Tröegs Scratch 14

Formerly brewed at Tröegs Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA

12oz bottle, 2008--thanks to mbirder for the extra! Clear light golden with a one finger white head, fading to a thin ring and tattered film, and just a little lacing. Aroma of some banana-y Belgian yeast up front and lemon zest, with some spicy coriander and white pepper behind with some pale malt. Flavor is much the same, with the lemon and banana notes being the strongest, but by no means being sweet. Finishes dry with a slightly herbal hop note, and bitterness peaking around a 2-3. Moderate spritzy carbonation with a medium body. A very good US saison.

Mucho thanks Captain Cougar for this beer which is served in my little Karmeliet tulip: Frothy white head over the top of a hazy waxy yellow body and there is plenty of spotty lacework upon the glassware. The aroma had an initial very STRANGE hit of bacon, where in the hell did that come from? Anyway it is gone now leaving a more Dupont yeast driven spicy and grassy vapours on the nose. Nicely spicy and biscuity. The taste is sort of straight forward with lots of yeasty character with some old hop spiciness upon the finish but it seems to be missing something to really excite the palate. Sort of "not bad but sort of forgettable: beer palate if you ask me. Fruity and ginger based tones last long after drinking. Like I said, this is hardly bad but after the The Bruery Saison Rue I had before it, it seems a tad tame... sorry.

Bottle from JB185. Thanks! Pours an attractive hazy lemony gold color with a big fluffy white head. Smell is yeasty, citrusy, wheaty and with some coriander like spice. Taste is spiced, wheaty, lemony, quite yeasty and a touch sweet. Very bright, and refreshing with a medium body and crisp bubbly mouthfeel. Not my preferred style, but a good, flavorful example of it.

Pours a nice straw colored yellow with a small white head and heavy carbonation. Nice sweet ginger and spice on the nose. Maybe a little mango and/or tropical fruit in the background. Honey, yeasty fruit hits you in the front and then boom it is gone. Turns crisp and dry and finishes with just a slight after taste. Beautiful beer, this could hurt you in the summer.

My bottle (12oz) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- courtesy of TheEpeeist. Pours a hazy bubbly gold with an average size foamy white head. Aroma’s awesome, it’s spicy, fruity and yeasty along with some wheat and floral hops. Delicious flavour of Belgian yeast, spices, lots of fruit, some sweetness and a lightly bitter, dry spicy finish. Creamy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. I loved it!

Bottle (12oz). Shared by blankboy with me and garthicus. Cloudy light orange with an average creamy/fizzy white head (4-).Dry and tart aroma, some definite yeasty funkiness but mostly lightly sweet with a bit of lemon and grassy bitterness, somehow it seemed "milky." The taste seemed more hefe than saison - yeasy and spicy, but lots of juicy malt to it, plenty of floral bitterness and coriander - ultimately dry and not all that sweet, unlike the aroma. Slightly thick-bodied, only mildly carbonated, a nice spicy zing to the finish (ginger?). I really liked this - creamy on the palate with a spicy kick - it held up remarkably well.

12oz. thanks to JW77. Light golden pour with small white head. Aromas of soap, yeast, floral hops, slight sweet malts, and some citrus. Flavor is somewhat bland with soap, flowers, oranges, and finishing somewhat dry. Not a big fan of this one at all, but it is drinkable. Would not drink this one again. Bleh

14-2008 bottle. Poured a big foamy white head atop an opaque yellow body. I was thinking maybe a pilsner? Aroma was leafy, caramel, orange, cascades? Flavor was stongly carbonated, slightly spicey, leafy hops, somewhat sweet orange, soft citric acidity, lemony phenolic finish. Palate was just too carbonated, flavor was almost destroyed. Honestly maybe I got a bad bottle but this tasted like shitty homebrew. I’m in no rush to try another scratch.