Le Merle - North Coast Brewing Co.

sommersb

Tennessee

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 08-06-2012
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 375ml brown bottle, corked and caged
Glassware: Tulip
Purchased: Single from Grace's, Nashville

Hazy yellow color, with a white head of 3 fingers. Shows good lacing and very good retention.

Aromas are spicy, fruity (lemons), and peppery. Also has some musty Belgian yeast smells. Taste is zesty and spicy, with tropical fruits. Bitterness is low. Very tasty.

Feel has a lively carbonation on a medium body. Finishes with a good balance of sweet fruitiness and a dryness from the yeast.

Overall a very impressive saison. I'd pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 00:20:25 | More by sommersb

DivaTron

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- A dull amber. A bit cloudy and syrupy. A glassful of foam at first... thick enough to chew. Beautifully sparkling. Fun, inconsistant lacing that at one point will linger for minutes, and at others disappears immediately.

S- Just a bit sharp. Fresh, buttery, with a hint of basil... or fresh cut grass. It's summertime in this bottle.

T- An easy-going saison. It delivers some herbal seasoning... but mostly sticks to a clean buttery palate. As some sweetness develops the butter turns into a pleasant caramel. Very upfront. Fades into a pleasant coppery/metallic bitter-tang. Truly, excellently refreshing.

M- Front-forward presence on the tongue and roof of the mouth... very little going on backside. Some nice carbonation that adds bite but doesn't distract from the smooth buttery taste. Most of the flavor fades quickly enough to leave you with just a hint of alcohol.

I often look for a saison that is steeped with black pepper and herbal spiciness/weirdness. This might be the opposite. But the delivery is very good. It's crisp and buttery, with most of it's flavors in the foreground... with little left underneath to ponder. These are all good and bad things depending on what you are looking for. But it fills a niche that I haven't quite seen before, and for that I commend it.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 04:02:31 | More by DivaTron

GilGarp

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 mL bottle served cool into a goblet.

Le Merle is a beer that has, for whatever reason, eluded us in Colorado. We get most of the other North Coast beers here but this is the first time I've seen Le Merle on the shelf.

The cork releases with a loud pop and I pour it straight into the glass. It has a slightly hazy pale yellow color with thin white head. It settles slowly but leaves no lace.

Aroma is evident even from a short distance away. A beautiful Belgian yeast provides a pleasant fruity smell. A little bit of spice in there too.

The flavor is much more bold with big notes of spice, pepper, and lemon. It is subtly sweet at first but turns more funky and tart towards the middle. It finishes dry leaving me longing for another sip.

Mouthfeel is medium-light in body and high in carbonation but on par for the style.

Overall a well done saison and one I'm glad to have in our state.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 22:27:11 | More by GilGarp

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml. bottle, corked and caged, poured into a tulip glass.

A: Deep golden in color, almost orange, with a foamy white head that slowly settles. Lacing is solid and sticky.

S: Yeasty up front, with some honey notes, giving way to some citrus, pepper, and grassy undertones.

T: Fresh bread and funky yeast in the foreground, with a mid-palate consisting of pepper, citrus, and fruity esters. Finish is clean and has a grassy note.

Notes: Moderate to medium in body, with a very clean mouthfeel. Great complex flavor and balance make this a very palatable brew. For the money, Le Merle is a steal, as it rivals some of its Belgian counterparts.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 05:03:19 | More by WYVYRN527

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I love this bottle. It is artsy and minimalistic with its outline of a merlin bird. I especially love the subtle touches of yellow for the beak, eye, and beer name. The color scheme is simple: black, white, and gray with touches of yellow. I also love the choice to cork this beer. I think fat bulbous corks are awesome, and I love the little twisty things that go over it, as well as the designs on the top of the little twisty things. Overall the bottle feels classy and simplistic and I really enjoy it. This bottle is definitely worthy of a prime spot on your shelf.

