Sartori Harvest IPA - Driftwood Brewery

OF001

4.19/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

650 mL btl served at 7C in a tulip. Just a little experiment to see how it developed. I know it is a fresh, wet, single source hop IPA that is meant to be had fresh; but frankly I was unimpressed with this year's offering on the day of release and it got better during the ensuing days/weeks. Hence the tasting now.

AVERAGE SCORE should be 4.75 at least

Slightly pale, matte amber pour with slight copper/orange tones. Nice frothy off white head that ends quickly but laces well and good carbonation (etched tulip helps) gives it a lasting film. 3-4 protein clumps and slight sediment.

Very low nose, mainly pine and orange with a mildly sweet note. Very muted, but expected.

Beautifully balanced. Overtones of orange, slightly fresh not but hints of older (not stale) citrus oils. Nice solid malty base that is mildly sweet, some bread and gentile but precise yeast quantity. Hops, mainly citrus and leafy. Only slightly bitter but a fresh resin note that is oily in texture but also effervesent. This hits every layer of hops. Muted floral notes with a titch of berry and forest bush.

Medium to heavy body with the carbonation giving zesty contrast to its weight and perking up the citrus flavours and holding up the mid-level hops. Dry-ish finish that is still satisfying enough that i don't feel like i need to have more, but i really want to.

I may have given this a 4 on first release. Maybe. It was unbalanced in my view. This on the other hand is fucking fantastic. IPAs are not my favorite. By the balance and depth of this, especially in the malt is amazing. the lack of nose is the only thing that keeps it out of the 5s as it hold back slightly the flavour profile of the more fragrant hops. While not a traditional IPA, for what it is this, NOW is in the top 3 beers I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 23:56:26 | More by OF001

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A golden copper clear IPA with bubbly and foamy head that initally was 2 fingers and slowly settles leaving lacing along the glass and plenty of variable bubbles.

S:Big fruity smells of peach, melon, pineapple and sweet maltiness. The hops show through with notes grapefruit and pine sap, with a trace of minerals at the very end.

T: Pine sap & grapefruit up front, the hops are bright and pop, then quick subside and allow sweet and smooth malty notes in the mid point, the malts to shine through to support the bright hops. There is a mineral trace in the background that reminds me of the hard water mineral flavour.

M: Light to medium bodied with a buzz of carbonation all the way through. A light syrup mouthfeel coats the palette and give the brew a subtle body while the carbonation is refreshing.

O: I like this beer more than I expected - I worried it wouldn't hold up to the hype. It's bright and malty, light and carbonated - it's one of the best examples of a West Coast IPA for my dollar. I'm a serious fan of Naughty Hildegard and this is yet another great example of Driftwood's exceptional skills.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:20:49 | More by FondueVoodoo

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.08/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

So, Rutager tricked my buddy into giving him my address here in Holland so he could send me this surprise. Thanks heaps man! Living where I do, surprises like this are few and far between. Very much appreciated.

From a bomber into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger, medium looking, off-white head with good retention. Head becomes a little foamy after some time, but slowly fades to a full foam cap. Gamboge orange in color with almost no carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp remains leaving some foamy lacing down the glass. Nice looking beer, though the head ends up a little on the foamy side for my liking.

SMELL: Wonderful nose on this. Honeydew melon, lots of pineapple, orange peel and some nice lemon notes as well. Very nice, bold fruits on this one, with a touch of pale and caramel malts as well. Very nice.

TASTE: Starts with some pale malts, sweet caramel notes and some honeydew melon up front. Flavor becomes more forthcoming after the swallow, with floral and piney, bitter hops, touches of orange peel, lemon, and some light hints of honeydew melon. Delicious for sure, but the flavor doesn't quite match the magic that is the aroma. More pine and floral forward than expected.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Not quite as creamy as hoped, a touch prickly perhaps, goes down fine and finishes somewhat dry on the palate. Enough weight, but not quite as smooth and creamy as expected.

OVERALL: The nose on this was spectacular, but the flavor wasn't quite in the same league. The aroma prepared me for a melony, fruity hop bomb, but instead, the flavor showcased more floral and pine qualities. The feel was also not quite as smooth as I'd expected. Despite the slight identity crisis here, this is still a top class, enjoyable beer from a brewery that has done nothing but impress me so far. These guys might be my favorite in Canuckville. Cheers again Rutager. Top class surprise man!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 20:05:55 | More by Jeffo

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking forward to trying this one for a while. Thanks to Rutager for the bottle.

Poured from a 650ml. bottle and split with my wife. Best before date is blank but who are we kidding, all these will disappear in a month!

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy, light gold body. Lots of head which really takes its time. As it diminishes, the head is bumpy and bubbly.

Smell: Hops in the form of papaya, ripe peaches, juicy mango and a bit of sweet sugar. The fruit really shines and jumps out.

