Seventeen - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a hazy golden yellow with a two finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, spice, earth, fruit, and fruit hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, banana, spice, earth, fruit, fruit hop, and earth hop. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. I went into this brew not really expecting too much at all if I’m honest. However what I found was actually quite nice and well balanced. This was a nicely complex brew where everything seemed to work in unison with each other and kept your palate intrigued throughout each sip. Doing all of this while still be refreshing was the kicker. Definitely a must try for any fan of the style or the curious alike.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 10:55:46 | More by thagr81us

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger head on a cloudy golden body. Lots of banana citrus, corriander and grain. Perfect degree of sweetness. Flavor start musty with malts, herbs, corriander and light lemon sweetness in the finish. Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. I very nice saison. The aftertaste lingers and becomes a little sour and funky but otherwise very good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 21:11:52 | More by kylehay2004

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – It was served a light orange color with a tiny white head. The head disappeared quickly leaving almost no lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of sweet citrus. Notes of orange, tangerine and a sweeter lemon are all there. Mixed with this is a lighter aroma of grapefruit as well as a good Belgian yeasty and spice aroma. As expected for a 10.5 % abv brew, there is also a light presence of an alcohol aroma as well.

Taste – The taste begins with the fruit sweetness. The fruit is of banana, orange, and some lemon. These flavors are mixed with a yeasty flavor right up front. As the taste moves on some of the spicy flavors come to the tongue, with a decent presence of pepper and clove. The alcohol that was detected in the nose then hits the scene. It starts out weaker, but as the taste goes on it a bit stronger, but never comes to a very potent taste. In the light alcohol mixed with the spiced fruit flavors leaves a sweet warming feel on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the thicker side with a carbonation level that is just below average. Both suit the fruity and spiced flavors of the beer quite well.

Overall – At 10.5 % this was a very easy to drink and pleasant brew. A very nice saison if I would say.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 00:10:00 | More by Darkmagus82

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On Tap at Old Eagle Tavern.

Served in a ten ounce portion, this 'super saison' pours out a deep dark golden look with some burnt orange in between. There is some depth in the look as it is not entirely clear, cant see through the glass. By the time it got to me, there was a off white skim on top, leaving nothing. Smell is pretty earthy with grassy notes and some weird musky scents. Some floral notes and a whiff of alcohol. Orange comes to mind and some weird spicing going on. All in all, weird. Taste leaves where the nose leaves me, what exactly is this. Tastes include a variation of Merry Monk's yeast or perhaps some more of it. Earthy hop flavor, grassy notes,Some Belgian sweet flavor with orange, alcohol, and deep plum. The peppercorns are throwing me off though. Feel is bigger than medium with less and less carb as time goes by. Some warming which really should not happen in a saison, but this is 10 plus percent, which I think is the problem, to much for it's own good. One glass was more than plenty for me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 04:49:02 | More by onix1agr

nrs207

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Weyerbacher as a sample. Served in a 3.5 ounce plastic cup.

A - From the small sample, nice fluffy white head. Hazy yellow just like a typical saison. Really refreshing looking.

S - The smell had the right amount of funk from Belgian yeast, but clearly had a lot of the grapefruit, orange, and lemon coming through. Didn't really get a lot of pink peppercorn in the smell.

T - The peppercorn comes through at the end in the taste, and has a nice little spice. Super refreshing, very well done saison. The fruit really comes through with a bit of funkiness.

M - Hides the 10.5% fairly well. Nice carbonation.

O - I walked in thinking it'd be a good saison and I might grab a bottle (yay new PA no case laws). I walked out with a 4 pack. I went with 4 other guys and they all liked it too. It's not mind blowing, but it's worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2012 16:56:52 | More by nrs207

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Barcade, Philly, PA

Served in a goblet, an impenetrably hazy golden yellow color with a thin cap of white-yellow head; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma was pretty light, essence of citrus zest, and peppery spice, Belgian yeast and a bit of funk. Taste reflected the aroma, with notes of lemon and grapefruit, bready yeast, peppery spice, grassy funk, quite earthy...all the classic makings of a good saison were there, but it was still lacking a bit in the flavor department I thought. Light-medium mouthfeel, and definitely easily drinkable. Nothing amazing here, but I was definitely happy to get a chance to try it before it's gone.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2012 00:48:11 | More by Rifugium

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pour is a nice hazy orange gold. 1/4 finger of off white head fades rapidly, no lacing.

Nose is soft bready yeast with a hint of orange peel and honey. Not that potent.