The beer pours a nice paling yellow at the bottom of the glass with a slight oranging on the top. It’s almost straw yellow with a slight ambering at the top, and a huge fat whit bubbly head that has a decent retention, and sticks to the sides of the glass, forcing peaks to run up the edges in a wall of lacing. The beer is also quite hazy, but sits in the glass beautifully. The smell is light and fruity sweet with some nice lingering spices and a strong underlying citrus orange kick. Pineapple also seems to be present in the smell, which is lovely.
The beer tastes quite strangely bitter, with a very harsh cut on the tongue. There is a nice light fruity flavor to this beer, much like the smell with spicy hints and very sour feel in the mouth and on the tongue which has got me lips puckering slightly. This is far more of a sour-ale than any other saison I have tried, reminding me more and more of a lambic ale. Carbonation and harsh bitter/sour attacks the tongue right off the bat and hides some of the more slight spicy flavors that seem to exist as ghosts in the beer. The beer leaves the tip of the tongue tingling with harsh bubbles, and thus mutes a lot of the after-flavor as well. Orange and slight pineapple are still present in the flavoring. Overall I feel like the beer sits too sweet and harsh on the tongue which kills other flavors complexity and doesn’t really make it for me. This beer has an awesome bottle and pours very lovely in a glass, but its taste and smell don’t deliver. I rank this a meh beer with an awesome bottle (I really like the bottle if you haven’t noticed…).

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 00:32:58 | More by Maxwell

chugalug06

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A good looking bottle. Nice subtle label. Brew pours three-finger, white, fluffy soap, head. Brew is Very murky orange-yellow.

Pineapple, orange, lemon, pepper, and Belgian spice. Slightly tart.

Very smooth and drinkable. High carbonation, wet and refreshing. Lemon, orange and peppery-spice dominate. Yep, is a mild tart saison.

Whoa. This brew totally caught me off-guard, as it sat on the shelf, I almost passed it by... Glad I didn't. Highly recommended at the $7 price and for an easy summer drinker. Compares well to Great Divides Colette.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:26:01 | More by chugalug06

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours medium to dark orange with a towering head. Nice lace.

Spciy yeast, some nice honeyed malt, nice spiced bite of bitterness at the end. If you have this complexity in the nose, look out!

Dried out yeast with some brief sweet malt. Turns quickly with some peppery woody spice and yeast, some bitterness, and a bit of a dried out finish. Honey and dried bitter malt. Great brew.

Medium body, good firm carbonation.

A great domestic version of the style. Love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 00:26:32 | More by OtherShoe2

DavidST

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. This pours a clear golden color, fizzes from the bottom, short lived white head. Smells of role citrus fruit, malts. The feel is medium, high carbonation. The taste is pretty good, some Belgian esters some nice amount of malts.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 01:18:09 | More by DavidST

rarbring

Sweden

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clouded dark yellow brew, an off-white head with little lacing but good curtains.

Smelling winey, grapes, grape-fruit, and peaches.

Sweet sugary start, white wine, grapes, apples and spices.

Medium low carbonation, fresh texture with a good body, a light sour dryness,

An easily accessible Saison, a bit on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 18:55:51 | More by rarbring

gregk

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice bright appearance with a full head. Very good spice notes. This is one of my favorite examples of a Saison. Very well balanced and lots of character. I only wish I could find it on draft in more places :)

North Coast does a great job again! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 16:55:20 | More by gregk

elNopalero

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a cloudy, lightly orange-golden color with a tightly laced foam top. I pick up some floral, yeasty ester aromas reminiscent of apricot and citrus flowers. Smells great. A light floral note come across with each sip. There’s a little bit of farmhouse funk and a lightly spicy finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 22:20:28 | More by elNopalero

bmwats

Louisiana

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a becker.

A: Golden hue. Heavy carbonation. pours a giant, bubbly, white head. Craters slowly leaving a mountainous landscape, and plenty of sticky residue. Lots of beer ring lacing. Head renews with each pour.

S: Fermented raspberry and cherry.

T: Baked white bread with light flavor of fermented fruit.

M: Light body with a light fruity refreshing quality. Pungent, steely, aftertaste.

D: Refreshing. The high alcohol quality is absent.

Atmosphere is pretty solid. Nice hue, giant head, and lots of lacing. Nose is mostly fermented berried. Flavor is a light bready flavor with the same light fermented fruit flavor. Overall, this is a pretty good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 03:10:32 | More by bmwats

kaseydad

California

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Into the Bubba Gump glass ya go.