Taste: Hop juice with mix of peaches, mango, hint of melon and a tinge of grapefruit in the finish. Veers more towards a sweet fruit-like presence rather than bitter.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, creamy smooth, some bitterness shows its teeth but is more in the background.

Overall: A solid IPA that i would love to have on a regular basis. Get one if you can still find it.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 11:17:51 | More by papat444

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage, 650 ml bomber poured into an imperial pint glass.

A - Opaque golden amber, two fingers of supple off-white head, ample lacing.
S - Sweet, floral hops - pungent but subtle - with a hint of malt
T - A masterpiece of restrained Northwest hops. Balance is outstanding, there is zero bitterness
M - Full and tingling on the tongue, sticky and smooth on the finish.
O - What is my favourite Vancouver Island IPA? With honourable mentions to Switchback and Pandamonium, it's a deadlocked match between this and Fat Tug. Driftwood knows its art.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 07:16:26 | More by schopenhauerale

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

4.68/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy light amber. Nice creamy off white head. Aroma is a fine citrus IPA, with sweet grapefruit and some pineapple. Bit of biscuit malt in the back. Puckering bitterness hits right away, but very pleasant citrus hops (pineapple and grapefruit again) and a great balance. Mouthfeel is a bit puckering, but overall it's a nice balance leaving you want another sip.

Overall a very fine IPA indeed, best one I've sampled since Pliny I think, which is high praise.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 02:47:29 | More by IllNate

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

thanks to rutager for this

pours a clean bright copper with a creamy white head. nice lacing and retention. bit of haze towards the bottom of the bottle.

lots of citrus fruit, mainly grapefruit and various orange.

a subtle yet complex hop variation. lots of citrus with a well blended pine and resin. nice balanced bitterness behind sweet citrus. malt backbone was hidden and balanced.

tingling from the carbonation lines the lips, bit of a chewy body. but drinks easy.

this was great, loved every sip, would drink many times again

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 03:01:11 | More by hooliganlife

beertunes

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to DaftCaskBC for giving me this one. Poured into straight pint glass. Poured a slightly hazy (this is an unfiltered beer) golden amber color with about an inch of off-white head that had good retention and lacing.

There was a bright, bold hop scent across the olfactory unit as soon as the beer was opened and it got bigger when the beer was poured. A closer sniff revealed some bready malt and I found a bit of a honey-like sweetness in the background. The flavors were good, solid malts which gave a nice foundation to a variety of hop flavors.

The body was fairly typical for a NWIPA, full and a bit sticky on the finish. Drinkability was very good for a 7% brew, I would have drank the whole 22 myself, if I hadn't been sharing with OKComputer. Overall, a very nice brew that's worth a bit of effort to try.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 19:02:28 | More by beertunes

cosmicevan

New York

4.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

many a thanks goes out to DaftCaskBC for a taste of some canadian pride!

a - opened the bottle and filled my capt lawrence taster tulip. beer poured a rich transparent orange with a thin white ipa head with milkshake like lacing. visible carbonation raced to the surface of the glass. much deeper than the fat tug i had earlier.

s - nice sweet hops. lemon, orange peel...candied hops. smells really nice and fresh.

t - much thicker and richer than the fat tug i just had. syrupy hops. fairly sweet and candied hops. great ipa, but somewhat sweet and kind of toffee like from the malt presence.

m - full bodied. very rich.

o - overall, another FINE ipa from driftwood. really enjoyed fat tug and this one, but fat tug was a bit more my speed...but hot dawg some great ipas are flying under the radar up north. driftwood needs to get in cahoots with unibroue so i can get these locally. really impressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:51:50 | More by cosmicevan

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

650ml bomber thanks to EskimoDave poured into tulip 27/10/11

A glows amber and it just looks thick with suspended particles throughout, not many bubbles but they produce a dense two finger cream colored head that lingers for a little while leaving thick rings of lace

S some marmalade with a healthy dose of floral hops, citrus, there's some faint pine and loads of tropical fruit pretty nice

T much more pine then the nose and lots of toffee that I couldn't smell, a little sweet and just missing something the nose had still just beautiful though

M thick and creamy from the bubbles with a nice mellow bite too it, a little sticky sweet and some grit left behind to chew on and taste for ages

O perhaps a 4.7 for taste and feel so "exceptional" seems appropriate here, this is sweet hop candy that I just want to eat all day, World Class beer here

BC is pumping out the good stuff and I think Driftwood is leading the way, I didn't think I'd like this as much as Fat Tug and to prefer it amazes me.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 07:24:43 | More by wordemupg

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance. Pours a clear, light golden-amber with over a finger of frothy white head that fades fairly quickly but leaves some nice bands of lace.

Smell. Really nice floral hops, some mixed citrus fruits citrus and just a little light toasty grains. This stuff smells great.

