Lectio Divina - Saint Somewhere Brewing Company

JohnW

United Kingdom (England)

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had in the "champagne" style bottle (courtesy Mr Dunderbaks Tampa) I had stored the bottle in chiller for about an hour before drinking, so was chilled but not ice cold. Poured medium dark bronze, slightly clouded, with very thick dense off while head, which faded over time to lighter texture. Initial aroma malted, slightly sweet, hints of fruit and spices, but not overpowering. Had I not known the source of the beer, would have said Belgium immediately. Taste is rich, smooth and sweet to start, but a darker finish with hints of bitterness and toasted caramels afterwards, making a happy combination. I really enjoyed this, found it easy to drink, and really in the Belgium style, even if not the depth or complexity of the best that comes from Belgium. Being slightly lighter in texture and character than some Belgium beers, makes it easier to drink than some. Would give top marks to the Brewer for giving us this, and wish him all the best in his new venture as a brewer in Florida! Hope to try more from Saint Somewhere, if I ever see them again!

JohnW
B'ham UK (written while in Tampa FL May 2008)

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2008 02:00:31 | More by JohnW

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a dark amber with orange notes and a fluffy, off-white head that slowly fades into a cap of fluff. Streaky lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of yeasty, earthy, fruity, citrus, cane sugar, nectarines, apples, peaches, and tropical fruit.
Taste is of the aromas with poached pears, sugary candy, and tropical fruit flavors.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, balanced, spicy, and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2008 02:21:11 | More by weeare138

lightindarkness

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to tpd975 for throwing this in the UGLY Duckling BIF! 750mL caged and corked poured into a large wide chalice.

Pours a very nice coppery-orange hue. Sudsy full head rises on top and leaves creamy ivory foam and some lace on the sides.

Nose is very intriguing, a mix of soft and tart fruit scents, cherry, strawberry, and plum. A very faint malty breadiness, but overall notable for the enticing delicate, yet strong balance of tart and sweet.

Taste is a great extension of the smell, with full flavor in a mild presentation. Nice soft malty middle, filling in with the well balanced sweet/tart fruit flavors of crisp apple, strawberry, cranberry, and plum. Finishes with a soft sweetness and slight mustard tone that hovers and fades completely with a soft clean detergent aftertaste. Nothing seems overdone in flavor.

Feel is relatively effervescent, with a smooth clean body and mouth-filling foam. Thickens slightly on the palate after the finish. Fairly well done.

Overall very drinkable. Biggest drawbacks are the filling carbonation and slight mustard hint in the finish. An otherwise very appealing beer with nice overall character.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2008 21:11:27 | More by lightindarkness

GatorBeerNerd

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a reddish orange tint with a very minimal amount of head that quickly disappears completely.

S: A fruity smell that reminds me of apples. It also has a sour yeast aroma as well. No hint if alcohol for an 8% beer.

T: The taste of sour apples matches the aroma. It is mixed with a yeasty flavor also present in the smell. The after taste starts of slightly sour but finishes pretty clean. Compared to other Pale Ales this one has quite a bit of flavor. I would give it higher marks but its a little too sour for my tastes.

M: It is a little more thin that I would prefer, but it gets better than average marks for the spicing that makes it interesting in the mouth.

D: The clean finish makes it relatively easy to drink. The alcohol does have a slight bit of warming that lowers the overall drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 23:47:24 | More by GatorBeerNerd

FleeVT

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml corked green bottle into a Chimay goblet.

A: This Florida brew pours a beautiful amber that glows yellow towards the tapered bottom of the goblet and culminates in an amber hue with a thin white lace. The only thing lacking was a billowy head that is a Belgian tell.

S: Sweet fruits on the nose, predominately pears and berries. Complex with caramel malts and faint hops dominating the alcohol backing.

T/M: More fruits on the palate with pear, again, leading the march. This has a real jammy taste that is fantastic, and hints of clove keep this complex. Not overly done, as the balance is great, a great example of the style. The is a heavier bodied brew that sticks to the sides of the mouth. Mild on the carbonation side.