Pours a clear straw colored ale with a MASSIVE frothy white head. Suprisingly no lace at all. The smell is refreshing and clean. Lotsa dark fruits (plum and pear), orange, floral and light malts. The taste is a combo of malty, spicy and fruity. All competing together with a malty start, fruity middle and spicy finish. Got the burps started on me. Light hops and peppery aftertaste. Average mouthfeel. Nothing noteworthy. Overall I thought this was decent. Love the brewery but this just wasn't one of my fav's from them. +1 for the bird you can gaze at on the label while partaking....though he does look slightly in pain.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 00:54:23 | More by kaseydad

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Wow! There's a ton of head that comes pouring out! Eventually, it pours a hazy golden, yellow with a mountain of head that remains. The head is bubbly, loose, white and has great retention.

S - white grapes, belgian yeast funk, straw, faint spice, musty

T - white grapes, clove, mild bitterness in the finish, belgian yeast

M - medium bodied, warm, smooth, decent carbonation

Pretty typical Saison. Tastes almost like a Belgian pale ale. It's drinkable, but one dimensional. I wouldn't pay the price tag for another bomber of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 00:45:33 | More by tdm168

mntlover

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy darker yellow color with a big frothy white head that falls slow, sadly only light lace left behind.

Aroma is good nice sweet malts loaded with tropical fruits, mango, apple and pears mingled together. Fruits are lightly tart and mingle with funk and lightly spicy yeast notes.

Taste is like the aroma nice starts lightly sweet, then the tart fruits show up for a second moving right into spice and a funky finish. Little sweeter then most Saison's I have had but only sweet for a little while before the funk sets in.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side but with good average carbonation level.

Overall a pretty tasty Saison one worth re sampling for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 00:26:11 | More by mntlover

tjkinate

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been on a Saison kick lately.

A: 1+ finger soapy white head with little retention settling to a few bubbles atop this transparent golden bodied brew.

S: Floral, honey, grass with hints of spice.

T: Like the smell, heavy honey, lemon with a sweet spice undertone.

M: Well carbonated, medium bodied.

O: Good beer, but I like funk in my Saisons.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 19:37:01 | More by tjkinate

haddon

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tumbler with an apricot color & an egg white top

Biscuit & lemon aroma with some spices

Fruity (apple, lemon and pear) with spices arriving by mid-palate. spices linger in the rather dry aftertaste

Medium body with spritzy carbonation

fine representation of the style. when done right, I find Saisons drinkable but never overpowering. dry & refeshing... great drink to have on a warm Spring evening.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 15:05:50 | More by haddon

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

Lightly chilled 25.4 oz. C&C bomber with no visible bottling date. Poured into a 9 oz. snifter.

Look- Pours a tawny apricot/medium anber color with a finger of fizzy head that falls quickly. Not much in the way of lace. Well carbonated, from the look of the rising bubbles.

Smell- Sweet, generous helping of tasted malt. Lightly fruity, with hints of citrus rind, peach, and pear. Mild flowery yeast presence. As it warms a bit, it takes on an apple cider-like, almost vinegary quality.

Taste- Tastes like it smells, starts and finishes tart, with various pale fruits (white grapefruit pith, pear, apple, under-ripe peach) poking through in an off-again on-again manner. Bready malt is there, but buried beneath the other flavors, although it makes more of a showing once the carbonation has died down. Finishes with a taste reminiscent of fig. Aftertaste is clean, with a light grainy flavor reminiscent of toasted caraway seeds. I'd rate this one higher on taste, but the sharp carbonation really masks the flavors.

Mouthfeel- Medium-to-full body, heavy carb that accentuates a moderate pucker. Drinks like syrupy champagne. This one's a slow drinker. A very slow drinker.

Overall- Very wine-like, fruit flavors dominate. Sour, but not offensive. It's actually pretty darn good and the only gripe I have is that the flowery yeasty character I look for in a saison is hidden behind the acidic fruit flavors. Actually, I have another gripe- the carbonation is really too excessive, and kills it for me a bit - I'd consider decanting this one and pouring it back and forth between glasses to take the edge off. I'll probably pick it up again sometime to pair with dinner, although I'd pass if I was just looking for something to drink while relaxing after work.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:38:58 | More by Lawl3ss

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Rick's in Alexandria, Served in a Mikasa tulip.