Taste is full of spice up front. Lots of clove, soft ginger, with some citrus notes of orange and lemon. Finishes with a nice malty sweet yeast. Leaves a lingering breadiness, but gentle.

Feel is a bit thicker and heavier than I would expect for this style, and is appreciated.

Really a delightful saison, a style I don't often love. Really nice balance of spice, yeast, and floral citrus here though.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:06:21 | More by dheacck11

Stunner97

New Jersey

2.7/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

Appearance- very overally chunky even after even a very slow pour, not sure if product of its age or just how the beer was, golden yellow color with thin white lacing,

Smell- nice malty sweet nose with citrus orange tones

Taste- starts up with little bit of citrus and fruit but really rounds out just being super heavy of spice tones, the spice really over dominated other aspects of flavor

Mouthfeel - light carbonation soft and slick, slight warmth from alcohol

Drink ability /overall- the spice def took off drinability as did some strong alchol at points, overall this beer though not bad was just bit too boozy and off balanced for the style almost came off to me as more of an off balanced triple, I didnt like this better then merry monks if going for that style, any way it wasn't better then average to me

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 23:31:54 | More by Stunner97

JustinAniello

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Pours a straw yellow with plenty of floating particulates and a minimal head, dissipates quickly to no cap and sticky lacing.

S - Heavy yeast and breadiness with citrus, mostly lemon and grapefruit, peeking through.

T - On the tongue a citrus medley that switches between sweet and tart. Changes on the swallow to what I can only presume is the peppercorns, which I find awful. Slight bitterness and a possible metallic aftertaste. Bitterness seems to grow with time.

M - Medium body and carbonation.

O - The one flavor in the middle of the beer kills it for me. Minus that not a bad beer. Will not have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:37:25 | More by JustinAniello

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.61/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Big thank you to Maximum12 for this from a brewery I haven't tried nearly enough of.

Appearance. Pours a hazy straw gold with a skim of white head that quickly fades to a collar.

Smell. Spicy saison yeast, lemon and lime with a little bit of bananas and a trace of coriander and cloves.

Taste. Spicy saison yeast and caramel, some lemon and corriander with a little bananna and clove. Fairly sweet.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium-low carbonation.

Overall. An easy drinker with plenty of flavour. I prefer my saisons a little dryer, but this is a well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 00:44:47 | More by Rutager

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.14/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12 oz, bottle poured into a Weyerbacher tulip. Bottled on 5/30/12.

A - Pours a hazy golden color with plenty of floating particles throughout. Less than a half finger of white head dies to a halo and a film. Leaves behind a nearly full sheet of lace around the glass.

S - Smells of lemon peel, ground cloves, and a little bit of wet hay funk. The funk plays nicely off the big citrus aromas. Cloves provide a spicy floral character that I enjoy.

T - Surprisingly tart upfront, with lemon juice and pear. Some sourdough bread and candied plantain malts follow. The clove spices from the nose are less pronounced, but still present. Some funk and more tartness on the back end. Some leftover lemon juice and bread linger, but no alcohol. This is a very well put together saison, especially given the alcohol content.

M - Spritzy on the tongue with a crisp finish. The alcohol is well hidden.

O - In my opinion, Weyerbacher doesn't make a bad beer. This was my first time trying their 17th anniversary saison, and I was very impressed. A little bit tart, a little bit funky, and no out of place flavors that are often left on the palate in a very high ABV saison. I will hang on to the other bottle I have for another few years and see what happens. I recommend this beer highly.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:18:52 | More by NoLeafClover44

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.64/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottled purchased from the brewery in Fall 2012, poured into a 3Fs Teku long-stemmed glass, drank 2/26-7/13 over ~one hour.

A: 4.5 - golden coloration, impressive clarity for the high alcohol content, whitish frothy 1 finger head dissipates very quickly into small glass lacing, moderate alcohol legs

S: 4.75 - orange peel, lemon zest, orange peel, lemon zest, orange peel, lemon sext

T: 4.75 -immediate citrus blast, non-cloying, alcohol in reserve, drying aftertaste

M: 4.25 - light-medium body, low carbonation

O: 4.5 - high alcohol content Saison is where it's at, all the flavor with additional bite, if you can find it, I highly recommend it but might even be worth a brewery trip.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 05:33:30 | More by MNishCT77

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz.

Pours hazy orange-tinted citrus gold. White bit of lacing for a head.

Smells of lemon, coriander and oranges.

Spiced orange and apricot with coriander and an herbal grassiness.

Medium to full body with stinging carbonation on the roof of the mouth. Warms a bit going down.

