Premium - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

EgadBananas

Louisiana

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

Batch 2, 22oz bomber. Surprising price of $10.99 per.

Fits the bill nicely as a blonde. Hazy blonde, with a finger of bright white head.

The aroma is quite funky, hay-like, barnyard, slight wheaty, almost grainy note.

Taste is rather funky, with a bit of apple skins, and citrus peels. Pale malts, grains and some grassy hops.

Light, crisp, somewhat bubbly, almost effervescent. Good feel for the style.

Not much a fan of blonde (ales), but the Brett funks this thing up and makes it a beast.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:42:50 | More by EgadBananas

gford217

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, batch 2 presumably.

Pours a hazy straw yellow with a soapy white head that leaves some streaks of lacing. There is a thin cap on top throughout.

Aroma is crisp and clean with some spicy saison yeast as well as plenty of straw and light brett funk. There is also quite a pronounced lemon character and apricots.

Light lactic sourness up front, though very subtle, with some underlying fruity sweetness, grapes maybe. Spicy yeast and lots of grass and a very dry finish.

Mouthfeel is lively and light, almost fizzy, which makes it very drinkable. Dry finish.

Another excellent beer in the long line of Belgian-style brews from Stillwater. This is probably the lightest and most drinkable I've had from them even if it's not quite a complex and "meaty" as some of the other.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 00:16:29 | More by gford217

elNopalero

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 1, enjoyed 6/2012 thanks to XicanoBeerRun.

A post-Prohibition ale? In this case it means a beer made with corn and rice. If there were more adjunct lagers made as good as this it would definitely change my opinion of using rice and corn as ingredients to brew with. Hmmm….

This pours a cloudy golden-straw color with a tremendous billowy layer of cottony foam sitting atop it. There’s some slightly tart lemony notes in the aroma.

The flavoring has a mild tartness to it and a light spice with a bitterness midpoint. At first I thought of a rye spiciness, with its concomitant fruit-like notes. Turns out there’s a double addition of Brett, which would explain the interesting and hard-to-place flavors and aromas, as well as the exceptionally dry finish. (And what I can only describe as a light “baking soda” hint on the flavor.) Crisp, light, delicious.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 18:19:05 | More by elNopalero

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up at the Davis Beer Shop, and it was worth the haul.

Pale, slightly hazy, straw-colored yellow. Mellow sour smell. Lots of carbonation, but it smooths out when you drink it.

Taste: slightly medicinal (plastic?) on the palate, faintly bitter, baking soda. I know this does not sound flattering, but it is really good. You pick up on some of those saison qualities (I think the brett made me think this was a saison like the other Stillwaters I have had), but it is not as strong or up front. It is almost like a saison light. I love this trend towards tasty, complex craft beers that are lower in alcohol. Jester King is doing it in Austin, and I have read about some others. This is a fantastic, refreshing session beer.

I’ll have another.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 18:43:09 | More by XicanoBeerRun

Barrelista

California

1.73/5  rDev -55.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Tasted of hominy, with hints of SPI Code 5 plastic and woodsiness.

Smells of grass, the plastic of baby diapers, air of the Coastal California Redwoods, and hominy.

Light, acidic mouthfeel; bubbles are agressive and a burn to the tongue.

A light, staw color with low foam.

Overall this beer argued too much with my sensibilities. The result? I could not appreciate it.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:18:26 | More by Barrelista

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A fun beer.
It was a hazy pale yellow color with a thick white head that lasted quite a while. There was a little bit of lace.

Funky brett aroma, lots of floral hops. Also some citrus.

Yeasty taste, some sour lemon. Very floral.

Crisp and tasy. I could drink this beer all day (and at 4.5% ABV probably could).

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 00:05:49 | More by lordofthewiens

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a 25cl Duvel tulip. Big thanks to JAHMUR for sharing this one.

A: Cloudy straw body with a finger of delicate, dense white foam. Ok retention and lacing. Solid.

S: Brett dominates, with huge floral character and some light grass and hay behind. Spicy, aromatic, and great.

T: Follows the nose, with huge, delicious Brett. A touch of dry graininess under the herbal, floral, grassy yeast. Dry, lightly spicy finish with some minerality.

M: Frothy, lively, and light. A bit too bubbly, but not bad at all.