Pours a slightly-hazy golden color with a HUGE rocky white head. Retention is phenomenal. There's a thick sheet of lacing as it goes down. Really impressive-looking beer.

The nose starts off with some peppery phenols plus some herbal spice. Light pilsner malt behind that. Muted nose, but pretty nice. The flavor is heavy on the yeast, with just a touch of malt and hops as background. Pretty good amount of spice being carried through by heavy carbonation.

The body is light-medium. Dry and smooth through the finish with a bitterness level that is a bit above average for the style. No noticeable alcohol until the final portion of the finish.

Overall, pretty good. This has a nice yeast profile but gets the alcohol level a bit too high. I think taking this down to 6-6.5% would lead to a more crisp and drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 21:04:00 | More by Thorpe429

chinchill

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shared 750 ml bottle.

A. medium golden color; Slightly cloudy. Rather average head and retention.

Lemony and yeasty aroma with green apple. Slight cloves. Very slight earthy.

T: Fruity flavor. Rather tart. Some white pepper and plenty of cloves.

M. Medium carbonation, perhaps a tad low for style. Near medium body.

O. A nicely drinkable saison.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 01:35:44 | More by chinchill

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Surly Goat in West Hollywood, CA.

Pours a clear golden color with a white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, spices, yeast, and some light fruity aromas. Taste is pretty much the same but there is also a slight soapy flavor on the finish. This beer has a light level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good saison that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2012 06:48:59 | More by UCLABrewN84

onewetpaw

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip.

A. Pepper. Slight cloves. Very slight earthy.

A. medium golden. Slightly cloudy

F. Nice pepper and cloves flavor. "belgian" yeast flavors dominate. Very light phenolic flavors.

M. Medium carbonation, slightly low for style. Nice pop from the corked and caged bottle though.

O. A nice drinkable saison. This compares favorably to my homebrew versions, but lacks the complexity seen in the classic style reference examples like Dupont.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 13:01:01 | More by onewetpaw

specksnreds

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The unadventurous pour was a little uninspiring with its lack of foamy head, but the color was nice. "Just like honey", as JAMC would sing. Smells nice+. Estery, but not to a fault, and a nice spice. Which spice, you ax me? I'll go with coriander, sure, coriander. Tastes of something nice, inoffensive and a lovely drink of spice and fruit. With some tingle and fruitiness in the finish. I like the bitterness too. Goes well with the banana-y-ness. I'll hit it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 00:21:42 | More by specksnreds

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pint at Alibi Room in Vancouver. From notes.

A - Poured golden with mild carbonation, one finger of white head left a film of retention and good drapes of lace.

S - Lot's of orange, grassy hops, citrus, and yeast.

T - Lot's of orange, grassy, yeast, citrus was strong, candy.

M - Nice carbonation, medium body, sweet finish.

O/D - More like a strong hefe. Not saisony but tasty. Worth a shot, but not if you're expecting something more to style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 17:52:51 | More by tbeckett

wesbrownyeah

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

North Coast Brewing Le Merle Farmhouse Ale 7.9% alcohol, poured into pint glass from corked and caged 750ml bottle.

A- Pours a hazed golden fluid that radiates in the light causing the inside of the glass to be slightly orange. Huge foamy white head rises as the beer is first poured taking a few minutes to settle into a nice half inch head that stays for the remainder of the brew.

S- Musky yeasty spice upfront remind me of a dusty cellar. Light scents of lemongrass and lemon rine are noted.

T-M- Fresh flavors of lemongrass, allspice, lemon rine, and dusty yeast upfront. Secondly I note s smooth sting of citrus hops underneath the musky yeast. Carbonation is bountiful with more than enough to tingle the tongue and slickly roll over the palete.

Overall a very drinkable and enjoyable beer in the aspects of a sunny day or just to quinch any thirst for a good user friendly Farmhouse that doesn't push to much funk... Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 05:05:00 | More by wesbrownyeah