Lectio Divina - Saint Somewhere Brewing Company

nppeders

Minnesota

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

appearance - brown that is reminicent of a belgian Dubbel.

smell - alcohol, brandy, wood, earthy,

taste - plums, dark fruit, great bread, caramel, don't get any brett like I was expecting. It is a touch sour and tart on the back end and finishes strong with the dark fruits.

mouthfeel - mouthfeel is rather full, with very low carbonation

overall - I really liked this beer. I was hoping for a little more funk. The nose was like brandy which I'm assuming was from barrel aging or was it brett(?). I think a little better discription of the actual beer on their website or their bottle would be helpful. Can't wait to try something else from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:11:35 | More by nppeders

wspscott

Kentucky

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

750ml bottle into Duvel tulip
2010 on cork, in the fridge since July 2011

A: Did not even get the cage off the cork and it blew, but no gusher. Don't point the bottle at someone when you are opening this :) Dark reddish color with one of the biggest, fluffiest heads I have ever seen. The head is a light tan color and it eventually drops to one finger and surprisingly leaves no lace. My first thought was it looks like a dubbel.
S: A little dirt/earth and a hint of sourness.
T: A little tartness and a little earth, in the background is a flavor that reminds me of sour cherries. No hint of hops or alcohol. No caramel sweetness either, definitely not a Dubbel.
M: Very crisp with a lot of tingly carbonation. Very dry on the tongue which surprised me given the color, I was expecting a little more roundness, but I guess the Brett chewed through that.
O: I am not a saison expert, but I have had more then a couple and from what I can tell, this beer holds it own with the classics. This would make an excellent pairing with some good cheese, but you could easily enjoy by the pool on a hot summer day. Excellent, well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 19:21:59 | More by wspscott

oline73

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap at Max's

Appearance: Pours a reddish amber color with just under a finger of off white head that fades quickly.

Smell: Very mild. Malt and banana with a few herbal notes.

Taste: Malty banana. A bit tart with some herbs and a sweet malty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this one was just ok. The sour hints made it more interesting, but the flavor combination just didn't do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 01:39:57 | More by oline73

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle with a 2009 cork in it, picked up at Premier in Buffalo. Didn't really know much about it except that St. Somewhere does some good stuff.

Pours a ruddy brown that look a touch like a dubbel. Finger of head which has some good retention.

Nose is quite fruity, some bread, a touch of spice, honey, a dash of something mineral. Flavor reflects the wild yeast a bit more, swore there was Brett in it, though it is so balanced with the other characteristics that it doesn't demand attention. Dark fruits, fruit bread, a dash of spicy saison yeast, mineral/Brett like dryness, floral, touch of barnyard.

Really easy drinking, pleasant bone dry finish, smooth. The first half I was a little wary of this one, really unique - but it came together for me and I enjoyed it. Don't go into it expecting a saison, unique hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 03:10:08 | More by ritzkiss

russwbeck

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this in a BIF a while back, I'll edit this when I figure out which it was. 2008 on the cork wow!

A: Hazy brown pour with yellow edges. Brownish yellowish strange head that is extremely bubbly and doesn't stick around very long. Amazing how good the carbonation is after 3 years.

S: The smell is really interesting. Lots of booze, some sour, and malts mostly.

T: Mostly tastes like a weak amber ale with a little saison mixed in. Malts sit on the backend.

MF: The carbonation really impresses me considering the age. Crisp, light, refreshing, not a lot of booze. The smell is a bit misleading.

O: Not bad at all. Not as good as Saison Athene IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 00:02:57 | More by russwbeck

jsanford

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml C&C bottle poured into a Tulip. Cork shot off as soon as I removed the cage, luckily this isn't my first St. Somewhere beer so I was prepared!

A - Pours a dark reddish mahogany with a thick bone-colored head. Great retention, leaves some spotty lacing clinging to the glass.
S - Moderately sweet aromas of dark malt, figs, and brown sugar crossed with a funky Saison yeast strain. Nice and spicy.
T - Dubbel crossed with a Saison sums up this beer perfectly, all of the trademark flavors of both styles are here : Fig jam, brown sugar, raisins, and caramel malt with that funky Saison yeast that imparts coriander and drying lemon juice. Very unique.
M - Crisp, with a medium body and sharp, effervescent carbonation. Finish is quite dry, precisely how I like my Saisons.
O - Excellent, unique take on a favorite style. I love this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 14:45:47 | More by jsanford

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ The Avenue Pub, ACBW Finale. From notes.