O: This was a real winner, delivering tons of funky complexity in a fresh, vibrant, refreshing package. Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 03:43:23 | More by woosterbill

VaTechHopHead

California

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very light yellow in color and definitely hazy. Big solid white foamy head

S - light funk from the Brett and a sweetness from the corn. Nice barnyard and hay aromas and a slight Belgian sugar smell as well

T - starts off bland but quickly picks up a very nice hay and corn flavor. The Brett is semi-sour and has a light tang. Aftertaste has a light dryness but fades quickly

M - light body with good carbonation. Light flavors and good use of adjuncts and Brett. Quick fading aftertaste and easy to drink. Overall an interesting and fun beer to drink

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 21:02:37 | More by VaTechHopHead

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.6/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a fine treat, complex, fresh, and funky offering from Stillwater

Presentation: 750 ml brown capped bottle. Brown and dark cream retro-ellaborate label with the Stillwater branding and the image of a man in a top hat reading the paper.. Side narrative notes intent, main ingredients, and general characteristics. Notes 4.5% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Lightly hazy straw pour with a towering frothy head, sturdy retention nice surface memory and rich lacing.

S - Long funky nose, rather fresh with some lemony and grassy notes, feeling very well rounded and enticing...

T - And totally in sync with the mouth, light grainy touches under a fresh funky sense, brett in tune with citric and earthy notes, touch of spice...

M - Medium-light body, the lightness holds up very well the rich flavor, with a nice energetic carbonation that takes it to a nice dry finish.

O - Quite remarkable and very well rounded, a delight.

Notes: Sure, I typically like what this brewer is doing and can´t help but to reach out for any new offering. But this one hit me at the right moment, on the right spot… Fantastic, so much flavor with the low above, and that range… Really nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 02:55:01 | More by Daniellobo

DeanMoriarty

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 750ml capped bottle in a trade with Dawson's Liquor in Severna Park, MD and poured it into a Odell branded tulip glass - thanks fellas!

A: Hazy straw-like hue with a thick white head that gives way to tons of lace with continuous effervescence similar to champagne.

S: Sour funk and biscuits, peppercorns, green apples, citrus zest, and musty earthiness.

T: Similar to the nose - even bigger Bret though (much more noticeable than the smell) big funk - wet leather and woody weirdness, also some bitter hop that is really nice, fruit is light - green apples and dried tropical fruit - very well balanced.

People claiming corn - WTF???

M: Lighter side of medium-bodied, vigorous carbonation that works well with this one, dry and clean like a fine champagne with some lingering bitterness from the hop that is really nice.

Man this beer is tip top - well beyond average - only wish I was a baller so I could drink it all the time - at $15. a 750 milly i'd go broke otherwise!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 07:26:31 | More by DeanMoriarty

akorsak

Pennsylvania

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

A 750 mL capped bottle; from the Wine Source. In a DuClaw snifter.

A: Light, pale, golden, and straw-like. The haze gives the ale a post Prohibition Belgian look, somewhere between a saison and a tripel. A white head, not much lacing, follows.

S: One thing you can always count on: Stillwater bringing the intense saison nose. This is no exception, musty and fruity with the brett adding a lively dirtiness. Pepper and lemons provide spicy heat. Smells very nice.

T: The brett brings depth to the ale, dirty and funky without acidic tartness. As the brett fades, the pale malts and and saison yeast kick in. The breadiness is soft; the saison is spicy. In particular, freshly cracked peppercorns, lemons, and pale candi sugars. The light malt brings a sweetness that comes through at the end of each sip. The brett sucks much of the moisture out of the ale, leaving it dry (but not jarringly so). The first glass was very bubbly, effervescent to the point of brut. It has since settled down but was worth noting.

M: The late-sip pairing of sweet malts, Belgian spices, and Brettanomyces is a game changer, sweet and funky and lively. Not quite a full-on saison, although it is this close {indicates mere millimeters with thumb and pointer finger}. The ale feels heavy though, perhaps my only significant complaint.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 02:14:41 | More by akorsak

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Black Raven imperial pint. Pours a slightly cloudy pale yellow amber. Healthy three finger head and active carbonation leaving chunks of foam on the side of the glass as it slowly dissipated. Looked great! Aromatic aroma of Belgian yeast and spicing, light fruit and citrus, slightly sour and funky. Flavor dominated by citrus, mostly lemon, and brett funk. Light grain and sweet malt. Astringently bitter finish, but supported by the fruit from the citrus. I'm not a big fan of brett, but I have to admit that the low level in this ale along with the refreshing lemon flavor was quite nice. Light to medium bodied. Not my style, but I enjoyed the whole bottle. Good job, Stillwater.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 04:16:40 | More by LiquidAmber

Doppelbockulus

Florida

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased this bottle in the first week of January 2012. It debuted at the Charleston Beer Exchange, they were chosen to be the first store to sell the beer, I watched them open the first box, and I purchased the first bottle. Here goes....