Taste. Really nice floral hops, citrus fruits complete with rinds, some caramel and light grains, a little grassyness in the bitter finish.

Mouthfeel. Above light in body with smooooth medium carbonation. Really nice.

Overall. Another kick-ass beer from Driftwood. Wish they were around for a while longer, but I can see why they sell out so fast everywhere. I need to grab a bunch of these while I still can!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 23:46:56 | More by Rutager

DaveJanssen

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 poured into 16 oz nonnic pint. Reviewed 14 October 2011.

Ar: Fresh citrus resin, mild floral, pine, clean malty sweetness,

Ap: Dense light tan thick head, great retention, light lace, brilliantly clear copper

T: Resin, piney, fresh wet resiny bitterness from the hops, citrus peel, mild floral, clean malt base with , grapefruit, fruity, light tropical fruit, strong citrus and pine, light alcohol in the finish

M: Medium carbonation, smooth medium body, pleasantly assertive resinous bitterness in the finish without being rough or over the top.

O: Very well done, great all around without being over the top,

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 02:52:55 | More by DaveJanssen

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: 3/4" tan coloured head that left a nice lacing over amber liquid with excellent clarity.

S: Citrus, earthy and pine hops.

T: Very interesting taste profile. Citrus, earthy and pine hops up front which transitions to a biscuity malty and almost honey-like finish. Very nice.

M: Medium viscosity and a medium to low level of carbonation with a slight drying finish.

O: What a hop bomb. Although it clocks in at 66 IBUs it seems like more. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 01:54:41 | More by DaftCaskBC

psiweaver

Washington

4.9/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Alan from Hair of the Dog shared this at the Matt Release

A- Pours a light amber with a beautiful soft white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Very nice medium size bubbles.

S- Amazing rich floral hoppiness with lots of citrus, a slight ine backing but mainly rich citrus zest

T- Amazingly balanced. this is one of the best IPA's i've ever had. Great citrus flavors, very flavorful. Fantastic world class taste.

M- Very smooth great bubbles perfect carbonation.

D- very easy to drink. wish this was produced more often and in a bigger quantity.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 05:15:34 | More by psiweaver

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to H1N1 for sending me a fresh bottle of this!

Poured from bomber in to Duvel Tulip glass.

A - Light orange colour, completely filtered with a half finger of head that quickly disappeared.

S - Nice fresh bitter hops up front with some citrus and pine notes. A nice sweet caramel malt backbone provides just the right amount of sweetnewss.

T -A well balanced IPA. Nice bitter pine and earthy hops. The citrus that was in the nose doesn't come through in the palate. The malts provide a good backbone of caramel sweetness. The bitterness lingers nicely in the finish.

M - Medium body, nice chew. Lightly carbonated.

D - A very good IPA. A little citrus in the palate would have made this one stellar. Glad I got to try this.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 00:10:45 | More by TheSevenDuffs

OskarL

Sweden

4.38/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear amber/copper color with a white three finger head that has good retention and leaves nice sticky lacing.

Smells of noble hops, pines, grass and citrus.

Taste is grassy, piney hops, herbs. Hints of yeast, alcohol and some sweet malts in the background. Finishe with some bitterness lingering for a while.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, low carbonation and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 00:13:47 | More by OskarL

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great IPA from Driftwood. I wish they did this year-round, but I guess this would sort of defeat the purpose.

Amber-to-light copper colour with a nice white head that is almost like froth on a cappucccino.

Fresh, floral hops, bread dough, toffee and a hint of yeast all are present in the scent.

Strong, but lightly floral hop taste with a mild bitterness. Low, creamy malt background.

Good carbonation, not too fizzy but more zest than some IPAs I'ce had. Even at a 7%, this is still a nice beer to sit bank and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 03:52:32 | More by BDTyre

H1N1

British Columbia (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a clear light amber with a finger of beautiful white head. Head recedes, leaving a light layer of foam. Lots of carbonation bubbles rise from the bottom of my glass.

S- Nice floral and citrus hops. A faint pine smell comes through. The citrus is most prevalent, but blends beautifully with the rest of the scents.

T- Strangely, the pine comes through first with the citrus following behind. A bit of alcohol is evident, but beautifully balanced. Floral notes are subtly showing through under all the tastes from beginning to end. Very smooth taste. This beer has great balance.

M- Medium bodied and smooth. Perfect carbonation.

D- One of the better IPAs that I've tasted. Very smooth and balanced. I could definitely drink this all night. Too bad for the limited run. I would love to be able to get more of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 06:59:59 | More by H1N1

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Driftwood Satori Harvest pours a slightly hazy light amber with a nice head that slowly fades. The aroma is big, pungent grapefruit and dry orange citrus hops with a nice spiciness and allusions to a bold bitterness. Some sweet pale malt pokes through just a bit in flavor, followed by a big citrusy hop burst. There is tons of resiny grapefruit flavor, but also plenty of herbal, slightly earthy and spicy hop character. The resiny bitterness lingers in the finish. This is the best wet hopped IPA I've had, really showcasing the Centennial hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 05:16:10 | More by ericj551

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, ritzkiss shared this one with me.