Pours an amber/orange color, head was light tan and didn't stick around long. Smells funky, with a slight barnyard funk about it, yeasty, bready, slightly sugary sweet with a bit of fruitiness. Definite tart taste, and it's yeasty funky. Bready notes, slightly fruit-ester-y, and with a mild acidity. Crisp body, slightly high carbonation levels, slight oily, slick texture. An interesting beer. I can't yet appreciate sours, but this was nice and doable, being on the lighter end of the spectrum and more slightly tart and funky, rather than puckering. Seems like an appropriate sort of gateway into what I would call a taboo sort of category of brews.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2011 19:42:03 | More by EgadBananas

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As I started untwisting the cage the cork decided it was goin to blow itself out of the bottle and hit the roof of my friends kitchen. Being thankful I still had both my eyes I proceeded with pouring the beer out. The beer poured with a nice brownish amber color with a white foamy head. The smell of the beer was earthy and had a sourness on the nose. The taste of the beer was on the tart side and had some nice earthy saison flavors in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and has a big amount of carbonation to it. Overall this is a pretty tasty brew. I enjoy Saint Somewhere's techniques and what they're making. Very cool stuff all around.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:11:42 | More by Knapp85

grover37

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this at Paradiso Dupont during happy hour. Think it was $5 after the discount. From notes.

Appearance (2): Pours a dark, opaque orange. Very little head which reduces to a thin ring. Some legs but hard to see as it's a bit murky. Not very impressive.

Smell (4.5): Sour, tart cherries.

Taste (4): Spritzy, sharp tart cherries and raspberry up front. More tartness and cherries in the middle with a bit of a harsh astringency, perhaps from the oak. Finish darker and dry, with some more raspberry and plum perhaps. There is a lingering sourness, a touch of funk, and some raspberry hanging around.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Effervescent, slick, and dry. Medium bodied and medium to high carbonation.

Overall (3.5): There are lots of bright fruit flavors which are enjoyable, but the bit of harshness was off-putting. A friend thought they tasted diacetyl, but I didn't pick it up. It hides the 8% well, and it doesn't taste much like a saison to me. Worth trying at the least.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 21:10:57 | More by grover37

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a light brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wild Belgian yeast, caramelized malts, some fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts with mildly sweet and tart flavors of fruit and caramel that are quickly followed by breadiness from a hearty malt character and wild Belgian yeast. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good hybrid of styles, this is a decent complex beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 02:49:44 | More by TheManiacalOne

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lightly hazed reddish tinted amber color, huge rush of off-white head, dicipates quickly, leaving a ring of carbonation that leaves spotty lacing. Scent brings notes of tart and lightly soured watery fruit, lightly carmelized sugars - getting vibes of fall with carmel apple thoughts. Taste is a bit more powerful then the nose leads on. A batch of freshly camelized sugar, a touch of aged apple cider (lightly earthy, funky and wooden) notes of berries squeezing though. Medium bodied, despite the intial rush, carbonation is in check and a nice touch for the style. Quite a unique sipper and good into into this breweries skill with the saison/farmhouse style.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 13:31:24 | More by rfgetz

AgentZero

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Orangish red beer with a small white-tannish head that left a few spots on the side.

S - Sweet sugar, caramel, and butter. Diacetyl really dominates in this one.

T - A little Werther's original buttery and some sweet caramel and sugar surrounded by hints of stone fruit, lactose?, and yeast. Really buttery.

M - Medium bodied, low carbonation.

O - Okay beer. Nice butter sweet combination, but quite simple. Quite drinkable as well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2011 23:48:49 | More by AgentZero

Florida9

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Holy carbonation! This one went off like a loaded gun - didn't even have the cage off the cork before the cork shot out, bouncing off the ceiling, spraying a fizzy brown liquid all over my kitchen. Beer itself is brown in color, cloudy to the point of being opaque. Appears pastel. Forms a huge, uncontrollable dirty sepia toned head that has very good retention, but leaves no lacing.