D: Excellent sipper. Finally, Florida can be proud of more than just its orange juice!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 01:24:16 | More by FleeVT

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle

Pours a reddish amber with a nice pillowy, light tan head and no carbonation. Huh.

Is that nutmeg? Seriously, a dominating nutmeg-like smell with a spicy, belgian yeast and caramel and candied malts rounding it out.

Typical belgian style strong pale ale. A nice balanced BSPA with a candied sugar and thick caramel malt backbone.

Light, oxidizes on the tongue. Very carbonated.

Fair. I wouldn't say this is the best drinking belgian ever, but its well above average.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2008 06:06:27 | More by ColForbinBC

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a pale clear orangey color ale with a big foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of nice medium sweet caramel malt with some light funky notes also discernable. Taste is a mix between some nice caramel medium sweet malt with some subtle funky notes. Nice creamy body with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol but lacking spices and character to makes this truly interesting. I am glad I got the chance to try this and looking forward to try their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2008 19:15:12 | More by Phyl21ca

tayner

Arizona

3.13/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

759 ml corked and caged bottle.

I had a very hard time getting the cork out, finally resorted to breaking the neck off of the bottle quite carefully :)

It poured an apricot color with a medium off-white head that left very little in the way of lacing.

Nose has a lactic smell, and almost a grassy/barnyard saison nose. there is a VERY slight belgian yeast/bready malt smell as well, but this is overshadowed by the funk.

Taste followed the nose pretty much. Early on the palate was a sour/lactic tart flavor that was mixed with a bready/belgian yeasty flavor.. sourdough bread maybe? this was followed midpalate by some sweetness of fruits, apricot, peach almost.. and some funkiness of a saison almost as well.

It was plenty carbonated and easy to drink, but it was sort of all over the place for me in terms of style and flavor combinations. I did not enjoy this beer at all but i can understand how others could.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2008 20:52:30 | More by tayner

WeisGuy

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

a - pours a deep brown with ruby highlights, huge ivory head with great retention and moderate lacing, lots of bubbles

s - apples and pears dominate with a little bit of copper/metallic aroma and a decent amount of funkiness

t - like the nose, apple and pear up front with a little green apple sourness/funk, hints of the metallic notes evident on the nose, body is quite malty with moderate funkiness, some subtle caramel and toffee notes on the finish with lingering pear flavor

m - plenty of carbonation, medium-bodied, somewhat dry on the finish

d - not overly drinkable, but the complex flavor keeps you sipping

Very good unique beer from a new brewery. Well worth seeking out a bottle. I'm looking forward to trying future offerings form this promising brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 03:20:16 | More by WeisGuy

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Liked the saison, so figured I'd probably like this as well. As I suspected, it was excellent.

The beer pours a bright tangerine color with very good head retention and lacing. The beer looks quite impressive. On the nose one gets some very nice fruit (tangerine, cherry and some spice), and this beer smells every bit as good as it looks. The flavors replicate the nose; this beer is absolutely delicious. It has a nice creamy mouthfeel, but with some light bitterness and underlying crispness. There are flavors of mandarin orange, cherry and even banana. The abv. is pretty well disguised and this beer is very easy to drink.

A very nice beer from this excellent brewery. Good carbonation as well (almost too much actually). A very solid effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2008 22:08:45 | More by johnmichaelsen

orsulacp

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I bought this on a trip to FLA and the top of the cork broke off while I was trying to open it, I didn't have a corkscrew so I had to sink the cork to open it. This beer poured a cloudy orange/brown with very little white head. Heavy on the apples in both the smell and taste. A little spiciness sneaking in the smell, pepper maybe nutmeg. The mouthfeel was medium, it was almost flat, very little carbonation, very weird for a new bottle conditioned ale. It left a bit of a film in my mouth. Overall not very good, maybe I got a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2008 02:06:57 | More by orsulacp

