Crooked Stave Surette Reserva - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

tectactoe

Michigan

4.09/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a golden-yellow color, light and full of a cloudy haze all throughout. Little, almost nonexistent head fizzles quickly into thin air. Aroma is full of sour and tart fruits; apples, grapes, pears, and maybe even a faint bit of peach. Some light barnyard funk on the back-end of the aroma - your typical brett-like yeast additions, not overpowering, and actually a bit more subdued and mellow than I would have liked. Light, earthy and woody (oak?) aromas come out a few minutes into this one, still mainly buried by the heavy fruit tartness.

The sour reaches out and grabs your tongue as soon as you take a sip; apples, lemons, pears. The sour profile punches you with an intense tartness right up front that quickly fades and turns into a more mellow sweetness, full of the same fruit types. As the sweetness approaches, the brett and funk flavors come alive - a solid helping of a wet, woody funk makes itself known in the aftertaste, fading out with some fruity and malty sweetness; lemon zest, and tart-turned-sweet citrus. Thin bodied, almost on the medium spectrum, with a nice dose of carbonation.

Very solid saison/sour/wild, whatever the hell you want to call this one. Nice fruity tart and sweet flavors with a solid backing from the brett. Easily drinkable at 6.2% ABV, this one goes down very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 19:55:25 | More by tectactoe

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-23-2013 01:17:49 | More by cbeer88

WesMantooth22

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%

05-16-2013 23:53:43 | More by WesMantooth22

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

05-12-2013 18:40:37 | More by Bonko_the_sane

JRod1969

New York

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

05-11-2013 03:47:49 | More by JRod1969

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.16/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Shared by The Mad Fermentationist, who really isn't mad at all.

The beer is clear and golden with a small, soft white head. Aromas include sour fruits, lemons, yeast, funk. Light and refreshing with a pleasant funk character. Quaffable. Light lactic presence in the finish. A really nice beer from the folks at Crooked Stave.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 18:19:46 | More by Huhzubendah

freduardo

Alabama

4.75/5  rDev +17.3%

04-26-2013 04:59:26 | More by freduardo

incubuscience

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.2%

04-20-2013 22:46:25 | More by incubuscience

zestar

California

4/5  rDev -1.2%

04-09-2013 06:27:37 | More by zestar

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at Retsinis' tasting.

Pours a hazy light orange with a foamy bone colored head that fades to nothing. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some fruity and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with a grape flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 04:31:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

MighHighBrewer

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.75

Cellared beer for about 6 months. Drank on 3/31/13 poured into a Crooked Stave tulip.

A: First thing I noticed was a total lack of head. I would've thought it was underaged if I didnt keep it in my cellar for 6 months prior to drinking. Little to no lacing. Pours a hazy golden color with a slight slight (not enough IMHO) orange hue. To my eye, it's just golden and that's about it.

S: Smells much brighter - and much less earthy/funky - than I would've expected from a Crooked Stave brew. Very pungent with bright citrus fruit nose. Peach is at the forefront with some lemon/sour notes in the background. A tiny bit of funkiness associated with Brett is in the background, but it's not overpowering by any stretch. I detect no grassy/hoppy notes.

T: Initial taste is of sour peach and other citrus fruits - especially lemon. A little bit of apple - not as much as other Saisons. Background earthy notes develop mid-sip, as well as the tiniest hint of oak. Sourness is definitely there, but not overwhelming. Curiously, the sourness doesn't hit the rear sides of your tongues as they do in most sours. Instead, I'm getting a more complicated sour character of hitting the middle/front portion of my tongue rounded out nicely by the beer's bitterness hitting the back. Beer lingers on the tongue nicely with a perfect sour note.

M: This is where the beer falls down for me. My bottle was undercarbed. Not just a little undercarbed, either. Barely any carbonation is visible or detectable on the tongue. It is, by far, the least carbonated bottled beer I've ever had. Something must've happened during production because I can't imagine this beer being purposely undercarbed.

O: I always have high hopes for Crooked Stave but this beer falters on a few accounts. First, the lack of carbonation is a real issue that would prevent me from purchasing this beer again. Secondly, while the flavor is overall pleasant, I don't get the funky/earthy notes that I like to taste in my saisons. On the fruity::yeasty continuum Saisons often are compared on, this one definitely falls on the fruity side. I like my Saisons with a bit more funkiness (personal taste). Overall, a pleasant beer but not my favorite CS offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:06:10 | More by MighHighBrewer

ucsbmullet

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +17.3%

03-15-2013 01:18:09 | More by ucsbmullet

aasher

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%

03-04-2013 03:50:01 | More by aasher

GRG1313

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

02-17-2013 01:15:16 | More by GRG1313

Romulux

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

02-11-2013 15:51:14 | More by Romulux

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

02-10-2013 01:52:51 | More by BarrytheBear

Benny3000

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

02-09-2013 20:05:31 | More by Benny3000

Haybeerman

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

02-07-2013 00:02:44 | More by Haybeerman

blindpiggie

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

02-03-2013 17:41:11 | More by blindpiggie

Treebs

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle shared be eorwar. Served in a Half Acre tulip.

A: Pours a semi hazy golden orange color with a white head forming on the pour. It recedes quickly to a thin ring. Some splotchy lace is left down the glass.

S: Lactic acidity with a mild funk. A little oak with some tart lemon rind, citrus and a little mandarin orange sweetness to it.

T: Slightly sour with a Belgian yeast dryness to it. Some funk with mild tartness and a little lemon citrus. Stone fruit with a touch of oak.

M: Light bodied with a very drying finish. Fluffy carbonation with a high drinkability.

O: I enjoyed the subtle tartness and restrained funk of this one. The light citrus back was nice as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 13:16:51 | More by Treebs

pmoney

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +17.3%

01-28-2013 16:10:47 | More by pmoney

dsuedbeck

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

01-21-2013 23:28:33 | More by dsuedbeck

pixieskid

France

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

01-16-2013 22:05:31 | More by pixieskid

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.25/5  rDev -19.8%

01-11-2013 16:44:37 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle opened on 12.27.12

A - Pours a nearly clear light orange with a small, large-bubbled white head that moves to one side quickly.

S - Funky, tart citrus, lemon, subtle floral, some wood.

T - Tart lemon, earhiness, lots of oak acidic.

D - Low carbonation with a light body.

O - Very tart, lots of lacto and brett, citrus and oakiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 06:33:12 | More by HuskyinPDX