S: Complex. Fruity malts and Belgian yeasts. Lightly sweet with scents of raisins, toffee, and apple.

T: Sweet blend of deep malts, light Belgian yeasts, apple, spices, and raisins.

M: Medium in body with excessive carbonation that fizzes on the tongue every time I take a sip.

O: Nicely complex, over-carbonated. Character comes out as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 01:25:36 | More by Florida9

Rizalini

Nevada

3/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into my Deschutes pint glass...

A - Pours a murky, muddy brown, apple cider color, with a fizzy head that disapates very quickly.

S - Smells like a tart apple cider. Spicey notes are present as well.

T - Not as tart as the smell would lead on. I do get notes of apple, clove, orange and cherries. Finishes clean and dry. Almost leaves peppery aftertaste.

M - Has a light mouthfeel, and in my opinion, over carbonated.

O - This is my first Saint Somewhere, and my first farmhouse ale. As a basis for my first review, this beer isn't bad. I dunno if I would buy another one, but I'm glad I tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 05:13:03 | More by Rizalini

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from 2008.

A: The cork explodes out of the bottle as soon as the cage is released. The beer pours a dark amber color with a tall tan head.

S: There is an interesting fruitiness to the nose that is lightly tart as well. Some red apples, floral notes, spices, yeast, and bready malts are all present on the nose. A little on the sweet side, but quite interesting.

T: The flavor is quite similar, but there is a distinct alcohol note, especially on the back end. Otherwise there are good fruit, spice, and yeast flavors to the beer. Lots of red fruits like apples and berries to the flavor profile along with some caramel.

M: Medium to full bodied for a saison with a rather high carbonation.

O: It would have been a lot of better if the booze wasn't so strong.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 22:28:21 | More by womencantsail

dfillius

Michigan

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

Poured into a snifter
A: Cloudy brown liquid with some amber highlights. !/2 finger of fizzy-looking ecru head with good retention
S: Bright fruit. Some bready malt.
T: Apple, cherry, lots of fruity esters. Applesauce followed by a peaty flavor.
M: Chewy
D: Tasty, and I'd like another. I'm glad it was a 22 oz-er.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 15:10:39 | More by dfillius

PorterLambic

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy, a translucent coppery orange in color. Good sized head develops but dissipates quickly and with all the sound of a soda head disappearing. There will be no lace at all.
Smell is malty and sour with green apple. Some spice note present, clove and pepper mostly.
Taste is exactly as promised to the nose. Malty, sour with notes of pepper, clove and tart apple.
Fairly full bodied, lightly effervescent. Just a faint hint of warming from this 8% ABV ale, tread lightly. A good beer. A bit of coating the upper palate after a few moments is about the only knock.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 19:23:02 | More by PorterLambic

Radome

Spain

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

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a snifter.

A - Beer is medium amber with a distinct orange or red tint. It is not quite crystal clear. Initially an off-white thick head that dissipates quickly. Very little lacing. Lots of tiny bubbles rising through the beer.

S - Very complex, interesting aroma of old leather or barnyard, crisp malt, wood and sweet sugar notes. Not sharply sour in smell, more like a barrel-aged beer only slightly sour.

T - Initial taste is of malt, but it fades quickly into semi-sour, vinegar-like flavors. This is finally replaced by a strong wood/oak note. Finishes slightly sweet with oak or smoke lingering. Very complex.

M - Light body. Some hops bitterness, but in the background. Carbonation is not really a factor in the body.

D - As with other Saint Somewhere beers I've had, this is heavy on the aged character. Still, it is not puckeringly sour and has a complex interplay of flavors. A nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:39:31 | More by Radome

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.38/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Chimay goblet... it's a cloudy red-amber color with a LOT of bubble and small white head that dissipates quickly. Still a lot of bubble coming up a few minutes later.

It smells of malt and sour notes... a little caramel hint in there and some sour fruit smells. Not bad.

The flavor is a lot more sour than the aroma... a little woody note at the end of the sip.

Okay... this is a lot more sour than the typical BSPA that I've had before, which is also typical of the other Saint Somewhere brews I've tried.

I've been wanting to get more into sours, so it's nice to try these but they're a little rough to get into. I certainly wouldn't want to go straight to another one!

