Cornucopia - Peace Tree Brewing Co.

rundocrun

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12-oz bottle into a chalice.

A - A rough pour yields a 1/2-finger of coarse white head that dissipates quickly. The beer is a brilliant, almost glowing golden yellow--makes me think of those endless rows of Iowa corn...

S - Has a crisp, bready, slightly fruity aroma up front. Very faint hints of sweet, honey-soaked cornbread. Some floral hops make their way up from the glass too.

T - Hits the tongue delicate and sweet. Not overly dry or bitter as I have noticed about some saisons. Believe it or not, I can truly taste the sweet corn in here! I may have an unfair advantage being a life-long Iowa resident, but it reminds me of days spent sitting at a picnic table, working my way through countless ears of sweet, golden perfection. Mild honey-like sweetness in the middle accompanied by some balanced hop bitterness. Finishes slightly tangy, peppery and crisp.

M - I am truly impressed at how smooth this ale is. Medium-to-thin body with only a hint of residual sugars afterwards. Otherwise a very clean, drinkable summer/early fall beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 04:05:19 | More by rundocrun

schoon

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -2%

05-24-2013 03:50:28 | More by schoon

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -2%

12-07-2012 02:57:13 | More by t0rin0

emerge077

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had the barrel aged version of this beer over the summer, but this is the first time trying the original version.

Poured into a tulip glass it has some trouble generating much head, though there's a tight cap of white foam on the initial pour. Hazy bright orange.

Grainy sweetness, pleasant yeast aroma with some sweet dusty fruit elements.

White grape, fruity sweetness, husky grains. Smooth and medium bodied with a slight heft to it. Dried apricots and pear with a light straw graininess. Subtle feel, easy to drink, though its more of a sipper here towards the end of the night.

Thanks Eric for this one!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 02:52:25 | More by emerge077

kellont

Iowa

1/5  rDev -72%

08-19-2012 03:03:43 | More by kellont

redblacks75

Iowa

3/5  rDev -16%

07-02-2012 13:32:27 | More by redblacks75

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle from Beertopia in Omaha, NE
No bottled on date
Poured into a standard US pint glass

Peacetree's Cornucopia is an interesting idea for a saison, using ingredients that are available near the brewery to flavor the beer. While I generally think I'm fine with the corn influence here, I didn't find the yeast usage to be conducive to the flavors I'd want out of this beer. The Brettanomyces produced a plastic-resin flavor that was too sharp for the sweetness of this beer; a better "cut" for the sugars may have been local herbs or aged hops. Regardless, I don't see myself revisiting this one.

Pours a 3cm, cream-colored head of fairly fine bubbles that has fairly poor retention, reducing to a thin cap within a minute. Leaves some good lacing in the decline, however, a dried frosting of bubbles that sticks easily to the glass. Body is a light copper-yellow color, and the light illuminates the beer to a pale yellow color. Carbonation is visible streaming up across the glass, with mild haze due to some sediment.

Aroma is, intriguingly, of popcorn, yeast, a bit of lightly-used sweatsock funk, and some malt sweetness. Not complex or really desirable for my senses, but not off-putting either.

Opens with slightly grape-like, more-than-slight plastic resin wild-yeast flavors (one of the Brettanomyces, I suspect). A corn-influenced sweetness develops alongside the funk, and by mid-palate, the two are about equal. Mild bitterness arises on the back of the palate along with continuing Brettanomyces plastic resin and a bit of malt/corn-influenced sweetness. Aftertaste is weirdly reminiscent of fake popcorn flavoring, as in jellybeans, and a bit of bitterness, which comes across as somewhat cloying and off-putting.

Body is medium-light to medium, with fairly soft, unobtrusive carbonation. The result is an initially smooth beer that becomes a bit stagnant as the carbonation peters out quickly. Closes dryly, with no sugary stickiness. A bit higher carbonation may express the flavors in the beer more and make this less placid on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 20:04:30 | More by falloutsnow

jwbradley77

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +5%

03-24-2012 01:22:41 | More by jwbradley77

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a nice little stubby to my saison glass.

Pours a medium sunny yellow/orange color, slight bit of haze, with a minimal finger of fast dissipating white head. Aroma was big on the fruity yeast esters, slight peppery notes, bready sweetness and plenty earthiness. Tastes of big bready, fruity Belgian yeast notes, some spiciness, black pepper, slight citrus notes and a grassy, bitter finish. It's got a slight creaminess to it, it's not quite as carbonated as I'd like, but it's got a nice clean lighter body.

A bit more fruity not as dry as I like my Saisons, but this is a nice drinkable example and an overall decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:53:43 | More by EgadBananas

dlello2

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16%

01-29-2012 03:50:08 | More by dlello2

gafferjohn

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -30%

01-17-2012 02:21:35 | More by gafferjohn

langfot99

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -2%

12-29-2011 14:16:34 | More by langfot99

GRG1313

California

3/5  rDev -16%

12-10-2011 18:18:46 | More by GRG1313

Ejayz

Iowa

5/5  rDev +40.1%

11-29-2011 02:42:04 | More by Ejayz

fuzzcherry

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +12%

11-28-2011 08:42:36 | More by fuzzcherry

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I carefully poured this one into a tulip glass.

Appearance- The pour is probably the palest of the pale golden-yellows I have ever seen for a beer. Despite my best efforts, some sediment made its way from the bottle into the glass, instantly making the body cloudy and opaque.

No head to speak of here. Just a little white film-ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell- Definitely some earthy Belgian yeast is noticeable, more clove than anything. There is also a very tiny sour note in here. I may be wanting to imagine I smell sweet corn stalks, but really it is more of just a general sweet quality to the nose than anything else. Still, it is pretty enjoyable.

