Stillwater Artisanal Stateside Saison Review

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

Lift Bridge Getaway Pilsner Review

Name: Lift Bridge Getaway Pilsner

Style: Pilsner

ABV: 5.25%

Lift Bridge Brewing just released a brand new summer seasonal beer called Getaway Pilsner. Unlike same beers I've had from them (and have not reviewed yet,) this comes in a 16 oz. Tallboy can as opposed to the 12 oz. bottle which I'm used to seeing from this brewery; Although I have seen their Farm Girl Saison in 16 oz. cans as well.

Since it is Memorial Day weekend and only a few more weeks until the official start of summer, what better time to look at this beer than now. Hey, in the event you are out for a summer picnic or a day at the beach, you want to make sure you bring good beer!

Getaway Pilsner pours a pale yellow color with a foamy white head. The visible carbonation is quite mild and the lacing is pretty soapy in appearance. 

The nose starts off with a Pilsner & Pale Maltiness upfront with some floral hops, yeasts and a light grassy/earthy scent. A little maltier smelling and definitely more of a hop kick than most Pilsners I'm used to having.

Likewise the flavor is also pretty Pilsner/Pale malt forward but the floral hoppiness is a lot more prevalent here. In addition to that, there is a nice yeast profile in here and the earthy qualities are quite tame as well. As for the aftertaste, it's quite dry with just a hint of floral hops and Pilsner malts.

The palate as a whole is light; Both in terms of carbonation and overall weight. In other words, it's the way a summer seasonal should feel: light and crisp.

I found Getaway Pilsner to be quite good. I think the floral hoppiness in particular will help draw in people who are not normally fan of traditional Pilsner beers. At the same time, I can also see this beer being a great and sessionable beer during the hot summer months. Be sure to check this out if you get the chance!

Lift Bridge Getaway Pilsner - 8.25/10