The Bruery / Elysian / Stone La Citrueille Celeste De Citracado - Stone Brewing Co.

kemoarps

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

So, this is a 2011 vintage. It says to consume fresh. I just bought it. King's had it on sale. Now I know why it was on sale.

It pours a fairly deep crisp mahogany. Clear and pretty. Little head, fades fairly quickly.

You really catch the spices on the nose. I haven't used fenugreek in forever, so I only have a fleeting memory of how it smells, but I think I pick it up. I could just be saying that though. The yams aren't overwhelming, in fact almost more pumpkiny than yammy, but that would just be silly.

More of the fenugreek, with the squash (yam/pumpkin) coursing through its veins. lemony hop balance makes it kind of fresh. That would be the lemon verbena, as I read the ingredient list. That sweet hint might be the birch bark? That sounds like a plausible thing, so let's run with it.

I think the birch may also be responsible for hte bitter aftertaste. Not a hoppy bitterness (well maybe a little bit).

I mean.... it's a really unique brew. If you are curious or like any of the listed featured ingredients it's well crafted and worth taking a flyer on (it was on sale: that's what inspired me to pick it up in the first place). Just be fully prepared for what you're getting yourself into.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 08:19:24 | More by kemoarps

cadaugherty

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.7%

05-07-2013 22:57:49 | More by cadaugherty

Lledd

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a Sam Adams ale glass.

A: Deep mahogany brown. Medium carbonation movement. Very little head fading quickly. Honestly, it looks kind of sexy for a beer.<4.25>

S: Lemon is upfront but not overpowering. The yams come through on a sweet note with the malts. There is a very faint aroma of hops, just bitter. <3.75>

T: There's an earthy malt flavor with just enough bitter hops for balance. On the finish there is a brown sugar kind of sweetness. The root vegetables add a depth of sweetness, it's nice actually. The aftertaste is slightly bitter and has a touch of maple syrup to it. This is almost like a "candied beer", but it's not child's candy sweet, it's a deep sweet, probably from the yams. The lemon blends in really well helping out the hops and cutting the sweet flavors. This is surprisingly good. <4.25>

M: Lots of non-aggresive, small-medium bubbled carbonation. The body is a little thin for the flavor profile. But then again that might be a good thing. I could see this beer bogging my palate down if it had the body of a stout or porter. <4>

O: Surprisingly good for all the strange ingredients. Very balanced, a unique depth of sweetness and just enough hops and lemon to make it very drinkable. I will buy this again next time I see it. <4.25>

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 21:42:38 | More by Lledd

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

05-02-2013 04:59:12 | More by spycow

blknikon

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%

04-30-2013 19:20:12 | More by blknikon

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-29-2013 01:32:40 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Geuzedad

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

04-22-2013 15:26:51 | More by Geuzedad

BeerPunk1312

New York

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

04-22-2013 05:37:05 | More by BeerPunk1312

2beerdogs

California

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-19-2013 05:34:00 | More by 2beerdogs

Paonz

Hawaii

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-17-2013 05:45:13 | More by Paonz

Herky21

Iowa

4/5  rDev +11.1%

04-15-2013 22:54:16 | More by Herky21

blackie

Virginia

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

12oz from Whole Foods, Snarlington, consumed awhile back and reviewed from notes

a: poured into a tall tulip-ish glass, the beer is a grade-b maple syrup in color with a thin coating of carbonation that disappears with a quickness

s: the nose combines toasty caramelized brown malts supplemented with mild undertones of pumpkin and yam, the deeply spicy fenugreek somewhere between celery and maple evoking curry as it warms, and the robust woody mint notes of birch bark; really dig these spices - giving something of a root soda spice that plays well with the fermentable side of the equation

m: carbonation moderate - lively and a touch prickly, medium in body

t: clean toasted brown malts without the level of sweetness that the nose might lead one to expect, birch bark and fenugreek spice sit around moderate strengths, with toasty, dry notes pulling through after the swallow, a little minty with a woody, almost smoky aftertaste, grassy hop flavors and a mild to moderate bitterness

o: an interesting alt-play on the pumpkin ale style featuring some unusual spices, it’s plenty interesting on the nose, but falls a little short on the palate, without much malt or pumpkin depth for the spices to kick around with

