Nice Saison Seasonal Ale - Tommyknocker Brewery

jwil6902

New Jersey

1.43/5  rDev -55.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Nice caramel-amber color with full, cloudy, bottle conditioned appearance. The nose was tart, spicy and somewhat unpleasant. The taste was singularly the worst beer I've ever tasted and unable to swallow. Bitter and acidic with an overwhelming spicy lemon taste with a putrid finish. Overwhelming flavor that was difficult to clear. I have to agree with the previous review that the initial flavor could reasonably be called vomit-like, that was the first immediate reaction to the first sip.

Absolutely not what was to be expected from a Saison named Nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:37:56 | More by jwil6902

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours out a heavily clouded, darkened gold body with a small, deficient, white head.

Smell: Whoa! A definitely tart nose, with sour lemon, phenolic clove-like hints, and some understated creamyish wheat notes.

Taste: Pale malted barley and wheat with some sweetness at its base, but this 'nice' ale is wild, it's vulgar. Some spiciness. This tart, sour fruit presence cut with staunchly acidic lemon juices makes up the bulk of the flavor, here.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium-high carbonation, rather crisp.

Overall: Not so raunchy it'll come sailing back out as soon as you put it down, but close. Though, it's still somewhat intriguing, like Wesley Willis.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:19:44 | More by ChainGangGuy

wingzing85

Iowa

3.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer was a very mildly spiced with a light body and mouth feel. The flavors were all balanced fairly well although I feel it could have used a bit more body. I am not quite sure if they nailed their target with this one but I got a great deal on this 6-pack so no complaints from me. It was on sale for $2.99 at Johns Grocery in Iowa City so for the money I would probably grab another one the next time I am in there.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 17:15:26 | More by wingzing85

washburnkid

New York

2.58/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Kind of an unimpressive clear golden, with a small smattering of white lace that clears quickly. The nose is soft fruits, and I'm pulling through something else that's sweet, bordering on buttery. Thankfully, there's no butter in the taste, but it's a weird sour flavor. Light in mouthfeel and crispy, but not a whole lot going on in flavor other than old fruit and maybe a bit of grass. Can't say I'd reach for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 00:08:50 | More by washburnkid

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky, cloudy yellow, with weak diminishing head. Some fermented soured fruit notes, and some barny mustiness, but a not unpleasant funk. Taste is sour-ish only, not super prominent withe with curious notes that seem mildly synthetic, or treated in a way... a leather-ish quality, and with some sweetness, but bitterness is low but isn't built for it anyway. Not really any scary off notes here either...just a tiny bit 'off.' Mouthfeel is refreshing, but the carbonation is low, and not at all dry. This is complex brew and respectful of the style, at least in my somewhat limited experience...plus I can't go back to the 19th century to find out or something anyway. Maybe that's why it tastes a bit like a visit to a museum and I like museums, just not all the time.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 00:02:20 | More by Bitter_Echo

Billolick

New York

3.18/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle with Best By dating printed on the label.

Pour is clouded tangerine, quickly receding tan head, goes to a spotty film and minor slippery lacing.

Over ripe fruit in the nose, wheat malts, and some moldy sour lurking in the rear.

Grape juice sweet fruitiness, some more wheat notes, and again that sour note pops in. Problem is this is not a sharp/tart kind of sour, its more of a mushy, off tasting sour note, not really doing it for me, and not really fitting in well with this beer. Ehh, defiantly not my favorite take on the style…only wish I had consulted BA before buying a six pack…

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 17:15:07 | More by Billolick

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip.

3.0 A: Murky brownish orange color. Small, short lived white head.

3.5 S: Wet hay and grass. Apple orchard type funk with tart green apples. Hints of rotting log and the forest after a good rain. Red, sweet apple fruitiness to round this out.

3.5 T: Green apple-esque tartness. Hay and grassiness. It's spicy, but not in the typical peppercorn yeasty way. Rather, it's almost like a hot pepper that offers a bit of heat, but not much. Actually, it's not like that either, but it's more than just a peppercorn taste. Just try it and maybe you'll see what I mean.

4.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good spritzy carbonation. Nice creaminess and super smooth.

4.0 D: A couple categories were borderline, so here's a bit of a bonus. Tasty, solid saison. I love the tartness in here. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 21:49:39 | More by DavoleBomb

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Spring release? Damn I guess I got this too late (5 or more months late)

A - Pours a bright clear yellow with some carbonation coming from the base. Head is a mere 1/4 inch that clears to nothing not even a lace ring.

S - Smell is funky with a decent tart level and sharp lemons. Malt smells pretty good and the spices smell balanced.

T - Very weird each taste is different. Some are tasty with balanced tart lemon and some coriander and others I get some weird malt or hop presence that muddles up the mid palate.

M - Light to medium spot on for the ABV.

Overall not bad but I think they could do better. Similar to the small patch pumpkin ale it's just a weird saison.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 03:13:23 | More by DrDemento456

Beaver13

Colorado

2.25/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle, best by 7/30/12. Pours slightly hazy gold with a small white head that quickly goes to a thin film that leaves a little lacing.

The aroma is sweet bready malts, soapy floral spices.

