Cynthiana - Saint Somewhere Brewing Company

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Thanks to vacax for sharing this one at GRG1313’s tasting.

Pours a murky light orange with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt, grain, and citrus aromas. Taste is much the same with sour citrus flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:55:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a thick golden apricot color, large fizzy white head.

Smells of sharp funky brett, some grass and hay, mild tartness, some pears and other light fruit with a moderate fruity sweetness too.

Taste opens with funky grass and hay again, pretty bright and pretty funk, good among of brett, a little sour but not aggressively so, some banana and pear and white grape. A bit of hop bitterness. Good stuff.

Nice very well carbonated mouthfeel, soft and a bit creamy, pretty refreshing.

A very nice light sour, funky and lots of interesting stuff going on but refreshing too.

8.2/10

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:42:31 | More by AlexFields

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Hazy gold body with a white head, moderate retention. Clear, sticky lacing. Aroma includes candi sugar, citric orange, tart apple, grape, grape must. Taste is mildly tart, notes of pineapple, green apple, passion fruit and green grape. Lovely yeast, the alcohol isn't noticeable at all and very tasty and easy to drink. Lovely as usual.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2013 03:59:03 | More by KickbacksSteve

macrosmatic

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at Southern Brewing & Winemaking. Poured into a stange.

A: Pours a somewhat hazy bright gold, with a three-finger white head of large bubbles. Great amount of visible carbonation.

S: Fruity esters (banana and apple) with pale, cracker, and pilsner malts, with an undertone of funkiness.

T: Follows the nose. Very fruity (apple, pear, bit of citrus) with some barnyard funk to be sure. Very dry on the finish - almost bitter in the hang (don't think this is a hop bitterness though).

M: Light body, lots of carbonation sensation, and the alcohol is well-hidden.

O: This is very tasty. Recommended, and I would gladly have another.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 21:00:33 | More by macrosmatic

nsh221

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden amber. Huge but not thick head that took a few minutes to die down. Solid lacing.

S: Awesome. I'm a sucker for Belgian pales and that's what i got. Big yeast with hints of fresh fruit, a little funk and a little alcohol.

T: Similar to the nose. It's a nice blend of saison tart with a more classic Belgian ale. A bit of malty sweetness fading into an excellent dry finish.

M: Well balanced. Moderate carbonation and body. Enhances most of the flavors already there.

O: Good beer, super drinkable. Not exactly what I was expecting, but for a style blend it is pulled off awesomely.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 16:29:54 | More by nsh221

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a copper/amber color, hazed with chunks of sediment, big plume of cream colored head. Scent brings big notes of tart green apple, light notes of prune, bread and brown sugar, lightly floral. Taste much more subdued then the big scent lead me to believe.... Tart green apple, almost Brett like sharpness on the tounge, finishes bready with light spice, notes of plum, finishes with a light vinous quality. Dry through out, creamy and smooth. Unique across the board, good Belgian ale notes blend with solid farmhouse style.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:18:41 | More by rfgetz

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange with a finger tall off-white head. The head reduces by about 50% and has a much thicker ring at the edges of the glass but the rest of the head last throughout the entire beer. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Nice amounts of sourness and funkiness in the aroma for this beer. There are also some hints of citrus - both lemon and orange - as well as some grassy and earthy notes.

T: There is some really nice tartness in the finish of this beer, likely from the addition of the Norton grape. The beer has hints of spices/pepper as well as citrus (lemon/orange), green apple, and some grassy notes.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation. Slightly prickly with a dry finish.

O: Very enjoyable and with a really interesting tartness + sourness from the grape - this is not the typical brett sourness that is often found in the style. Easy to drink, if you like saison and sours.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:01:06 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is cloudy dark yellow in color and poured with a finger high white head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of vinous grapes in the nose along with notes of sourness and hints of yeast.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of grapes along with notes of yeast.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is also a bit of dryness in the finish.
O: The sourness of this beer is interesting and makes it unique compared to other beers in the style. It is rather easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 01:36:24 | More by metter98

phichifiji00

California

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Copper color. Pours 2 inches of off-white head that fades at a moderate pace. Moderate lacing.

Smell: bready, earthy, brett, citrus, caramel, anise, apricot.

Taste: citrus, caramel, bready, banana, spices, peppery, lemon, lime, oarange, vinous.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, silky, smooth, slightly tart, dry finish.

Overall: very tasty, fairly complex, drinkability is high. well balanced, An all around good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 06:23:07 | More by phichifiji00

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into CBS snifter.

A) This was a dark amber, that was somewhat cloudy. I was perhaps a tad aggressive on the pour, which led to a massive 3 finger head of off white foam. It settled quickly, and left some decent lacing.

S) The aroma of yeast and fruit brings out that farmhouse funk. This is earthy/grassy. There is white grape/white wine aroma. There is just a hint of alcohol.

T) Yeast and grassy hops, green apple, white grape juice. This has some citrus zest, like lemon or lime peel. There is unsweetened green tea. Then you pick up some black pepper.

M) A medium body with a good amount of carbonation. This had some zip and some zest. There is an initial creamy feel, but it doesn't last. This finishes dry. The aftertaste lingers a bit.