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 23:23:30 | More by theboozecruise

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a plastic tumbler.

It's kinda funny how under-the-radar this brewery flies around here. So much so that I barely noticed this beer is carried all over the place by me. Go figure. It pours a hazy russet-straw topped by finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises butter, grass, light horse blanket, and flowers. The taste brings more of the same to the table, along with some tart caramel. Honestly, I'm not sure how my brain registered the flavor of tart caramel, but those were definitely the words that came to mind regardless. The body is a fluffy medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a pretty dry finish. Overall, a pretty nice beer, not my overflowing cup o' tea, but nice nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 23:20:04 | More by TMoney2591

beersensei305

Florida

2/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I was very much looking forward to tasting this beer since it is brewed locally, but this was a disaster. I don't know if this was just a bad batch that I picked up at Whole Foods but both bottles exploded as they were opened... The appearance was nice despite the monstrous head that foamed up. It was copperish brown tan head. The smell was yeasty and malty some citrus character. The brew tasted the same as the smell but more citrusy and rather skunky. I didn't finish this brew. One day I'll try again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 17:59:00 | More by beersensei305

FreshHawk

Illinois

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

A - Extremely hazy orangish brown color. Good sized, creamy, very sticky, foamy, off-white head. Decent retention leaving a thin, creamy lace.

S - Definitely sides more on the dubbel/amber than the saison part. Ripe fruit is very strong with apple and plum being the strongest. Strong spices as well with ginger, clove, and orange peel leading the way. Touches of raisin as well. Very much a Belgian amber aroma.

T - Starts with a fruity flavor like the aroma along with a slight malty/bready flavor. Mid sip more spices come out with the ginger, clove and lemon/orange peel. Has a bit of a saison taste toward the finish. Finishes with a slightly tart and funky apple flavor. Jam/preserve like flavors are pretty strong.

M - Medium body with plenty of carbonation. Zesty feel.

D - Sweet and spiced but not too difficult to drink. I enjoyed it but one is enough for a while for me.

Notes: 2009 on the cork. Huge gusher, twisted the cage twice and the cork went shooting off with about half of the bottle gushing out. Not really a saison, reminded me more of a Belgian amber. Sweet fruit mixed with spices reminded me of a spiced preserves or jam. I enjoyed it but probably won't get it again unless it is on sale.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 03:13:37 | More by FreshHawk

GallowsThief

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 750 ml into a Duvel. Be warned as soon as the cage was loose the cork blew straight off. Cork was dated 2010.

A - Pours a reddish orange color with epic light brown foamy head.

S - Has a nice spiced smell that seems to come from nutmeg and allspice. Nice fruity smell as well with just a bit of sweetness.

T - Starts with a nice spicy flavor almost peppery. Follows with some nice fruit tartness that reminds me of green apple. Finishes with just a bit of sweetness to balance the whole flavor off.

M - Well carbonated. Medium bodied and leaves a very dry feeling.

D - For an 8% ABV this is really drinkable. Great overall taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 00:26:56 | More by GallowsThief

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a bottle for an X-mas gift. Drank it while bottling some homebrew. Read a few other reviews, and glad I did as once I removed the wire cage the cork shot off. Luckily, someone else mentioned this so I was holding onto the cork. Cork has 2010 written on it.

Pours a ruby red with four finger off white, brown head that fades down. Some suds cling to the glass. Smells of green apples & citrus - must be the Brett. A little bit of woodiness, some vanilla, and some caramel flavors. The alcohol is a bit solvent like.

Tastes like a chewy taffy/caramel bar. Molasses seems evident. Sourness is desirable. Gives it a nice above medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good & keeps the beer effervescent. This one is a real sipper. A delightful bottle conditioned brew from a brewery I've never heard of. Will have to seek out more of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 19:58:01 | More by jwhancher

aepb1

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A- Hazy brown body with a decent white head that dissipates quickly

S- A bit of a malty belly but very saison sour as the prevailing note

T- Some sour fruits (apples?) up front and finishes a bit sweet. A really nice balance

M- Medium body and overly carbonated airy

D- The mouthfeel could be a batch issue but good otherwise

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 16:31:13 | More by aepb1