An interesting take on a Saison style, much stronger than you normally get from that. It works well here although it doesn't much hide its strength, so it forces you to go slow. I think this beer probably isn't for everybody, but I personally really like it and would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 22:42:46 | More by Cylinsier

wspscott

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle in Duvel tulip
date: 05/31/12 - 05/31/17

A: Crystal clear gold color with a very thin white head. No lace. A little bit of yeast ended up in the glass with a careful pour.
S: Some peppery spice and a some citrus
T: Definite spiciness along with orange peel, slightly sweet (pils malt with a light crystal malt?). No sign of the alcohol.
M: Rounder than I expect for a saison, the high carbonation helps keep it light on the tongue.
O: More like a Belgian strong ale or a tripel than a saison. A very good beer, but not what I was expecting based on the label. Worth trying if you like belgians.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 00:36:44 | More by wspscott

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle was poured into a tulip.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is a golden straw yellow with good clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass. There are some floaties throughout the whole beer too. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Belgian spice, pepper, powder yeast aromas, rosemary, thyme, vanilla, bready notes, and some sweetness.

Taste: All the above aromas with bit more sweetness and a little bit of subtle bitterness too. The spices mellow out quite a bit too.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, light to medium bodied, medium carbonation, and easy to drink.

Overall: A nice Saison that I can add to the collection. I do have my select favorites, but thus can be enjoyed from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 06:30:00 | More by Flounder57

match1112

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a: cloudy yellow orange body, like orange juice. no head what so ever, pours completely flat.

s: big bold citrus aromas, orange, lemon, grapefruit.

t: tastes like a strong screw driver. plenty of orange and alcohol burn with a pepper bite.

m: medium body but completely flat. warming effect from the abv, little burn.

o: the alcohol is hidden better in the nose than on the tongue. wish it had some carbonation. plenty of flavor. too much like a screwdriver to recommend to anybody.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:20:17 | More by match1112

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz, 2012
Deschutes, tulip

A: Cloudy hazy light orange color. Initially about a half finger of bright white head. Faded into a bright ring of white.

S: Getting lots of citrus still. Most certainly the grapefruit hints. Some orange peel. That pink peppercorn spice is there too if you dig in.

T: First and foremost, those Belgian flavors. Some of that banana like character. Getting citrusy notes first. That grapefruit and orange peel like notes. You get that citrus and that pink peppercorn spice hint too. Then finish is certainly dry. It's a refreshing brew.

M: It's a big medium. Looks thinner than it would seem.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 14:34:49 | More by inlimbo77

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally got around to trying this...
The beer pours a clear sunset orange with a fluffy white head that fades quickly without providing much lacing. There is an tremendous amount of dispersed flecks of sediment, which appears to be the unfiltered spice content! Yes indeed there are tiny, diced particles of the orange/lemon/grapefruit peel and specks of the pink peppercorn oscillating around the bottom of my glass. This is quite a unique finding for the beer's appearance, but I would have liked more of the unfiltered yeast lingering as well. The nose is still very aromatic (despite being several months "aged") with big notes of citrus and yeast followed by a modest amount of alcohol. The taste is similar, but with more sweetness, which helps build up the body and balance out the high alcohol and spice content. The mouthfeel is quite refreshing considering how much is going on with this special beer, like the 10.5%abv and spice content. I'd say it's a bit off balance as the alcohol becomes a bit too pronounced and overpowering when the beer warms. I'll probably try this beer again...although it'll never be my favorite saison.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:37:28 | More by ThePorterSorter

C20Percent

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy pale gold with a white head of foam on top. Head isn't especially bubbly. There's some decent complexity in the unfiltered body. Noticeable pieces of sediment floating throughout the body. And, some nice bubble action too. Good feature.

S: The typical yeasty banana aroma. But, there's some other fruity notes in there. I think it's melon. But, that's kind of it. I've smelled this before -- the proof will be in the taste.

T: Spicy! That's the major flavor here. The taste is soooo complex. The beer first hits with the yeasty banana flavor, and then follows up with a mega spicey peppery flavor. So nice. Refreshing for a high-abv brew. I'd say, as far as saisons and belgians go, this is as good as it gets.

M: And here's why -- so smooth and creamy. How does this not have a bite? Bold carbonation. Warm going down if you shake it up. Medium body. Great feel.

O: I'm not a big belgian ale / saison fan. But, this is top of the totem for me. It doesn't get any better. Nearly perfect brew. No bite. Great flavors. Bravo Weyerbacher!

