The Citizen - DC Brau Brewing Co.

t0rin0

California

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled 7/11/2011 on tap at Brasserie Beck. According to the DC Brau website this is also available in cans.

Pours an ugly murky brown/orange with some white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma is bread, a little pepper, and some booze. Not as bad as it sounds, basically a pale with a light Belgian influence.

Flavor is slightly sweet, bready, more Belgian than the nose, medium bitterness, and a little boozy. Belgian Pale or Belgian Strong Pale; this could go either way.

Body is light which enhances drinkability.

Ƭίcƙ.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2011 17:57:25 | More by t0rin0

DruRho

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

05-21-2013 22:37:38 | More by DruRho

earlholman

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

05-14-2013 13:45:50 | More by earlholman

Localdrinklax

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

05-09-2013 01:58:18 | More by Localdrinklax

tectactoe

Michigan

3.21/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

I forget who extra'd me this, but thank you to whomever you are. Shame on me for forgetting. This one pours a deep gold, almost-amber color in the center with some bright, banana yellow highlights at the edges. Big, soapy, and frothy is the stark-white cap, settling nicely at just over a half an inch. A decent amount of sediment can be seem floating through the murky, yellow abyss.

The initial whiff instantly reveals what seems like some sort of mixture between a Belgian style triple and and American Pale Lager. Notes like mild clove, fruity esters, and some very light Candi sugar are pushing the tripel front, while some musky, murky hops, heavy grains, and a substantial amount of wheat lean towards a lager. It is evident from the yeast, however (especially upon warming) that this is certainly no lager, though the hops can be deceiving at first. The yeast opens up with some warmth and shows more bubblegum-like notes, though still slightly underpowered, that easily unmask the Belgian nature of this brew.

And as confusing as the nose is, the flavor of this one is even more unexpected. Initially, it hits with a banana-like fruitiness that's accompanied with a mild sugar coating, almost Candi sugar sweet, but not quite there. One good malt charge later and you think this will be like a traditional tripel. But before long, a staunch, hoppy bitterness wafts in and engulfs the palate; musky and dry hops, possibly some sort of Noble variety. Grains come into the scene and play off of the almost astringent bitterness.

Some moderately soft wheat fades in and out, as does a good amount of fusel alcohol notes, somewhat surprising for being only 7% ABV. The finish comes back with another light hint of fruity sweetness - again, mostly banana, possibly joined by a light pear essence this time around. The bold and assertive bitterness of the hops are not to be forgotten, however, as they remain lingering heavily in the background. Some bready malts and grains coat the palate afterwards with a slight touch of yeast, but I keep having the feeling that nothing is really "coming together" for this beer. Thin-medium bodied with high carbonation for a wet, crisp mouth feel.

Not sure if it was the execution or just an odd collection of ingredients, but this one didn't really mesh the flavors well. Too many distinct flavors popping out on their own, seemingly out of place, rather than molding together to form a nice, coherent flavor profile. Far from awful, but probably not something I'd seek out again.

Serving type: can

04-29-2013 22:07:45 | More by tectactoe

Portertime

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Got this as a free sample from the boss, score! Serving it chilled. Poured this one in my Maudite tulip. Deep golden color with a nice white head. Smells of the tell tale clove, banana, biscuit, pear. Taste had a great tartness that really appealed to me. It was smooth and really drinkable. Notes of tart cherries, biscuit, yeast, and grass.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:33:41 | More by Portertime

Haglev

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

04-21-2013 15:34:49 | More by Haglev

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.76/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a chalice glass

Appearance – The beer pours a lightly hazed golden color with a small white head. The head fades relatively quickly leaving a light level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell-The aroma is a biggest of a yeasty smell with lots of banana, coriander, clove and a little bit of lemon. Mixed with these more standard Belgian smells are some rather sweet candy and bubblegum aromas, giving it a rather sweet smell overall.

Taste – The taste begins with a malty and sweet taste with flavors of yeast present right from the start. The bready flavors create a base of the beer with the sweet initially being of a more sugary candy nature mixed with a decent amount of a tangerine sweetness. As the flavors advance, more yeast and flavors associated with yeast of clove, banana, and coriander come to the tongue. These flavors combined with a big sugary taste as well as a light alcohol at the end to leave a sweet and yeasty flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average to creamier with a carbonation level that was on the average side as well. Both are rather nice for the style and produce a nice balance between drinkability as well as allowing all the flavors of the brew to be sensed by the tongue.

