Premium - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

02-10-2013 17:55:41 | More by yourefragile

Tone

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy amber color. 2/3 inch head of a white color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of grapes, hops, yeast, hint of floral, hint of grass, and a hint of sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Blonde Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and thick, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of slight alcohol, grapes, slight grass, hint of yeast, slight floral, and a hint of sweet malt. Overall, good appearance, decent aroma, feel, and blend.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 16:50:19 | More by Tone

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Pours pale straw with a large head.
Nose shows funky, goaty Brett, soft lemon, light malt, grassy cow shit. Smells like a bloody farm. Intriguing.
Some of the farm characters transfer through as flavours, along with dry saison notes and grainy malt.
Massively high carbonation.
This one grew on me, despite the cow shit.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:30:44 | More by CrazyDavros

ADZA

Australia

3.61/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours the lightest hazy blonde hue I've ever seen borderlining urine colour with a fluffy three finger head and clingy lacing everywhere,the smell is sweaty socks,funk,citrus and lemon sherbet,the mouthfeel is lightbodied and well carbonated with tastes of lemon sherbet,mandarins,the slightest touch of funk and i mean slight just enough to make itself known and finished with a thirst quenching herbal fruity dryness and overall not bad and nice for when you want a tasty thirst quenching beer without too much going on it cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 10:18:28 | More by ADZA

chaseabeer

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

04-21-2013 13:51:59 | More by chaseabeer

Ralphs66

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-13-2013 20:49:37 | More by Ralphs66

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-10-2013 23:36:26 | More by DrunkinYogi

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.94/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. More ornate, withered Victorian manuscript label imagery, very 'artisanal'.

This beer pours a very, very, very pale cloudy, almost white straw 'colour', with a tumultuous rising mass of thinly foamy, whipped cream head, which leaves broad swaths of chunky, splattered fuzzy lace around the glass as it genially abates. It is blonde, in the American sense, this much is certain.

It smells of funky, sort of cheesy yeast, a sour lemon and cherry fruitiness, grainy pale malt, soft earthy spice, and a sassy grassy hoppiness. The taste is tart lemon and mild white vinegar, a paler Brett funkiness than that of the nose (but still kickin' it), gritty pale malt, a touch of cornmeal, some understated black pepper mill detritus, and still prominent wet hay and grassy hops.

The carbonation is obviously quite the showman up front, and mostly keeps at it with a sharp, sometimes fizzy nature, the body medium-light in weight, maybe a smidgeon thin, but generally smooth for such a hoppy, modulated acidic brew. It finishes off-dry, the sweetness of the rice/corn kind of shouldering its way in, while the bitter hops and sour/funky combo just sit back and smirk.

A tasty enough pale wild ale, I don't quite grok the insistence on placing this in the Blonde Ale classification, even if said category, as a whole, is loosey-goosey at best. So a few niggling points off for that. And did pre-WWII beers in America really rely on wild yeast and bacteria for their fermentation? Maybe I've got some further reading up to do.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:00:00 | More by biboergosum

brentk56

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Batch 1

Apppearance: Quite the gusher indeed but after cleaning up the mess, the beer poured a cloudy honey color with a beaten egg white head that left multiple strands of lace

Smell: Vague hints of lemon and chalk with undertones of an adjunct lager (more rice than corn)

Taste: Starts out chalky dry, with lemon pound cake undertones; in the middle, there is a vanilla and pepper character that contrasts with the rice flavors; the rice actually adds a bit of sweet rice pudding to the malt profile as the beer settles into the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: Intriguing and probably a bit better fresh, this is still a nice example of what Brett can do to the American Blonde style to make it interesting and appealing

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:08:56 | More by brentk56

JohnBender

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

03-07-2013 22:55:41 | More by JohnBender

srhoadsy

Florida

3.86/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled into a fluted tulip.

Blonde is beautiful. This beer pours an amazing light blonde color with an inch plus of white airy head that slowly recedes leaving a moderate surface layer and moderate to heavy lacing.

Strong aromas of lemongrass and spice.

Taste follows through the aromas with a lot of sourness and funk from the yeast. Very complex; sour, sweet and musty all at the same time.

Light to medium bodied with crisp, dry finish and moderat to heavy carbonation. Lingering aftertaste.

Overall a great looking beer that may have been just a touch to funky for me. Would definitely like to try again and reassess the flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 23:34:00 | More by srhoadsy

ToasterChef

Maine

4.21/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A cold 22oz bottle is poured into a pint glass.

A straw colored liquid fills my glass. It is ever so slightly hazy with plenty of tiny bubbles rising within. The head is made up of white foam and it fills the top quarter of my glass. As it recedes some lacing is left behind.

The beer has a funky brett aroma. Grassy hops are also present. I could smell the corn and rice while pouring the beer—at least I thought I could—but once I hold the beer close to my nose I am not smelling either of those adjuncts.

