Illumination (Farmhouse IPA) - Enlightenment Ales

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

12-06-2012 01:40:36 | More by jbertsch

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

6.8% ABV confirmed. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with intriguing label art and standard brass pressure cap acquired in a trade with the gracious ICCULIS and served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are fairly high; I've not had a beer from this brewery yet but I find the label and description appealing. Batch number 7. Reviewed as a saison-come-IPA.

Served cold, straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

As soon as I opened it, liquid began slowly surging upwards. Carbonation seems zealous.

A: Pours a healthy six finger head of beige colour. Soft frothy complexion. Good thickness. Light cream. Spotty uneven lacing as the head slowly recedes. Retention is quite good - around six minutes. Body colour is an unexpectedly murky hazy yellow-orange; I can see the "farmhouse" elements starting to emerge here. This is not your typical IPA in that sense. Appears unfiltered. No yeast particles are visible. Translucent but nontransparent.

Sm: Rustic lemongrass and estery lemon zest immediately betray its saison origins. Pale malts and light wheat lend it a light refreshing feel. Biscuity yeast notes are pungent. Lightly grassy. Little spice if any. No milky character. Hop character is floral but seemingly no more pronounced than most saisons I've had; I'm not detecting the alleged IPA hopping in this self-described saison-meets-IPA. Straw, fleeting graininess, light funk. A hint of pear fruit. Lemon is dominant. More a rustic aroma than a clean one. Mild in strength. Soft, approachable, and inviting. Alive and fleeting. I'm excited to try it. If you handed it to me blind and asked me to guess the style, I'd go with either saison or biere de garde - but I'd never guess IPA.

T: Lemon twang is nice here; lightly juicy without going overboard. The foundation is a rustic blend of pale malts, wheat, and more grainy malts. Some light residual sugars lend a bit more body without becoming overbearing or too sweet. Hop character is indeed a bit more pronounced than in most saisons - but still doesn't come off like the description suggests; this doesn't feel like half saison half IPA - more like 85/15. Some biscuity yeasty notes. No real spicy or milky character, nor any peppery character. It's quite tame in terms of conventional good saisons. I get lightly spicy rye when I look for it, but it seems quite limited. Balanced and enjoyable, but simple for a saison - and not really at all what you'd want out of a good IPA (Belgian style or not). It's nicely subtle. I quite like it, but I could go for more complexity and depth of flavour. Well built as an American attempt at a saison.

Mf: Soft and easy on the palate, presenting lightly yet subtly. Smooth and wet with some fizzy character from the crystal malt. Overcarbonated. Good thickness. Suits the flavour profile well. Clean and refreshing, if rustic.

Dr: A highly drinkable American saison from Enlightenment Ales. Make no mistake - this is no IPA. It's at best a somewhat highly hopped saison. I doubt any beer judge would dare call this an IPA of any sort. This is one case where the brewer's description seems more for marketing than for accurately describing the beer itself. I'd happily age this, for example - if I though it would develop with age (and I don't). But the hop character won't drop off noticeably; there's not much to start with. Hides its ABV well. I'd get it again. An interesting beer, and one that makes me more interested in the brewery. I look forward to trying more of their beers. I wouldn't recommend this to friends, but it's pretty tasty for what it is. Worth trying.

Low B-

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:57:25 | More by kojevergas

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

05-14-2013 23:09:51 | More by liamt07

2dogbrew

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-27-2013 21:47:38 | More by 2dogbrew

kscaldef

Oregon

2/5  rDev -51.5%

04-22-2013 05:53:11 | More by kscaldef

penguindude

New York

5/5  rDev +21.4%

04-13-2013 13:46:21 | More by penguindude

polishkaz

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

04-11-2013 04:17:25 | More by polishkaz

wesley14

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-11-2013 03:58:47 | More by wesley14

aorloski

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%

04-07-2013 16:23:00 | More by aorloski

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dope for sending this!

Pours an intensely cloudy golden yellow with a massive effervescent head, a steady rush of bubbles rushing up from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is dominated by an intense, zesty lemon and tangerine citrus, just tons of orange peel; some spicy yeast and pepper and lavender.

Taste is pepper and farmhouse yeast, citrus peel again, less hoppy in character than I expected and more like a particularly zesty Belgian pale.

Lots of carbonation not surprisingly, effervescent almost to the point of distraction. Good body too though, and good drinkability.

This beer is pretty unique stylistically, not exactly an IPA really but very good.

8.2/10

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:54:24 | More by AlexFields

bostonryan

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-05-2013 00:07:16 | More by bostonryan

nzerbe

New York

4/5  rDev -2.9%

03-31-2013 16:51:15 | More by nzerbe

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bomber poured into a stemmed tulip glass.

A- Hazy, unfiltered looking dirty-orange color. The 3 pours from this bottle resulted in massive, fluufy white heads that revealed rings of lace as soon as it began to fade. The head woundup looking like a scoop of vanilla ice cream plopped down in the middle of the brew. Wow.

S- Citrus hop IPA up front. Some grapefruit and orange. Then, after a few minites, the Belgian wheat and light fruit esters come to life. The aromas do get along.

T- The citrus hop flavor hits first then the Belgian wheat ,barley and rye. Peppery.

M- Unmistakenly IPA, unmistakenly Belgian ale. Tart and tangy from the hops and good carbonation, not too bitter. Wet and dry, start to finish.

O- There's a lot to like in this beer, plenty of flavor and body. It works for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:42:26 | More by NiceTaps

merc7186

New York

3.94/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Belgian Yeast, Citrus Hops

T: Belgian Yeast, Citrus Hops, Orange Rind

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Yeasty, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a nice belgian IPA, not anything special but nothing bad either.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 05:36:48 | More by merc7186

stunna

Maine

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

03-04-2013 18:53:17 | More by stunna

alienlifeforcecube

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.9%

03-03-2013 14:37:55 | More by alienlifeforcecube

sweisel80

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.9%

03-03-2013 12:12:56 | More by sweisel80

Massbmx

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-22-2013 03:51:41 | More by Massbmx

mbs11

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

02-07-2013 00:25:38 | More by mbs11

DBosco

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -9%

01-26-2013 05:39:35 | More by DBosco

trevorpost

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

01-25-2013 23:56:52 | More by trevorpost

Tschnab

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

01-23-2013 15:51:55 | More by Tschnab

MasterSki

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Todd. Served in a taster pint glass.

A - Big white foam that eventually settles to a thick cap and splotchy lacework. Hazy peach flesh body.

S - Quite hoppy, with a hefty dose of tropical fruits and citrus, some zesty herbs, mildly peppery yeast, and some pungent catty notes. Some grain and wheat provide a malt backbone, but this is all about the hops and yeast.

T - Again, a mix of hops and farmhouse yeast, with tropical citrus, stone fruit, and herbal flavors. Finish is a mix of hop bitterness and spicy yeast notes, with no discernible alcohol. Perhaps a touch of wheat and grain husk. Farmhouse IPA is pretty much a spot on description.

M - Medium body, gritty and dry texture, pleasant moderate carbonation, and a clean, crisp finish. No alcohol presence.

D - A nice hoppy farmhouse ale that I'd happily drink again. It's perhaps a bit sweeter than I'd want from this style, but otherwise quite enjoyable. I'd never heard of this brewery, but I'll have to keep my eyes out for future offerings from them.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 23:03:31 | More by MasterSki

CheekyBroad

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

11-30-2012 21:27:36 | More by CheekyBroad

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.9%

11-10-2012 17:49:46 | More by oldp0rt