Pours a very light golden color with a substantial head that settles after a few minutes. In the glass it is hazy like an unfiltered hefeweisen.

Very fragrant with a sourness very close to that of a framboise, there is a raspberry character. It also reminds me of tropical sour fruits.

Taste is not fruity, it is like a dry tripel or saison. No sweetness, faint lemongrass, and a mild hop character with a tart note. It is kind of refreshing though.

mouthfeel is kind of like a champagne beer, bubbly, but dry, dusty and tart.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:33:54 | More by Doppelbockulus

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 02/11/12 notes. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a murky yellow color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus, spice, Belgian style yeast, brett, and earthy notes. Lightly funky nose, pretty nice.

t - Tastes of pepper, Belgian yeast, spices, citrus hops, floral hops, earthy notes, grass. More pepper then the nose, a step down.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice beer from saison. Taste had a little too much pepper for me, but the nose was very nice. Would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 03:21:34 | More by mdfb79

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Stillwater glass? You bet your ass that's what I did.

Beer is yellow and hazy with a nice white head, small and medium bubbles, some lacing, moderate lacing.

I guess I didn't realize until this point that this was a brett beer, big yeast character. Funky, a little esters / phenolic.

Beer is light in body and effervescent. A little dry finish, pretty bretty, Brett c or b character. Interesting. A pretty good beer I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 15:29:08 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer appears a hazy, straw yellow hue with a lasting white head. The aroma is enticing, offering a bouquet of floral notes, citrus, earth, yeast, grass. The flavor has all of the aforementioned characteristics, as well as a pleasant spice character. The feel is smooth on the palate, finishing dry with a crisp hop character. Light bodied, easy to drink, complex, delicious. I would happily have this again. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:09:56 | More by Huhzubendah

larryi86

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter

A- A slightly hazy golden yellow with a four finger white head

S- Some funk and lemons right away, could easily smell that when i was pouring the beer. Getting some grains, touch of sweet corn, light earthy hops, some spice.

T- Surprisingly hoppy finish, I did not think that hops would stand out much at all. Malts are light being a little sweet and a little grainy. There are some nice lemon/citrus notes and some funk. Brett really help to add a nice level of complexity to this beer.

M- Smooth, crisp, light, refreshing.

O- This is a good beer that is easy to enjoy. Brett is not overpowering. I feel that it is Pilsner with Brett and farmhouse yeast, which seems to work well in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 23:33:01 | More by larryi86

timtim

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

woah... definitely a mind-f@#k here. i think that when taken in context, this is one very very well done beer. one foot in outer space, one foot in hipster dive bar. pours a clear gold with a white head that holds and leaves lots of lace. nose is mainly grain, corn and earthy hops. touch of fruit (lemon?), spice(lemon pepper?) and bread thrown in for good measure. taste is crisp, dry, earthy, corny and euro-hoppy. the hops seem very "real pilsner" like. just a tiny touch of bitter and lots of earthy goodness. extremely clean finish with no aftertastes. brett hasn't quite shown itself yet, so i am curious to see where this goes. created as deconstructed hipster schwill, i find it to really hit the mark. light, with flavors of adjunct all over, but somehow coming off elegant and "premium" for sure. not what i expected, but not a let down by any means. simple, clean, well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 01:24:43 | More by timtim

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a lightly hazy looking yellow color. The head was white and a little on the fizzy side. The smell of the beer was made of mostly corn aromas and bready yeast. Smells very much like a very generic ale. The taste is sweet with some corn and grainy flavors. The mouthfeel was well carbonated with a decent body to it. Overall this beer was pretty good, I understand the style that was being attempted here and I think it's pretty good. I found this beer to be pretty refreshing actually.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 04:52:08 | More by Knapp85

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy consistency. There was a big, creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Not what I expected from the aroma: Grainy, with traces of malt, hops, and citrus.

T: Tasted of malt, corn, grain, rice, light hops, and a little bit of citrus thrown in. Definitely an unusual flavor - a bit more corn than I normally would like, but still fairly tasty.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp, prickly finish. Light-bodied.