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:12:13 | More by blackie

Auraan

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review based on a bottle purchased in March 2013, so a bit of age on it.
Poured a dark brown with no head and no lacing. Scents of roast malt, caramel, slight soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Flavor is no where near as sweet as the scent suggested. Lots of roasted malt throughout, with a sort of herbal quality on the finish. I can't say I can detect any of the individual ingredients (toasted fenugreek, yam, pumpkin, lemon verbena, birch bark) but I feel that the herbs and birch bark contribute to the herbal finish. A slight sweetness is present, but not a large part of the beer. Mouthfeel is thin and light with a low level of carbonation. Not a bad beer for something this old. It doesn't seem oxidized, gone to soy sauce or stale.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:29:11 | More by Auraan

Sparky44

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

03-24-2013 00:13:15 | More by Sparky44

Jamison85

Indiana

5/5  rDev +38.9%

03-23-2013 23:43:02 | More by Jamison85

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-18-2013 01:16:37 | More by ThePorterSorter

SPThirtyThree

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle, 45°F. It's not as fresh as it should be, but that's my fault.

A: Deep ruby brown with 1-finger tan head. The head collapses to a big splotch of scummy cream with some lacing.

S: The nose is a surprising blast of rosemary and lemon. I had no idea what to expect, but I never would have guessed these would be the main flavors in the smell. Maple, ginger, and pine. The toasted fenugreek comes through, but the pumpkin and yams are lost in the spice.

It's a pleasant nose, but it walks a fine line between delicious and odd - the birch and lemon verbena aren't the most mellow flavors and it's hard to say if they meld with the malt.

T: Sweet, forest-y. It reminds me of autumn, and I would prefer this to any other pumpkin beer any day of the week, but then again, I wouldn't really consider this a beer of that same class.

The spice lingers through the full drink, earthy and slightly citric. The malts are soft and sweet with some nice toasty notes. It's like a honey-soaked buttermilk buscuit, and the fenugreek lends a maple-syrup flavor reiterating the breakfast theme. The flavor is very unique, but surprisingly delicious. There's a nice rye spiciness, but the aftertaste has an aspartame-like, bitter flavor.

M: Medium-full body, medium carbonation, and little else, but any astringency or effervescence would have ruined the flavor.

Overall, it's an odd but drinkable beer. If you want a maple syrup/rye sandwich, it's a perfect beer, but la citrueille certainly doesn't seem to cater to the masses.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:44:23 | More by SPThirtyThree

neenerzig

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've had a bottle of this sitting in my cellar for almost a year and a half now, and I know it says on the bottle to drink fresh and not to age, and since I never got around to drinking a bottle of this fresh (did have it on-tap fresh though) so I figured it was time to crack this sucker open. Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my Stone imperial pint glass. This beer pours a clear, deep amber color with some dark ruby highlights when held up to the light. Has an off-white/tan head that is 1/2 inch thick when poured that eventually settles to a nice, very thick ring lining the inside of the glass along with swirls of foam resting on the beer's surface. Decent lacing. Aromas of pumpkin spice, rye, some toasted caramel malt, citrus, lemon grass, and honey are all present. Tastewise the pumpkin spice, rye, honey, and lemongrass flavors come right out. An interesting mix of flavors that I am not used to tasting in combination with each other, and it works pretty well! The yam flavor follows. Just enough to know the yams are there, and not overpowering. Rounded out with hints of the birch sweetness and a slight earthy hop bitterness. Very interesting and unique mix of flavors. Has a crisp, smooth, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Easy drinkin' here. Wish I had had this out of the bottle when it was fresh. This was quite tasty actually!

Eric

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:45:04 | More by neenerzig

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

03-11-2013 21:14:12 | More by DaPan

ChrisKayler

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-09-2013 04:13:20 | More by ChrisKayler

hannaho

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%

03-07-2013 20:05:26 | More by hannaho

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

03-07-2013 19:58:04 | More by orangesol

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

02-24-2013 15:38:10 | More by t0rin0

chugamugofsud

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

02-22-2013 16:22:20 | More by chugamugofsud

sendbeer

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

02-21-2013 16:47:20 | More by sendbeer