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Whitefolks305 for the chance to try this one. Pours a slightly hazy honey color with very little carbonation. A hard pour creates a small head that fades immediately. No lacing. The color is pretty, though. Smell is unusual with some acetic apple and grape notes, some bubblegum and some funkiness. Very interesting. The flavor is less sharply acetic, but it is still there in the background. Quite fruity with more grapes, sour apple, pineapple, a bit of bubblegum. Some sweet notes followed by a sorta funky bitterness at the end. There is also some spice, that is somewhat indeterminate. Belgian pale ale flavors, but not super strong, and not at all saison-like to me as suggested by some other reviewers. A bit light for the style, but the funk takes this in a different direction. Unusual and interesting. Mouthfeel is smooth and a bit waxy with a slightly spicy tannic bite at the end. Low carbonation, but not excessively so in the mouth. Creamy, but on the thinner side. This is a very interesting beer and I'm thrilled its being produced in the South. Glad to try this and I'm interested to see how this brewery evolves. Worth trying for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 23:22:00 | More by Georgiabeer

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one had a cuvee aroma and sour apples taste mostly with big malting. Saison-like with Spices that go easy, nutmeg, cardemon, Pineapple, Some honey sweetness in there. A sipper, a degree of funky but it works. Copper with some head.Understated carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2008 01:06:43 | More by northyorksammy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Explodes from the bottle and pours a murky butterscotch color with a huge head that sticks incredibly well

Smell: Candi sugar provides the base, but there are all sorts of fruit and spice aromas wafting around here - peach, banana, starfruit, citrus peel, cardamom and clove

Taste: Opens with a fruity, malty balance that incorporates the ingredients listed above and grows in an herbal, tart but sweet direction by mid-palate; after the swallow, the flavors build in intensity and provide a lingering finish; extraordinary blend between the tart and sweet fruit flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Drinkability: My second stab at this beer and the carbonation problems that plagued the first release have been corrected; in fact, with the explosion of the cap, perhaps it needs to go back to somewhere in the middle; still, a great beer

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2008 23:31:13 | More by brentk56

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Likely Batch 1; Sampled January 2008
Cork & cage where mis-sized for this bottle, but it pops out with a carbonated pop. Pours with an almost two-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer is a hazy, reddish-orange tinted, amber color, which has a hazy, orangish copper hue to it when held up to the light. The aroma is a nice mix of tart / sweet fruit notes, crushed grain and yeast-derived spice character. Aromas of ripe, yet tart plums, starfruit and green apples are joined by spice notes of mature, dried ginger, cloves, touches of wild flowers and some grassy notes. The finish, if you dig for it has quite a substantial malt aroma of soda crackers, fresh cracked grain and an appetizing whole grain note. The aroma is quite fruit dominated, but it happens to be a nice mix of tart and sweet notes that makes it quite inviting.

The carbonation is perhaps on the low side for a Belgian ale, but it is still here and provides a soft prickle to the tongue. My first impression is that the beer is sweet and fruity tasting, especially in the finish. The carbonation provides a bit of a pepper-like carbonic bit, which melds nicely with the soft yeast spiciness; spice notes of clove, perhaps a touch of sweet, young ginger and hints of cardamom are what is most noticeable. The fruit flavors taste of ripe plums (tart & sweet, but more sweet than was in the aroma), raisins and fresh red grapes. This is quite light feeling; it has a low-medium heft to it that is perfectly dialed in for a Belgian-styled beer of this strength (at least to my palate). Such an easy drinking beer, but it still has a flavor presence that makes it a pleasure to drink. The second pour pics up a bit more sediment, which provides a nice yeasty / fermented bread-like character to the brew, while softening the fruit notes just a touch.

This is very different than any other Abbey ale I can remember having. It is much lighter, tastes more vibrantly of fresh fruit and just plain has a different flavor / malt profile. It is sort of somewhere between a Tripel and Dubbel in its malt profile (darker than a Tripel, but definitely lighter than a Dubbel); much more rounded malt character than a Tripel, but not nearly the dark, concentrated fruit character found in a Dubbel. It could certainly use a bit more carbonation (it is carbonated though), but it is a very interesting beer, that is also quite tasty. This beer does not bowl one over with it's flavors, yet it is light, pretty darn easy drinking and has a ton of nuanced flavor components that just make this an enjoyable experience. This is definitely one of those beers that you have to sample a full serving of though; while good at first, it was not until I had worked my way through a third of the bottle that I really started to appreciate this beer. I can't wait to sample more of these brews.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2008 02:56:22 | More by Gueuzedude

BeerTruth

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got this bottle courtesy of a great trader and a great guy, tpd975. Thank you sir!