O: Certainly not your typical blonde ale, but well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 13:37:40 | More by avalon07

Tone

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
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

fmccormi

New York

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Of Love and Regret in Baltimore, MD. Received a 6oz half-pour in a small snifter-lookin’ kinda glass. They have nice glassware at that bar, for realsies.

Appearance (5.0): The body is a light straw-yellow, just barely hazy and extremely pretty. One finger of fluffy, white head, with very good retention, comes off of the pour but it leaves unbelievable lacing all around the sides of the glass as the beer goes down—as in, it literally coats the sides of the glass. Unreal.

Smell (4.5): There’s a very light, pale grain scent mixed with the sweet notes of corn-based, classic adjunct malt and the light crispness of rice that you get from AALs when you dig into them. Peppery brett notes are equally strong. Apparently, the malt composition of this beer is identical to Natty Boh and Old Milwaukee, so in that light the scents of the malt profile make perfect sense. Moderately fruity, musty character is also evident. Very fragrant, lightly citrusy with apple and pear notes.

Taste (3.5): Well, brett. Plain and simple, in all its weird glory. There’s that familiar mix of peppercorn and soft cheese-rind funk coming out of the finish, with a modest peppery character coming before it. The malt is pale and crisp, as would be expected from the nose, and washes down easy to leave the brett to shine in all of its peppery, musty glory. That dank, musty character that personally I prefer in a brett-forward beer really takes a backseat to that peppercorn/cheese rind phenolic funk, however. Some modest, lemony bitterness is present throughout.

Mouthfeel (4.0): This has an excellent feel, with very smooth and lush carbonation, devoid of any prickling. Clean finish, light bitterness, light-to-medium weight body. Very dry finish.

Overall (4.0): To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this beer. I get what Brian’s going for, and I think that he probably did an excellent job in creating that beer, but it’s not quite what I was hoping for and is definitely not for everybody. Admittedly, I’m a bit picky when it comes to brett funk: I like the musty, dank, and fruity characters, but get a little sensitive when the spicy, phenolic side of brett becomes more prominent. In this beer, the latter is definitely the case. But, it looks, smells, and feels fantastic, overall—it's just the prominence and balance of different brett notes that I'm somewhat at odds with. My understanding is that Brian wanted to create a very clean, very drinkable brett beer, and using brett in primary with the malt base he did, he did exactly that.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2012 17:46:28 | More by fmccormi

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap

The body sits a light golden yellow with a foamy white cap. Great retention with lines of lace inside the glass.

The nose is strong with brett. Barnyard, hay, lemon, fruity yeast, with some pale malt holding down the back end.

Holy brett. Easily the most brett forward beer I have come across. A clean lager-like base with a sweet, cereal-like graininess and a huge dose of Brett. Heavy barnyard, straw, wet hay, lemon.

Light body with moderate carbonation. I've run in to some brett beers recently that had the carbonation turned up too high. This guy got it right. High, but yet complementary to the prickly brett qualities.

The brett hits you like a ton of bricks. What a unique base for such a heavy brett character. If you like brett, seek out this beer. Nicely done.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 21:24:26 | More by ColForbinBC

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at ? (I think TJ's, Paoli, PA)

Not a bad beer for a style I'm not a huge fan of. Poured a light, golden yellow, pale and slightly hazy, with a small cap of white bubbles for a head; minimal retention and lacing. Aromas of pale malts, musty grass, and a distinctive Belgian yeast quality that puts this on the border of a saison (typical Stillwater fare). More of the same in the taste, bready pale malts, yeast, grass, light herbal hops. Light-medium body and quite good for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 20:15:37 | More by Rifugium

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap at TJs in Paoli PA into a tulip style glass.

A: A medium golden color with a one finger white fluffy head. Full glass lacing sticks.

S: Nice brett smells of barnyard, hay, straw, lemon and yeast. Some floral herbal hops as well.

T: The brett yeastiness really shines through early on to mix with the lemon tartness to yield some funk of wet hay, straw and barnyard. I get some subtle sweetness, but the beer really mostly stays tart. Herbal and floral hops keep some bitterness going and the finish is tart and dry. Nice brett beer, easy to drink!

M: Light and tart, no alcohol.

O: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I really loved the brett and how it lasted through the entire tasting experience. This is a very drinkable beer that I will seek out again.

One of the easiest most flavorful drinking bretted beers I have had to date. You can have a few of these and really enjoy each one. Nice.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2012 19:35:48 | More by Kadonny