Taste- Okay, there is the corn. It starts out with an earthy and slightly sweet Belgian quality. The sweet corn stalks become very noticeable in mid-drink and the finish, where it lingers quite well.

There is also a slightly zesty citrus note imparted from the mixing of the flavors, very akin to lemon juice, although not as sour as that.

Mouth feel- Really not bad at all. It goes down very easy, although it is not the smoothest beer I have ever had. I also am happy that the feel is relatively medium bodied. Any lighter or any fizziness would have ruined this for me.

Overall- I am much happier than I thought I would be going into this beer. I was not sure what to expect, but this turned out to be a very easy drinker with good flavors. I would certainly get this again if I was in the mood for something lighter.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 23:46:12 | More by Pintofbrown

birchstick

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours a very clear, faint yellow color with a small head on it.

S - smells of funk, some lemons, spice, and buttered popcorn

T - starts off with sweet, cereal grains. I get corn on the outside of the tongue as it goes down. Sweet corn and more malt is on the finish with a little bit of citrus flavor lingering. Pretty tasty.

M - a little slimy and coats the tongue, medium bodied, smooth carbonation

D - this is my first corn beer I have tried (aside from chicha). I really like the added complexity it brought to this style. I would love to try this one again the next time I make my way through the Hawk eye state.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 01:32:55 | More by birchstick

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

rich golden in color with a good bit of cloudiness to it. Nice head of three inches or more caps off the top of the glass and falls down effortlessly into a broken and rocky cushion of foam. Light aroma of bananas and pears, hints of light peach and a floral, albeit light hop note to it. Warming brings out a touch of grain that serves to balance it quite nicely. Smooth, elegant flavor. Light notes of fruit, touches of grass and a slight floral flavor all combine quite nicely. Smooth, great carbonation and light enough that it goes down quite well.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 01:54:53 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Gil for sharing this one.

A: The pour is a clear golden straw color with a fizzy white head.

S: Perhaps living up to the name of the beer, I get a lot of corn on the aroma. A bit of spice to liven up what is a rather light aroma. Just a bit of yeast and bread, maybe some lemon zest.

T: The flavor has some light lemon and lemon zest. A bit of bread and yeast, with a mild spice. There is still quite a bit of corn on the palate as well.

M: The body is light and the carbonation is medium to high.

O: Wasn't a huge fan of this, unfortunately. Too much corn and the random tartness was out of place.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 04:15:03 | More by womencantsail

Icehouse57

Iowa

2.9/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Too clear for a true Saison. If they filter it, I'd say stop! Bright, clear. Golden straw.

S- Corn, a whiff of hops.... did I say corn?

T- Not what I expected from a Saison. Its typically my favorite style, but I guess not all beers can live up to Saison DuPont.

M- Pretty nice. Lighter than most Saisons. Could use more carbonation.

O- I LOVE your Hop Wrangler guys but this was truly just "meh" for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 02:08:33 | More by Icehouse57

jera1350

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear gold color with a thin eggshell white head. Small ring of foam around the glass leaves a little lace.

Sweet smelling from the corn. Notes of honey, sweet corn, some farmhouse funk and some lovely floral notes as well. Really quite complex.

Moderately sour throughout, with some wet hay funk. Not as sweet as the nose suggested and really can't pick up on the sweet corn. Maybe the corn stalks cover it up? Earthy and a little spicy. Ends quite bitterly.

Light medium body, some soft carbonation and drier finishing.

A nice shot at a saison. Drinks above averagely. I'm not a huge saison fan, so it's worth a shot if you are, but to me, I wouldn't need to have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 01:38:22 | More by jera1350

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

4.28/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a slightly cloudy gold color capped by white foam. It has a bunch of carbonation but not a lot of foam. The nose is full of sweetness, with floral and wheat. The taste has that Belgian essence with honey and flowers very noticeable, almost like drinking candy. It downs easier than you'd expect with a good body. It's great to see Iowa company using their ingenuity to make a great product.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 01:06:07 | More by DesMoinesMike

msjacilynn

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Golden yellow with a foamy-white head. Lacing ok.

S: CORN. I know the beer is CORNucopia but where's the balance?

T: Ok, this is a bit better. Yes corn still very present but also picking up on citrus and grains. Something happens at the end though and leaves a sour-acidy aftertaste. I wasn't too fond of that but after the initial one-dimensial smell, I was glad to see more depth.

M: Thin and well carbonated.

D: Not something I would pick up again. I love farmhouse ales and this was just off for me. Perhaps the corn stalks?

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 15:54:12 | More by msjacilynn

dbossman

Nebraska

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pale yellow and bubbly with a small but consistent head; lacing is okay but this ends up looking more like a BMC and not like a traditional saison

S:Really grainy with plenty of corn; just a subtle spicy earthy funk that I like in my saisons; lots of wet hay and grass but fairly tame

T: Great funky earthy taste up front: grass, corn, pepper, and fruit--apples and pears--but on the back end there is an off taste--like corn husk/waste

F: The beer sits nicely on the tongue but it's too thin and not creamy enough

D: A decent beer that sometimes seems great but tends to fade to an odd/off-putting funk

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 00:26:52 | More by dbossman

Mora2000

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. A saison brewed with corn? Interesting.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of corn and Belgian yeast character. The yeast gives the beer a little bit of spiciness in the aroma.

The flavor is corn and yeast, with a nice amount of lemons and orange mixed in. The citrus notes go very well with the corn and yeast. There is also a nice black pepper or coriander component to the flavor.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 06:53:56 | More by Mora2000