Name: Stillwater Artisanal Stateside Saison
Style: Saison
ABV: 6.8%
Tonight I've got a beer from the classily named Stillwater Artisanal Ales based out of Baltimore, Maryland. It's a brand that I've seen on the shelves before and have heard about in the past but have never seemed to try it out. Thankfully that changes tonight!
I've got their Stateside Saison, and with it is a beer label that just screams Ed Hardy. I mean seriously, I half expect to see this style of logo on the t-shirt of a college frat boy rolling with his buds at a nightclub in downtown Los Angeles.
Appearance - Very hazy yellow color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head, while foamy during the initial pour, is on the thinner side with a filmy appearance and the lacing is quite abundant and has some excellent retention.
Aroma - Right off the bat, I'm picking up on some Belgian Yeast and clove notes. However, I'm also getting some mild passion fruit notes and floral hops in here, along with some pale maltiness. The fruitiness in particular seems to be more prevalent when I move away from the glass itself, but it could also be in my head.
Taste - Strong Belgian Yeasts and cloves on the front of the palate before following up with some surprisingly strong bitter hoppiness and light floral hoppiness. The malt profile teeters between pale and pilsner, and there is just a hint of earthy/grassiness here as well.
I think I would've liked this more if it had more of the fruity characteristics that I picked up on in the nose. However the flavor still holds up very well, and while it doesn't match up with what the nose leads you on to, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a good beer. If this is available in your neck of the woods, I would say that this is worth giving a try.
Stillwater Artisanal Stateside Saison - 8.25/10
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