The flavor is sweet malts with some odd soapy spices and a little sour old fruitiness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, it's too sweet with lots of odd spicing and some overripe fruit.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 04:05:58 | More by Beaver13

facundoCNB

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

a hazy yellow-orange pour with a tiny amount of head that quickly dissipated, no sign of lacing. a very subtle smelling saison.. mostly yeast, slight citrus hints.
the taste is sour up front followed up by a yeasty / acidic flavor.. i'm not gonna lie, it initially tasted like vomit but after a sip the malts take over and balance it out.
light-medium body with a nice amount of carbonation and slight creamy feel on lips.
this is by far a longshot from being a "nice saison".. it is way too funky and acidic... the vomit-like taste is really off putting.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 23:15:15 | More by facundoCNB

phishsihq

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tommyknockers nice Saison pours a hazy gold, and is capped with a thin white head and a moderate amount of lacing. The familiar earthiness of a saison yeast is backed by a slight citrus bouquet. Sweet and tart, a certain fruitiness dominates this brew, very tasty. Medium-light in body, Nice Saison is moderately high is carbonation. We enjoyed this brew again this weekend at the Colorado Brewers Festival, definitely a great way to beat the heat.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 23:16:41 | More by phishsihq

znichols

Wisconsin

2.8/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Slightly hazy yellow-gold color. Fluffy white head that sticks to the glass rather nicely. Decent looking Saison; nothing out of the ordinary here.

S- Hmmm, smells way tart! Overripe pears, butter, subtle grass, and some hay. Slightly off-putting but strangely enticing. Very strange aroma.

T- Seems like they tried to go with the "rough around the edges, barnyardy" saison here. They went overboard. Not much beer flavor. I'm getting Berliner Weiss sourness, which is a little over the top for a Saison. Some super ripe pear and slight bubblegum, really no malt of hops. No booze, which is good. Not a terrible flavor but not good.

M- Bubbly and light. Perhaps a little too carbonated, but not awful. Not anything to write home about.

O- Saisons should be slightly funky and have pronounced belgian yeast flavor, but here i just get tart, underdeveloped flavor and no depth or lingering notes. A decent attempt for an average brewery trying to reach into complex styles, but it needs to be reworked.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 02:56:03 | More by znichols

Mitchster

Michigan

1.73/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

$1.89 for a 12 oz bottle at Bevco. 5.5% ABV, 15 IBUs. "This light bodied ale combines a blend of 4 Belgian Yeast strains with an addition of Perle hops", however the website graphic says "Hops used: Sterling". Hrmmmm.

Pours out to a slightly hazy peach. Unfiltered. Thin layer of sediment in the bottle. No head, no lacing. Mild carbonation, ~1.5, very low for the style. Looks like an English bitter! The aroma is quite nice...Typical saison nose...rotting peaches, some pepper, mango and pineapple. Mouthfeel is VERY tart...tastes like kiwi fruit, citric acid, and vinegar...obviously infected, unless they specifically dumped lactobacillus and Brett into it thinking they were doing something right. Thin body.

A crappy beer. I can't tell if this mistake of a beer was intentional or not, but this shouldn't have been bottled. I haven't been impressed with Tommyknocker. I've tried their beers over at least ten years and have visited the brewery and still find myself continually disappointed. Shame on them for releasing this.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 04:14:29 | More by Mitchster

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: Philly Beer Scene Tasting panel with Matt Falco at Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA

I was privileged enough to be on the tasting panel for PBS Magazine, along with Bill Covaleski of Victory and Greg Ramirez of Exton Beverage. This was one of 21 beers we sampled during the session.

Poured a slightly hazy golden-yellow with a small fizzy head; minimal retention and lacing. Mild floral notes in the nose, hints of funky yeast and ripe fruits. Taste of grains, pale malts, light sugar, musty, hints of citrus zest and apple skins, vaguely grassy. It was decent, but kind of lacking in complexity and just overall flavor/goodness. Light-bodied, a tad watery, nothing too memorable. "Nice" is about it, and nothing more.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 05:35:20 | More by Rifugium

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a darker golden yellow color with a fizzling head that dies back in ten seconds without leaving any lacing at all. Smells like tart granny smith apples and pineapples mostly, with lesser amounts of musty grain aroma. Flavor is mostly sour apple as well, with a decent level of pucker without too much acidity, transitions into a mild lemony sort of flavor and finishes with mild citrus peel and herbal hopping. Body is light yet not watery, carbonation is also light, could stand some more bubbling action in this brew.

Overall, a tart and tangy treat for my tongue. A nice little brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 02:00:13 | More by WastingFreetime

ChrisPratz

3.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Passed on this a week ago, decided this time it was going down in my Build-a-Sixer.

A: Color pours to a very nice golden yellow, with a slight haze. Less then a fingers worth of head, quickly dissipates to small patches of lace scattered about with some all around the rim.

S: Picking up some sweet citrus, pineapple, with some apple and maybe a slight twinge of banana. Picking up some yeasty malt too with a little bit of spice. Aromas are rather light, i was expecting more as it warmed but this was not the case.

T: Very nice tart right from the get go. Sourness is very noticeable but its not overly sharp. Reminds me of sour and unripe tropical fruits, like tangerine and pineapple. Also some sour green apple candy. Spicyness comes in later, with some coriander and the yeasty flavoring going well with the tart. Alcohol is noticeable in the after taste.

M: Nice carbonation works well with the pucker factor of the tart. Needless to say its a nice crisp and clean flavor and your left with a nice dryness at the end.

O: Very good Saison. I've only had a few of these but the tartness is really enjoyable and the flavors all seem to work well. Not sure if I could drink more then 3 or 4 in a sitting but its very enjoyable for a nice spring or summer gathering.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 01:17:53 | More by ChrisPratz