The beer has a great farmhouse taste. The brett adds some sourness, but this isn't a puckering beer. Its subtle but noticeable and works very well with the grassy hops and light malt sweetness.

The beer has a medium body and is rather fizzy. A wet coat is left behind inside my mouth. It holds onto some of the malt flavors. My lips are left a touch sticky.

I like this beer. It is incredibly easy drinking and has some wonderful sour characteristics. It isn't exactly what I would reach for if I was in the mood for an adjunct lager (which is rare), but it is what I would grab if I wanted a fancier lawnmower beer. It is recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:14:24 | More by ToasterChef

metter98

New York

3.96/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is clear light straw yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation. It poured with a two finger high bright white head that took a very long time to die down but never completely faded away, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface as well as lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: The Brettanomyces yeast imparts light amounts of sourness to the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is a little sour and also has notes of lemon citrus and grassy hops. Hints of peppery spices are noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a little clean on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This would make for a really easy to drink beer for someone that is just getting into sour beers because the brett is not overdone. I really liked how the brewer used a little sourness to make a beer brewed with adjunct malts that doesn't taste bland. It's extremely drinkable given its low alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:08:19 | More by metter98

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%

02-21-2013 02:53:36 | More by t0rin0

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

02-10-2013 04:11:18 | More by FUwolfpacker

pintofparadise

South Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -28.9%

02-09-2013 00:55:25 | More by pintofparadise

Hanzo

Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.4%

02-03-2013 02:24:17 | More by Hanzo

lupercmda

North Carolina

2/5  rDev -48.3%

01-27-2013 03:51:41 | More by lupercmda

Brewsed

North Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -35.4%

01-20-2013 18:21:31 | More by Brewsed

shand

Florida

4.04/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was really excited to pop this beer open, because I honestly had no idea what to expect from it. Stillwater Premium pours out a pale golden yellow color with a large white head. The aroma, at first, smells like an adjunct lager with maybe a touch more bright citrus. As either the beer warms or I get closer into the glass, more subtle aromas come out. The musty aspects from the Brett start to take over, as well as a bit of spicy/earthy hops. The taste is, again, really interesting. It has the clean, crisp, and citrusy lager taste there, but it's subverted by a heavy amount of very musty funkiness that cuts right through the lager base like a knife. The Brett funkiness has a fun time interacting with the citrus and hops in the beer. I don't know how to really describe the feeling of the funk hitting in this beer - it almost feels like the mouthfeel gets thicker when the funk comes rolling through, even though it obviously doesn't. It's probably due to a strong dryness from the Brett that fights against the crisp, bright, and light lager base. Premium might not be a beer that completely succeeds on all levels, but it's interesting enough that I can't help but recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 22:55:31 | More by shand

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.4%

01-17-2013 01:50:16 | More by bradfordjohnson

iKrystin

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

01-13-2013 21:45:52 | More by iKrystin

strongaf

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.4%

01-09-2013 06:21:50 | More by strongaf

russwbeck

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 2

A: Bubbly, bright yellow color with a huge white head. The head lasts forever and is bolstered by a furry of bubbles. What does recede sticks heartily to the side of my glass. A significant amount of yeast is resting at the bottom of the bottle, which I poured into a different glass. 4

S: It smells really interesting. Wheaty, lemon, light, and, of course, the Brett. It really takes over the entire aroma. Musty and citrusy, the smell without the Brett would probably be off-putting. 4

T: The taste, amazingly, not only packs a Brett punch but an array of fruits as well. The lemons and oranges honestly take the Brett and wheatiness over and make you almost forget it's there. The finish is slight sour, but more like a saison funk and not an American Wild Ale hit. 4.5

MF: Light, crisp and absurdly drinkable. I wish all "Premium" beers tasted like this beaut. 5

O: Took a chance on this weird beer and was absolutely rewarded. I'm really starting to get hooked on what Stillwater is doing, looking forward to the next time I come across them. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:25:46 | More by russwbeck

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

bomber into NY Giants pint glass. assuming batch #2 since it is a bomber bottle. little disappointed by the fill height on this bottle...

A: almost a fake looking gold hue with how bright this pours. looks very much like a light lager in my pint glass. bright white head is frothy and has reasonable head retention.

S: barny. earthy. horse. eggy. sulfur. smells rustic, if that makes any sense. struggling to find any hop aroma. the aroma seems to be dominated by brett aspects.

T: starts watery, not much to it. acidic dryness puts a twang to the flavor. finish has a corny linger, but is also pretty dry.

M: a sizeable carbonation. works well with the barny flavors and the light body.

D: a pretty unique brew. highly quaffable as the Brett dries things out. I would enjoy this in a smaller serving vessel as it would make for some solid session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:15:33 | More by Jimmys