Overall – A niceBelgian that has a taste profile in between that of a Belgian session and a triple. Quite tasty.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 02:38:23 | More by Darkmagus82

JxExM

New York

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

04-08-2013 19:14:31 | More by JxExM

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

04-07-2013 16:38:49 | More by Eriktheipaman

blackie

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

growler from the brewery

a: large snifter, yeast-hazed honey amber in color, pours out with a small head that retains lightly

s: nose opens with sweet pale malts carrying aromas of apricot, loads of yeasty phenols - bananas and clove

m: carbonation and body around moderate

t: same structure as the nose - sweet pale malts, big banana flavor and clove phenols, quite grainy with notes of toast on the middle and back end

o: I tend to prefer a drier bpa, a fine beer, but not a favorite from the brau

Serving type: growler

04-05-2013 03:59:41 | More by blackie

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.44/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can purchased in the greater Washington D.C. area, unknown birth date, poured into a Rogue chalice, drank 4/3/13 over one hour.

A: 4.25 - pretty golden coloration, minimal clarity consistent with style, really nice white two finger head that resolves into a creamy-appearing 1/4 head for the remainder of the session, small bubbles pouring off the bottom of the glass throughout, minimal alcohol legs

S: 4.25 - lots and lots of lemon/curacao orange peel, spice, coriander...pulling out lots of classic Belgian aroma

T: 4.25 - drinks like a saison instead of a Belgian pale ale to me (good thing...), no detectable hop flavors or bitterness; again, lots of lemon, young citrus and spice on the taste buds, some candy sugar on the back end

M: 4.5 - again, I'm really digging the creaminess, which lingers on the upper lip, tight carbonation, moderate body that is appropriate to style

O: 4.5 - although I'm not crazy about the generally non-committal "Belgian pale ale," definitely approachable and refreshing, especially as the temperature warms in the greater D.C. area; although not their best offering, this is a solid flagship beer from my favorite local brewery...Prosit!

Serving type: can

04-04-2013 02:31:31 | More by MNishCT77

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.69/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz can, unknown date. Served at around 40-45F.

Pours slightly hazy golden amber with a one finger white head that leaves a ring of lacing and settles to a small cap.

Aroma is belgian yeast, fruity, lemon, banana, touch of bubblegum, earthy, bready. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is fairly hoppy with lemon citrus, a little banana, overall rather fruity, some yeast and bread, sweet malt in the middle and end, mild alcohol, good bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little sticky, good carbonation.

Normally not a big Belgian Pale Ale fan, but this is pretty good! Nice ’n hoppy with a good Belgian yeast presence.

Serving type: can

04-02-2013 00:07:24 | More by elgiacomo

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3/5  rDev -16.4%

03-31-2013 16:18:15 | More by Mebuzzard

cuy50

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

03-21-2013 17:11:48 | More by cuy50

Shatter

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

03-21-2013 01:52:46 | More by Shatter

starrdogg

District of Columbia

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

03-10-2013 16:58:41 | More by starrdogg

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

03-07-2013 21:18:08 | More by alysmith4

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

03-06-2013 02:45:16 | More by BostonHops

duff247

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

02-25-2013 00:15:32 | More by duff247

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

02-15-2013 03:22:45 | More by Davepoolesque

Lambocalrisien

New York

4/5  rDev +11.4%

02-11-2013 02:15:44 | More by Lambocalrisien

BeastLU

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

01-22-2013 23:20:27 | More by BeastLU

theleechster

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

01-20-2013 22:21:17 | More by theleechster

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #62 (Mar 2012):

LOOK: Golden orange

SMELL: Asian pear, taffy, green peppercorn, shortbread biscuits, floral

TASTE: Smooth, creamy, biscuity, peppery, hop bitterness, herbal, faint medicinal phenols, plummy, maraschino cherry, clean alcohol, tangerine pith, bitter semidry finish

A robust “Abbey” ale yeast strain created this brew, so it has the traits of a bigger beer without a massive amount of alcohol. Very complex, this is not one to just knock back as each sip peels back another layer of flavor.

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 03:25:13 | More by BeerAdvocate