Brooklyn Sorachi Ace Review

Name: Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.6%

I mentioned before that I'm a fairly big fan of Brooklyn Brewery and it's offerings. This summer I'll be going to New York for a wedding and a tour of the brewery is on my list of things to do. That of course will depend on how long we'll be in Upstate New York for, which where the wedding is being held and whether or not we'll have enough time to do so.

About a week ago, I stopped by one of my local liquor stores and was recommended Sorachi Ace, which is a Saison/Farmhouse style ale. My experience with this style has either been it was really good or too skunky for my liking. Usually it's pretty good, so I can't complain, so I figured I'd give this one a try.

Upon pouring, it has a dark yellow & gold color with a mild haze and quite a bit of carbonation activity. It does, however, get cloudier the further through the bottle you go which I believe comes from the yeasts used in making Sorachi Ace. It also finishes pretty clean too so there's no lacing to be seen.

The nose has consists mainly of lemon zest, pilsner malts, yeast, and a slight floral hop aroma. This saison has more of an earthly aroma to it, as opposed to a sweeter aroma that can be found in other saison ales.

Pilsner Malts & Yeasts are fairly heavy upfront on the flavor; Which is in turn backed by cracked peppers, floral hops and lemon zest. The yeast notes in particular get stronger the further through the bottle you go, correlating with the cloudy appearance you see when drinking this. Again, fairly earthy in taste but not overwhelmingly so. It finishes with a rather dry  but bittersweet Pilsner Malt aftertaste.

The body is fairly lightweight and the carbonation level sits perfectly between light & moderate. This makes it quite crisp and refreshing to drink.

I was surprised by Sorachi Ace because my experience with earthy Saison/Farmhouse Ales have usually been bad ones, but this one changed my mind! Its flavor is nicely balanced, refreshing and it makes for a tasty beer.

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - 8.5/10