very drinkable This is now my favorite session brew of all time. It is great on a hot day and I would love to be close enough to make this one of my session brews.

Batch 4. Again, ginormous thanks to Naka for sharing. Super strong spicy aroma - ginger, pepper, floral and grassy. Grapefruit, peach, pepper, spicy, doughy, bready, and a slight funk in the background. Full & creamy mouthfeel. Amazing.

On tap @the brewpub. This is a fantastic Belgium! Pours a pale straw color with a huge white head. Taste is dominated by the malt sweetness with a hint of yeast. Nice dry finish. Outstanding!

750ml bottle, Batch 002. Head is initially large, frothy, white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy medium yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (flowers, herbs), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of lemon/lime/orange zest, Juicy Fruit gum, clove, spearmint, pepper, honey. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation. Belgian golden ales just don’t get much tastier, cleaner, or more complex than this. Yes, it’s got a bit less going on in the nose and less tartness than the perfect 5 that was Bretty Redemption, but what’s left is still nothing short of amazing. And here I was all prepared to give it a mid-3 score. Sheesh.

Lots and lots of full pours at PP Belgian Fest on 3/24/07
I proudly proclaimed that I’d give this as high a score as the bottled version, upon trying it. But I think that was a bit of overzealousness caused by the moment and how incredibly good this stuff is. But, I can’t deny that the brett makes it a more enjoyable beer, with light tartness, more crispness and complexity and, in my mind, no drawbacks. The brett dosent dominate the beer, nor does it take away from the generous, but well-attenuated maltiness and clean, elegant, plastery-like saccharomyces nuances.
The appearance is similar to the bottled version, almost identical, of course, but for the much more controlled, smaller white head. Still a good bit of it, with light lacing left behind on the glass and a high clarity in the blonde liquid.
I’ll just say that for my money, this is about as good as saccharomyces gets. Very light, clean esters are neither overly sharp or exuberantly fruity, but yield more pear/nectarine/grapeskin-like notes. In concert with the delicate honey notes collected from the malt, it’s one of the most elegant and understated aromas out there. Soft dough/plaster and very light vanilla sit on the end, further emphasizing the yeast. Minimal, peppery and grassy hops show only light aromatics and no bitterness, as an abbey singel should. Tough to put in to words such an understated, reserved beer, and for most, it will just come off as "too light" or "weak". Not in my opinion, that’s for sure.
Terrific balance is foremost its greatest factor in the flavor, possibly tied with drinkability. Very slightly chewy malt adds almost a wheat-like consistency and gives light vanilla, cream and lemon notes through the middle, that give quite a bit of flavor, for the beer’s size. A flavor that I can only describe as rose water, or some type of floral-infused spring water, with a touch of pearskin, hangs about as well, climaxing on the finish, along with a pinch of nuttiness and light grain. Divinely clean with just a pinch of spicy phenolics on the end. Light carbonation, very strong texture for its size. Delicious and the best session beer on the market, IMHO. A lot of craftmanship to see here, if you take your time with it (or drink 5 or 6 glasses of it). Repeat after me, "Quality, not Quantity."