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 22:04:41 | More by C20Percent

confer

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale yellow, very murky, lots of carbonation and a pure white fluffy head. Has a tart/funky smell with some hefeweiss yeast in the background. Tart in the taste but the booziness dominates. It doesn't hide the 10+ abv so well.Overall not bad but I think it would be better with a smaller alcohol level.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 20:31:16 | More by confer

birchstick

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a yellowish orange color with a decent looking head on it. Nose is lots of orange with other citrus flavors coming through, namely lemon. Taste starts off with lemon citrus flavors. These soften up with some orange flavors...a touch of peppery spiciness comes through toward the back. Finishes with more citrusy orange flavors. Very smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a well crafted saison. Although it is about 5% higher than I thought it was, still pretty good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:09:34 | More by birchstick

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Modest head that leaves a minimum amount of spotty lace. Cloudy. Light gold/dark straw color.

Sour aroma of sitting malts. There's a touch of bittering hop smell at the end.

The flavor starts sour but ends with a strong pepper finish. The aftertaste is surprisingly short. Full body for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:28:47 | More by smcolw

fmccormi

New York

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; bottling date of May 30, 2012 and a freshness date of May 30, 2017 printed in black ink on the shoulder of the bottle (“053012 053017”), so about five and a half months old on the date of consumption.

Appearance (2.5): Half a finger of rapidly diminishing head that’s slightly off-white comes off the pour, capping a glowing honey-orange body which is nicely hazy but not cloudy—very, very pretty. Essentially no head retention, just a thin ring around the edge of the glass on the surface of the body and almost no lacing, just a couple of stray suds here and there. Attractive body, terrible head.

Smell (4.0): The aroma’s basically a cross between a classic saison and a BSPA: clove, grains of paradise, and some white and black pepper underneath; boozy fruits, like pears and brandy with stewed apples. Candied orange peel, and some pale, grainy malt character rounds out the nose. Considering the size and composition of this beer, it’s pretty nice.

Taste (3.5): Kind of everything going on in the nose, but intensified on all counts: much spicier, much boozier, much fruity-sweeter, and all around just much more. There’s a ton going on: the spicy yeast character finishes with a spicy, grassy twang, capping off a boozy, slightly hot slurry of overripe fruit (bananas, poached pears, stewed apples again), brandy, slightly biscuity pale grain malts, toasted multigrain bread, and some fruitcake. This isn’t a saison, it’s more of a heavy, boozy BSPA with some rustic farmhouse spiciness. That said, it’s pretty tasty in its own right.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Light, prickly carbonation gives way to a very soft, lush, smoothly foaming body that goes down very, very nicely. Moderately syrupy feel and medium-full bodied, but finishes with a mild dryness due in no small part to the vaporous booze character on the backend. Again, it’s not really a saison in mouthfeel, but it’s not unpleasant in its own right—actually feels pretty nice, along the heavy BSPA vein of Belgian-style beers.

Overall (3.5): To be honest, I enjoy this beer well enough in its own right, but it’s not a great example of a saison. That said, I would grade this more along the lines of a BSPA, but even following those standards it’s a bit heavy-handed and overly exuberant in all the shit that’s going on here. It’s good, but it doesn’t all come off with a natural feel. Good effort, interesting brew and worth a try, but I probably won’t seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:43:34 | More by fmccormi

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer has a a very light, golden color that is very cloudy. There is pretty much no head or lacing to speak of.

The smell begins with the citrus flavors of lemon and grapefruit followed by the odd, malty scents that the beer has. Very hard to identify the malts but the last thing you smell is the fuming ABV (10.5%).

The taste is really unique, very different! It starts with a light, crisp, citrus flavor. This is immediately followed by the hint of malts (hint is an overstatement) and then BOOM! This beer carries a heavy ABV but the percentage does not do the burn justice. Really heavy burn that carries the entire flavor with it. The best of any burn you can get!

Mouthfeel is strange, in a good way though. Not too carbonated but the citrus is like a fake before the heavy malt and the even heavier alcohol volume.

Overall this beer is very unique and has an interesting combination/mixture of flavors. The balance of these flavors is not that great but this weakness is over come buy the snowflake like quality of the brew in general...plus the 10.5% ABV makes this brew worthwhile any time!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 18:20:59 | More by PhantasIPA

SadMachine

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes from 8/1/12

A- One finger head dissipates quickly over the hazy golden body.

S- Aroma is pleasant barnyard smell with spices and a bit of breadiness coming through.

T- This is my first Saison, so I'm not sure what to be looking for. The citrus is a bit surprising, while the spice and breadiness is expected after smelling it.

M- A medium to thick mouthfeel and smooth finish.

O- This is pleasant and desirable to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 17:50:22 | More by SadMachine