Pours a clear amber/orange, nice and bright, thick slightly off white head forms, drops a ton of lace spots, settles down to a pretty thick layer, good retention.

Smell is nice, tea, lemons, floral, very malty, caramel sweetness, toast, biscuit, crackers, light grapefruit and pine, big malt and big hops, very fresh aroma.

Taste is similar, big and malty at first, honey and caramel, toast, lemon and tea, grapefruit, some floral, nicely balanced, big lemony and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation, very dry and bitter in the finish but still nicely balanced. Didn't realize this was 7% at first, one of the pieces of the puzzle on how that night went so wrong. Thanks Eric!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 16:44:26 | More by Viggo

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a lightly hazy bright light orangey with a medium size head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of floral hops with light citrus and bitter finish is quite enjoyable. Taste is also a nice mix between some floral hops with some nice clean citrus notes with a medium bitter finish and light sweet malt backbone. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no appearance of alcohol thought it can be felt at the end of the glass. Nothing extraordinary but well done nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 03:36:30 | More by Phyl21ca

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I agree , this is a great IPA with a fantastic frsh hop nose and lovely thick mouthfeel with real balance in the main body. These guys are showing why they can compete with the best In BC by making an IPA as good as Central City or Phillips. They need to create a regular IPA that is available all year round

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 19:35:33 | More by canucklehead

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber shared by Ritzkiss - thanks Eric!

Pours a rich copper colour with a creamy off-white head that shows excellent retention and leaves huge sheets of lace. The nose is a fragrant bouquet of grapefruit, pine, apricot and caramel. It certainly sets the table for the flavour, and serves as a great advert for this beer.

The body is far heavier than you will usually find in an IPA, and has a wonderful creamy smoothness. Its actually more reminiscent of a double IPA, but of course the ABV isn't there to match that. Mmmm... let's call it an IPA and a half.

The flavour seems to be mostly about sweet citrus. There's definitely some tangerine, clementine and candied orange in there, and it seems to be mixing in with a big dose of pine. While all of these flaavours come from the hopping, the bitterness is no where near excessive, and its extremely drinkable. Not that its all about hops either, and the malt brings a nice caramel aspect.

An impressively drinkable west coast IPA. Not as bitter as most, but also better than most. Driftwood's successful run continues.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 01:29:26 | More by bobsy

pnkHoody

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First time reviewer, greetings.

Driftwood is the most interesting local brewery we have in Victoria in my opinion. The Farmhand Ale in particular is beautifully fresh and drinkable.

I picked this up at the Hillside Liquor Store where I work in the fridge. The label design, like all Driftwood's stuff, is a tasteful and bold graphic artwork, this time of some ripe hops.

A: Rich and orange like a bronzed mango, with an enduring head.

S: Dull, warm citrus pierced with a hint of near-medicinal pine aromas.

T: Surprisingly not as bitter as I expected from a fresh hop brew. More of the pine comes out in the flavour, giving an otherwise restrained IPA a lively, tonic-like quality that makes you open your eyes and smile.

M: Smooth with a hint of a tannic pucker, very pleasant.

D: I'd stick to one per session, but I could drink one every other night while it's in season.

My first wet hop brew, so I can't put it into context, but this is a beer with real impact. If I had to criticize it, I'd say, like a few of Driftwood's beers, this one could accommodate another percentage point in the ABV. The kick is slightly wanting for such a flavourful beer. But I'm nitpicking... Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 03:06:11 | More by pnkHoody

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz fresh from Victoria, pours a gorgeous burnished orange with copper and amber hints, 2 fingers of sticky off white foam with great retention and lacing down the glass.

Loads of floral and grapefruit hops in the nose. Hints of pine and lemons, a light kiss of caramel. Sweet and fresh.

This is a balanced beer, not as hoppy as you might expect. Nice fresh, lively floral and citrus notes, followed by a nice light caramelly sweetness, a delicate balance. Hints of grass, lemons, pine in the burps for sure. Lots of hop flavor, just not a ton of hop bite in the finish. This dances over the tongue rather than browbeating it with hoppy bitterness. I feel perhaps at 7% it should go for a little more browbeating but it's hard to complain how frickin' drinkable this is. Still some bite, especially as I clear the palate - it's actually somewhere in the middle, lots of piney resin in the finish.

Not a hop monster, just a well made Canadian IPA with plenty of hop action going on. Lively but light silky carb. Some residual sugar makes the body a touch thicker, adds to the slick silky mouthfeel. It's good.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 01:46:12 | More by ritzkiss