On tap at Ambulance, docile straw-cleared 25th anniversary ‘petite saison’ retains sedate citric-soured herbage, dry pilsner-wheat malting, light white-peppered hop bite and neutral cracker banter. Lemon-seeded bittering upends floral-spiced pineapple, mango and passionfruit tropicalia. In the bottle, crisply clean dry-hopped yellow fruiting gained floral-spiced sweetness and minor barnyard acridity as wispy grapefruit, mandarin orange and lemon peel tartness subsides.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, luscious springtime moderation brings floral-daubed Belgian India Pale Ale citric pining to dry-hopped herbage and pale wheat malting, expanding usual sour-fruited saison styling. Zesty lemon juicing and brisk pineapple-grapefruit-orange-honeydew tropicalia pick up soft white-peppered florality. Dainty rose petal, elderberry and chamomile adjuncts receive honeyed sweetness to reinforce fruity tea-like finish.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, sashaying smoked saison loses initial peat-smoked campfire insistence to moderate citrus tartness and mildly dry earthen leathering. Creamy wheat syruping contrasts dewy earthen rusticity as sweet orange-peeled grapefruit zest lingers behind. A wayward hybrid bereft of advertised smokiness by arid citrus-induced finish. In the bottle, peculiar ‘amber ale’ with peat-smoked barley and dewy wheat syruping gains Band-aid-like astringency. Buttery phenol residue invades murky orange-candied tartness and dry whiskey nip.
On tap at Track 84, slightly askew limited edition (2015) saison brings wood-grained lemony grapefruit tartness to hop-spiced herbal tea stead. Wispy lemongrass, white pepper and earthen soil accents contrast tertiary banana bubblegum sweetness at sour citric finish.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, daringly complex hybridized saison tosses light buttery saffron pungency at green chili pepper burn, obscuring stylish lemony orange souring but not at the expense of good taste. In deep recess, cayenne-peppered ground cinnamon, curry and cumin wisps increase chili heat.
Ambitious stylistic depth marks expressively melodic ‘sonnet.’ Everything’s in harmony. Moderate lemongrass adjunct influences zesty tropical fruiting, herbal honeyed saffron spicing and mild white-peppered hop bittering. Candi-sugared Belgian yeast sweetens curacao orange, peach, pineapple, mango and tangerine tang. Delicate French breading underscores ascending banana overtures, creamy vanilla caress, distant butternut squash snip and wispy cologne-laced alcohol sway at spritzy citrus finish. Recommended.
On tap at Growler & Gill, lemon-soured saison picks up mildly creamed vanilla sugaring, light banana-clove-coriander snip and ascending orange-peeled grapefruit bittering. Salty carbolic spritz contrasts fruit-spiced sweetness.
Underwhelming springtime saison tries to utilize blanched strawberry tartness but gets pared down by lemon-soured yellow grape esters and musky horseblanket astringency.
On tap at Ambulance, subtly fruited collaboration with Switzerland’s Trois Dames pushes aside usual citric-soured saison styling for evaporative strawberry tartness and dry earthen musk. Wispy lemon liming thins out alongside pithy seltzer-crisped strawberry resonance to its honeyed biscuit spine.
On tap at New York Wing Factory, appeasing moderation brings sharp citrus fruiting to salty white-peppered hop bittering and soft-watered minerality. Sour lemon rot, mild mandarin orange tartness and light tangerine tang provide subtle illusions above mild barnyard rusticity.
On tap at New York Wing Factory, perfunctory Calypso-hopped version of well respected saison fails to deliver. Pungent floral-perfumed citric spice and barren white-wined yellow grape tartness receive musky earthen barnyard rusticity. Fungi-like navel orange rot, lemon musk and dessicated pineapple never fully integrate.
On tap at Ambulance, dry-hopped springtime farmhouse ale just misses the mark. Perfumed yellow grapefruit bittering stays sharp and sour lemon-rotted tartness provides decent backup, but musky cologne-like spicing is an acquired taste.