O) Glad I had the opportunity to give this one a try. It was quite enjoyable, no wow factor for me personally, but overall a very solid farmhouse ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 02:46:01 | More by RoamingGnome

lnashsig

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My second Beer of the Month club review! I've been wanting to try the Saint Somewhere beers for awhile now. Poured from bottle into Jester King Farmhouse Ale glass. Pours a gorgeous golden copper/bronze color that is somewhat cloudy. A rich white head leaves about 1 finger of tight white bubbles on the top of the beer. A really great looking beer! Smell- incredibly complex. I get almost a vinous tart quality that reminds me of over ripe guava or mango melded with chardonnay grapes. Next, I get some sort of dark fruit presence- figs, dates, raisins. Reminds me of something I would smell in a trapist ale. A very interesting mix of flavors that works well. Taste- almost the inverse of what I just smelled. First noticeable taste is a jammy appearance of figs, dates, raisins. Next is a tart, borderline sour and sweet flavor that coats the roof of my mouth and teeth. On the end, at the back of the throat some bitterness that manifests itself in a light liquorice taste. Just so complex, so many twists and turns this takes you on. For 8%, you can tell the booze is there, but its not overly done. This is a really special beer, that I am glad I had the chance to try.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:50:24 | More by lnashsig

drvgiordano

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this not to long after bottling. I can tell you that this was an excellent beer. I wish Saint Somewhere would make this again!

Appearance: Nice amber color.

Smell: This smells fabulous. There is a hint of the grape at the end. Not a grape juice smell, nor a wine smell. But the grape is there!

Taste: a little sweet at the end. I think that if I lager this beer it will really pull together.

Mouthfeel: This was nice. Like a lot of Saint Somewhere beers there is a lot of activity going on here. So lots of little bubbles that fill the mouth and enhance the overall experience on the pallet.

Overall: This is a great beer, and rare. It is my understanding that this is a one time release so if you can get your hands on it you need to do so and fast!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 15:04:27 | More by drvgiordano

rdickey

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark but clear gold into my trusty Golden Monkey tulip. A fine fluffy white head perches on top and clearly intends to stay.

Smell: A green apple tartness comes across first for me, quickly joined by white wine, citrus and a very slight hint of funk.

Taste: Very nice. The tartness continues, but the other vinous flavors move more to the fore. Hints of classic Belgian black pepper come through, as well as a sort of rounding breadiness. The wine attributes keep it bone-dry from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied; this one really dances in the mouth.

Drinkability: Quite high. There’s no question that the wine elements make this an unusual beer, but they also conspire to make it a highly drinkable one.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:45:38 | More by rdickey

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip.
A: Pours a murky burnt orange-amber with 2-3 inch light tan bubbly head. Good retention. No lacing.
S: Banana, clove, cinnamon, funky grains, citrus, and spice. Very inviting, nicely complex, and makes me think of some sort of odd but beguiling mix of Belgium and Cuba.
T: Blood orange, mild banana and clove, hint of beglian spice. Notes of white wine, lime, and astringent tea.
M: Light-medium body. Smooth with a pleasant spicy tingle. Dry white wine finish.
D: An interesting, nicely complex, and easily drinkable brew. Very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 06:19:24 | More by mwilbur

kmo1030

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a murky amber color with a moderately sized not quite white head.
the aroma is vinous with a soft green peppercorn character, citrus, corriander, clove.
in the mouth it's a little tart and a little sweet. there's orange peel, horsey funk, grape juice, pepper, baking spices, corriander as in the nose, a certain yeastiness, fig, caramel, and some bergamot. a little residual sweetness draws out a long finish.
the mouthfeel is soft a medium bodied. the carbonation subtle.
overall a nice saison with a lot going on. my only critique would be it's maybe a little too busy. there are certainly worse problems to have.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:59:33 | More by kmo1030

Dope

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A medium orange-amber pour with an enormous effervescent head atop it. Retention is mid-range and so is the lacing.

S: Lots of orange and lemon up front, especially when cold. Some apple and grape. Bready yeast and some grass. Finally, little bit peppery.

T: Tart grapes mixed with some citrus and apples. Yeasty in the middle with some bread and cloves. Very drying like a white wine. Tartness carries well into the aftertaste with a touch of grass and pepper.

M: High carbonation, medium bodied and quite drying as mentioned above. Almost a touch chalky as the aftertaste lingers.

O: An interesting take on a saison. It reminds me of the Mystic Saison fermented in sauvignon blanc barrels but just not quite as good in any area. The tart grapes tend to dominate the saison flavors and thus it's a bit unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:46:09 | More by Dope

bbHOP

California

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just got this from our Rare Beer Club shipment... what a beautiful bottle / label - have been looking forward to trying this.

A: 2 finger head with fairly good retention and some sticky lacing - didn't bubble down as quickly as I thought it might, given the style. Beautiful golden-orange, hazy brew.

S: Wow - you get the grape from this right up front! I read that Cynthiana grape must was added to the secondary here, and it is immediately evident in the nose - beautiful! Also get a typical belgian yeast smell - fruity esters with a bit of spicy alcohol evident.

T: Tart and crisp with the belgian yeast fruitiness at the forefront. The strength of grape that comes through in the nose is somewhat diminished here - but toward the end, there is a bit of a fermented, sweet juice flavor that comes back around.

MF: Medium mouth-feel with a light carbonation present throughout - smoother than expected (in a good way).

O: Very good beer - a great Belgian farmhouse ale. The grape incorporation really plays nicely with this style in my book - adding some nice fermented fruit notes to the farmhouse funk, but not overpowering the brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 16:48:10 | More by bbHOP

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Named for the grape whose must was employed in this brew. The more you know, eh? It pours a cloudy sunset amber topped by a large amount of thick off-cream foam. The nose comprises white grapes, green apple, red apple skin, wheat, orange peel, light lemon zest, mild brown sugar, clove, sweetgrass, light fig, and a touch of donut-like sweet bread. The taste holds notes of green apple (mostly skin), spicy white wine grapes, light white bread, coriander, black pepper, clove, banana peel, orange peel, slightly bitter grass, very mild horse blanket near the finish, and a vague sense of green tea throughout. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a very nice beer, decently complex, a great take on the farmhouse ale. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 06:45:49 | More by TMoney2591