Hello everyone. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be sharing with you my experience in tasting a Stillwater Stateside Saison produced by Stillwater Artisanal Ales located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Stillwater brews are not all that common around these parts, but I have seen a few bottles floating around, so when I found this one sitting on the shelf I had to pick it up and give it a go.
From the website, stillwaterales.blogspot.com, we find this bit of info regarding the Stateside Saison.
Stateside Saison pays homage to old world tradition while celebrating new world innovation. Naturally brewed with the finest European malts & fresh aromatic hops from the United States & New Zealand. It’s then fermented using a classic farmhouse ale yeast and bottle conditioned to enhance stability. The outcome is a beer of unique design and exquisite taste, showcasing some of the best attributes of modern-day craft brewing.
Ok. Let’s try it.
This beer came in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 6.8%.
It poured a hazy, orange to copper color. The head was huge and white with a very rocky, bulbous, soft and fluffy texture. It looked liked foamy, “whipped” cream or something The retention time was outstanding to say the least. The lacing was both patchy and sticky. A very attractive looking liquid in my opinion.
The nose presented some light barnyard/funk notes as well as hints of orange and lemon citrus. A decent shot of hay and fresh grass matched up well with a solid fragrance of earthy hops. I also discovered a minor tone of pear and a very light peppery spice. Some yeast and clean breads too. Overall, I didn’t find the fragrance to be particularly strong, but a lot seemed to be going on here. It was well balanced, harmonized and pleasant enough.
The taste was very, very relaxed, but like the aroma… well balanced. Some easygoing fruitiness of orange, lemon and pear. The funkiness was quite complacent, however well suited. The grass and hay were found again along with a touch of pepper, yeast and some extremely moderate floral relishes.
The mouthfeel was medium to thin bodied. Very light and airy. Dry, crisp, refreshing and very thirst quenching. The carbonation was altogether lively and prickly. A sturdy amount of flavor was left behind on the palate after each gulp as well.
I tell ya, I think this would be a great intro Saison for someone wanting to explore the style. It’s a super easy drink and it has a lot going on, however it’s toned way down, which would allow for an easy transition into this arena in my opinion. For me, I would love to have this during one of those unbearably hot and humid Summer days that we have here in Kentucky. I doubt that I would ever turn it down if it were offered, but it doesn’t quite reach the level of some of those “world class” Saisons that are on the market today. It’s still a very, very nice beer though and definitely worth a try if you see it. So, with that being said, give the Stillwater Stateside Saison a try sometime. I think you may find it to be a pleasant little drink and one that you may revert back to from time to time.
Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 3.8 out of 5
Grade: B+
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