750 mL caged and corked (bitch of a cork too!) green bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours a murky chesnut/amber hue with a thin off white head that instantly dies down to almost nothing. A tiny bit of lacing left behind on the sides. What an amazing bouquet of smells with this one. Floral aromas, young strawberries and a hint of yeast start this one off. Sour cherries, apples, and citrus hops tickle the nose to make this a truly wonderful brew to whiff. Taste is a sweet fruity blend of banana, nectarine, and pear; very unique and I love it. Midway through there is a freshly cut grass flavor with a hint of lemon zest. A dry hay like aftertaste with some earthy tones as well. The mouthfeel with this one could use some help. Carbonation is really lacking, I need more bubbles! Slick medium bodied mouthfeel coats throughout. Very interesting twist on a Belgian, Americanized for sure. Glad I could support a small craft brewery through my buddy Greg. I’m looking forward to the Saison!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2008 01:10:25 | More by BeerTruth

jenbys2001

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +24%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Lectio Divina was one of the many beers I sampled at the Ybor Beer Fest a few months ago. Even in my semi drunken haze and 40 some odd beer flavors on my palate, this one really stood out to me. My husband and I went back to the booth and picked up their card, eager to buy a bottle of our own to try under more auspicious circumstances. Thankfully they just started carrying St. Somewhere at our local Total Wine store, so we were able to snag two bottles this weekend.

First off I have to say the appearance of this beer in the bottle is really beautiful. My husband was especially taken by the attractive, whimsical label. In the glass it has a cream soda appearance with a floral, fruity sweet nose. Although the beer has a very Belgian flavor, it also has a unique sweetness and a complex combination of fruit notes. Some reviewers have noted the lack of carbonation however, this was not an issue with our bottle. Great twist on a Belgian style beer and a wonderful initial experience with St. Somewhere Brewing Company.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 16:43:54 | More by jenbys2001

Ozone34

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Support Local Brews! Cage broke and cork almost broke up but I uncorked this monster having to use a wine key get it out. Cork has fresh look and smell.

Hard pour into Chimay chalice renders a very fine lace around the edges. Has the murky amber color of a real apple cider.

Very fine carbonation around the edges of the glass. Smell has a little alcohol edge followed by a faint rose/ floral bouquet; And some sort of grapes.

Intial taste is a dry mild carbonation followed by a sweet grape and fruit burst. Alcohol is hidden very well and only for a short burst is it present. I'm tasting a nice spiced kick that is hard to pinpoint exactly and leaves you staring at the wall trying to figure it out. A nice warming of the throat and clean finish follows.

I noticed previous reviewers commented on the lack of carbonation. I think this bottle was perfectly balanced; carbonation held the entire glass.

Overall, I think another very good selection from our local breweries. I will always try and have a bottle of this in my selection.

-Andrew

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 07:08:08 | More by Ozone34

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.6/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to tpd975 for the chance to try some Florida offerings :)

Pours an orange/reddish hue, very cloudy and murky looking, a thin head and no noticeable lacing. My first impression was that it looks like unpasteurized apple cider.

Smell is quite floral (the cork kind of smelled like roses). Strong fruity aromas accompany the floral scent.

The taste is predominately sweet, not so much a malty sweet as a fruity sweet. Strong citrus flavoring, I think I can even make out apples, quite interesting. The taste is followed up by a slight tartness, makes me pucker a bit, but still pleasant. Goes down so smoothly that I didn't realize how quickly I was drinking it.

This is definitely worth the trade.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2008 23:58:28 | More by deltatauhobbit

Patrick999

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is my first Saint Somewhere brew....hard to believe there's a Florida brewer making Belgian-style ales in attractive 750 mL corked-and-caged bottles.

