Free Spirit - Terrapin Beer Company

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Taco Mac Duluth January 18, 2012. Served in an 11 ounce glass.

(Appearance) pours a deep amber tone with a light head that fades rapidly. Tone is very hazy. Appearance is decent. 3

(Smell) aroma consists of mild cider tones, cotton candy, spices and wild yeast. Mild but enjoyable aroma. 3.5

(Taste) very bitter malt tone introduction with a tart cinnamon apple cider finish. Mild hop compliment. A light sipper, very tasty. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Quite crisp highlighted by the tartness of the whole beer. Medium body, light alcohol presence. 4

(Overall) A decent take by Terrapin and Heavy Seas, pretty interesting but likely not worthy of a second take. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 00:29:54 | More by Jadjunk

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours golden, slightly hazy. Quick forming three finger white head. Appears bubbly, high carbonation.

S: Extremely floral, more notably so than many "floral" smelling beers. Bouquet of flowers, yeasty funk, dull lemon rind.

T: Initial flavor lends itself toward the lemon peel from the nose. Nice fruity bite with a black pepper corn zing to it. Belgian yeast and the floral component round out a long lingering finish.

M: Medium in body, medium carb. Slightly less bubbly than the appearance would suggest.

O: A good but not outstanding saison. The floral component is interesting, especially in the aroma!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 23:46:28 | More by zoolzoo

jsanford

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle with a lovely yellow wax-job poured into a Tumbler.

A - Pours a cloudy orange with a dense white head that settles to a very slight haze and ring.
S - Big, floral Saison aromas of, well, flowers, along with some sweet malt, bread dough, elderflower, lemon zest, and Belgian yeast.
T - Taste is just as floral and fruity as the nose suggests, with big notes of honey, doughy malt, flowers, grassy hops, yeast, and a very recognizable toasted sunflower seed finish. Refreshing and drinkable, I wish this came out in the Springtime!
M - Crisp and quenching, with a medium body and good carbonation.
O - A solid Saison effort from two breweries I have a ton of respect for, I'd love to see this released again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 02:24:46 | More by jsanford

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad beer, it certainly strikes me as a farmhouse ale, with a nice tartness and some fresh herbal flavors. Not as spicy or crisp as a saison, this still does have some nice herbal and fruitiness as a plus. The downsides are that the head fades away to nothing, and the mouthfeel is almost slick as opposed to being crisp. There is also a bit of wateriness at the finish. I do like the aroma and flavors- nice dark fruit, and fresh herbal notes as well as a surprisingly pleasant bitter vegetal finish. An interesting beer, but not quite a success, still, a very nice homage.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:57:31 | More by Georgiabeer

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Terrapin waxed bottle poured into Duck Rabbit snifter...

A- Hazy, cloudy, orange color. Has a small head, short of a finger that wittles away quickly.

S- Well hot damn, they really capture the sunflower in this... Crazy! Strong saison yeast aroma, also orange peel and slight grasses.

T/M- Taste is a bit leathery, floral, earthy and citrusy. An interesting blend of flavors and if I knew what elderberries tasted like, I might be getting that outta this. Has a nice saison backbone, but the flavors start to suit heavy after a bit. Feel is a bit heavy with minimal carbonation, but it does have a slightly dry finish.

O- Commendable effort on this one, and though I liked it, I wouldn't be able to drink a whole bomber. Sunflower addition was interesting and unique, keep it coming Terrapin- I like experimentation.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 19:21:38 | More by TheGordianKnot

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11 ounce goblet - $7.00 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia. Brewed to honor the memory of Brittney Fox Watts, which is a good thing, but the label and tap handle features a furry, which is a bit alarming.

Appearance: Arrived to the luncheon table a hazy, amber-gold body with a scant, though sustained white head.

Smell: Sweetish smelling malts, a bit bready, not quite a bit toasty, but delivering a fair amount of honey. Moderately floral and tiny pinch of lemon zest.

Taste: Honeyed, sweet, bready and rather smooth. Light flowery aspect slides in carrying with it some mild citrus hints and a nibble of sweet apple. Low herbal tone, equally light bitterness. The beer remains fairly honeyish on the rear. Drops a hint of finely ground black pepper and dries out at the last possible moment before the finish, though still a bit heavy-ish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: I always prefer my saisons to be light, crisp, and reasonably dry, like a Saison Dupont. Oftentimes, the American renditions just end up heavier, heartier, and sweeter, which, for me, kills the whole refreshment factor. I'm more interested in the use of sunflower seeds in brewing, it raises a few questions: how did they contend with the oils, did they go sans husks, etc.?

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 16:13:20 | More by ChainGangGuy

PhillyStyle

Georgia

2.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at Brick Store Pub (Decatur, GA):

The beer appeared a clear, pale golden color that, when it arrived at the table had about a half finger of head, but then was gone in a flash. No cap and no lacing to note.

The aroma is average for the style...typical, not a strong aroma, but not weak either. Some mild sweetness was noticeable and some very mild yeast notes.

The taste of the beer was good, certainly not on par with the likes of Ommegang's Hennepin or The Lost Abbey's Red Barn Ale, but it showed some fruity sweetness and mild yeast, nothing overpowering or complex, but a nice flavor.

The beer had a medium body and good carbonation. The beer was pretty well balanced and had a nice dry finish to it.

Overall, to be honest, this is kind of what I expected from Terrapin, as most of the Side Projects that I have tried lately have been less than memorable, this is an average to slightly above average beer, but I guess that I expected slightly more quality given that it was in collaboration with Clipper City/Heavy Seas, as every beer that I have tried of theirs has been very good. I guess I would recommend given that it is a limited brew, but after one, I moved on.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 18:06:08 | More by PhillyStyle

QuentinCall

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at The Porter in the ATL.
This is a slightly gauzy/borderline translucent farmhouse ale, pale caramel in color and possessive of a markedly sparse head that fully dissipates almost immediately. The aroma is nearly imperceptible and adds very little to the final product - a tinge of spice, some alcohol, a glimmer of grain - however, this is not indicative of the taste which is ebullient and multifaceted. Its dense, yeasty malts are nicely counterbalanced by salt and floral notes while the minimal, though decidedly present, alcohol and carbonation provide admirable heft as well as effervescence. The finish has a half-hearted alcohol/hop bite and an almost sour, sort of, wet hay tonality (which here, if you are unsure, is a fitting tonality). All of these characteristics are somewhat intensified as the beer warms and unravels, the individual elements becoming, to some extent, singularly defined and announcing themselves a little more unreservedly.
Overall, a lovely and immensely enjoyable farmhouse.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2011 23:25:59 | More by QuentinCall

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 22oz bomber picked up at Green's on the way home from a long week at work. I have been anxiously awaiting this one..

A - An amber golden color, with 1 finger of head and not much lace.

S - Definitely has the aroma of a farmhouse ale. But a mild, low abv farmhouse.

T - Rye, sunflowers, and honey up front. Well balanced and finishes smooth.

M - Medium bodied and carbonation.

O - It is amazing that Terrapin and Heavy Seas collaborated to honor a senseless tragedy. A very good light farmhouse ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 02:01:34 | More by BeerDawgs