Appearance - poured in a Duvel tulip, it doesn't look at all like a Duvel, La Chouffe, La Fin Du Monde, or other BSPA. It's amber and a little chill-hazed. Head is there, but doesn't stick around very long. It does however leave some lacing.

Sticking my nose in there, I get a bursting white grape, a little banana split.

Indeed, I find a fairly vinous taste up front and in the long aftertaste. I seem to get hints of sake. It seems a bit on the sweet side. Tasty, but I think it needs more hop. Either that or less Belgian sugar. Alcohol is nonexistent. I could stand this to dry out more, but I'm not sure I've tasted a beer quite like this. To me this is pretty distinctive.

Mouthfeel - While it isn't flat, I do feel that this could stand more carbonation. Might be a little too sticky in the mouth. A few more bubbles would even that right up.

Drinkability - It satisfies my BSPA standards of drinkability. Complex enough to keep you interested, and cloaked alcohol.

Excellent effort from this Florida brewer. It will be interesting to see where this goes. As of now, while this is not perfect, it shows a lot of promise. To tackle an ale like this or a saison for the first brews you take to market seems extremely ambitious...this is the kind of bold, ballsy craft brewing we need here in Florida.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 20:35:24 | More by Patrick999

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty dark orange and brown with very minimal head off a careful pour. Nose is yeasty, funky, goodness. Flavor is full and even. Nice, fairly long lasting flavor ride. Noticeable sugar. Nice even spiced edge. This is just damn smooth. Great mouthfeel. Very drinkable. Amazing Belgian style production out of the U.S.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 06:51:44 | More by RblWthACoz

maltlqrdan

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dad brought this one up from Tarpon Springs for Christmas.

Light amber to orange in appearance.

Small bubbles that quickly disappear.

Smell and taste have very nice hints of citrus, apples; with nice malt characteristics too.

With the carbonation gone quickly, mouthfeel was average and a bit less impressive than the overall taste and drinkability.

Overall, a real good beer that I will partake in, again. Thanks for the present Dad; and thanks for leaving an extra bottle ! Who knew his little hometown of Tarpon Springs could make a splendid beer as this !

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 20:21:19 | More by maltlqrdan

Shaw

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been looking forward to trying this brewery for some time. Gotta support our local brewers.

After a struggle with the cork, (which broke, requiring me to get the corkscrew out to pull out the stub) it pours a light amber in color with a foamy head that reduces to a ring.

It has an earthy aroma with notes of grape and other fruit: pure Belgian.

The taste is also pure Belgian: fruity, earthy and yeasty. Grape flavors mix with hay and grass-like notes. The alcohol is totally hidden, I don't detect it at all.

It has a slick body that glides over my palate with light carbonation.

Overall this is a good beer -- it totally nails the Belgian style, better than almost any other American brewery -- and is one of the best brewed in the state. It's great to see a new brewery do so well so fast. I look forward to trying their other beers!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 07:02:44 | More by Shaw

Drew966

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lecto Divina pours a dark orange color with an off white head from a difficult to open 750 ml corked and caged bottle. There is a bit of citrus in the aroma. Candy sugar is the first thing I think when I taste this, there is definitely some fruit, citrus - especially tangerine, and apricot also comes to mind. A tad on the sweet side. Very enjoyable. (By the way, looking at the other reviews I notice that carbonation is an issue - not with this one, it is properly carbonated).

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2007 01:16:31 | More by Drew966

bluegrassbrew

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a goblet.

Pours a clear light amber color with a smallish head that is soon gone completely.

Smell is very nice. Tart apples and cherries as well as some slight alcohol and sugary notes.

Taste is just as good. Complex. Upon first sip it seems like a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a Flemish Red. Tart fruits are very present as is candi sugar. Malty and slightly dry in the finish.

Could use some more carbonation, as has been said before. Sticks to the back of the palate just a bit.

Overall, a very tasty beer that is just a couple of tweaks away from being very, very good. Glad to see local brewers in the Sunshine State doing a good job!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2007 02:49:14 | More by bluegrassbrew