Seventeen - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy golden looks, with a minimal ring of a head, Bush glass. Booze exuded in the aroma. Above average mouthfeel, at first I am getting a strong ale/barleywine, at finish I am getting a grapefruit kiss. Decent drinkability, stronger funkier Belgian yeast at the end of the bottle. Maybe there is some grains of pepper, but overrun by the above flavours.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:31:31 | More by northyorksammy

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.3/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce bottle - $2.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clouded, pale gold body with a small, thinning, essentially white head.

Smell: Sweetish, ethanol-laced wheat malt sitting atop squelched notes of varied citrus rinds and peppery spices.

Taste: Malted wheat with a light pinch of powdered sugar. Some initial floral tones (until the numbing alcohol kicks in), but that's right around when the citrus peelings roll in. Spicy, peppery qualities from the yeast, presumably from the alcohol as well, and the peppercorns, with a lingering spiciness beyond the full finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: "Seventeen weighs in at a style-obliterating 10.5% abv." It also destroyed my patience right off the bat. Harsh, flabby, boozy. Happy Anniversary.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 23:06:48 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a cloudy hay color ale with a large foamy head with minimal retention and not much lacing. Aroma consists of coriander and orange/lemon peel with quite a bit of residual sugar. Taste is also dominated by a mix of spices including coriander with some orange and lemon peel which are balanced against a huge malt backbone with quite a bit of residual sugar. Body is quite full with limited filtration and medium carbonation with no apparent alcohol. This beer is so big that it almost falls into the BSA category. I would probably have liked it better if it had traded some alcohol and sugar for additional attenuation which in turn would have provided more rooms for the spices to come out.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:46:06 | More by Phyl21ca

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is hazy golden yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that quickly died down, leaving a thin film of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are sweet aromas of banana and candi sugar in the nose along with notes of spices.
T: Like the smell, the taste has some malty sweetness with flavors of bananas. Peppery spices are noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the finish.
O: The taste and strength of this beer make it seem much more like a tripel instead of a saison. It definitely tastes strong but the alcohol is relatively well masked considering its strength. Nevertheless, it is a beer that needs to be slowly sipped.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:51:21 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a nice looking bright yellow color color, the head was fizzy and white. Not much retention or lacing on this one. The smell of the beer has a nice fresh grainy, herbal/spiced aroma to it. The taste of the beer had some nice spicy notes to it and well has the sweetness of the grains in there too. The mouthfeel of the beer was clean and crisp feeling with a little bit of heat in the finish from the ABV. Overall it's a really interesting Saison to say the least. I found it enjoyable, wouldn't buy a case but it was nice to try.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 23:52:53 | More by Knapp85

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

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light fizzy head covering typical of a beer with this abv, over hazy carrot orange colored beer.

Nose brings floral spices, almost ancient ale like spices or a strong Belgian tripel, coriander like, hint of a peppercorn almost, lots of wheat hefe like aromas as well with the coriander and clove almost, banana, plenty of citrus zest with orange and hint of lemon like, and the malts are more wheat based with hints of a malty saison rustic aroma, some light blood orange and clementine like.

Taste starts again with a hefe like flavor, but citrus fruit flavors as well. Juicy wheats, lots of wheat, with lots of citrus fruits, blood orange, clementine, hint of a pink grapefruit as well. Then spices, light spices overall, but fairly saison like with hints of a light peppercorn, hint of coriander and slightly clove like, as well as citrus peel, light orange and lemon zest even. The zest brings a decent bitterness, but nagging bitterness, and a light chalky like taste as well which is kinda weird. Light yeasty dry bready malt as well. Just a light warming booze which is hidden well. Finish is slightly dry and decent lingering bitterness, lots of orange zest, lemon peel, blood orange juice lingering, lots of wheat and hefe like spices also last a while.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb but not as much as I hoped, light warming booze that is hidden fairly well.

Overall not bad, almost like a very strong hefe blended with blood orange juice, light spices, zest, and some saison flavors, booze is hidden well, a good summer beer but overall not quite what I was expecting from a Weyerbacher beer, too much of various flavors blended together and don't seem to mesh as well as you would expect.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 23:07:39 | More by jlindros

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

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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Seventeen
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
ABV: 10.50 %

APPEARANCE: Pours light gold with a chill haze, a little bit of sediment. A ring of wispy head forms and stays in a ring. Looks like a Belgian brew.

SMELL: Belgian yeast chimes in with white pepper, bubble gum, clove and banana. Wheat malt is apparent right away. Grassy hops are there but subdued.

TASTE: Fruity yeast with some banana, bubble gum and cotton candy notes. Mostly sweet with a very faint suggestion of hops. There is a small but noticeable spice from the green peppercorns used in brewing. Lemony citrus with some notes of orange and grapefruit. Still, very wheaty with a always present banana-bubblegum-clove note. Very little funk for a saison, but overall still tasty, and the alcohol is well hidden.

FEEL: Medium bodied, medium carbonation, lingering citrus/bubblegum finish.

OVERALL: An interesting take on a saison. I like the bigness of this beer, and the flavors really do pop. Definitely has a big wheat presence. It is a little sweet, and a bit more funk or some acidity would go a long way here. Not sure what cellaring would do, this is drinking pretty nice right now.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 18:55:51 | More by Stinkypuss

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy yellow color with an off white head. In the aroma, citrus rind, especially grapefruit. In the taste, grapefruit and orange citrus rind, peppery end, yet still sweet. A spice bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry grapefruit citrus in the the aftertaste. Big citrus, small spice, nice alcohol, and quite super!

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 12:57:14 | More by OWSLEY069

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

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

L - hazy dull-brass color with a white head that stayed as a ring.

S - lots of citrus and spice make the smell very nice.

T - starts with a yeasty wheat taste before the citrus rind, spice and peppercorn all come through finishing dry and a little peppery.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - a good saison with a kick.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 01:53:13 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

This one almost passed over the radar. Grabbed a single from the House of 1,000 beers for 4 bucks (a tad expensive but it's the only place I found it.

A - As expected it's a hazy amber in hue and for the ABV it's low in carbonation with a mere lace ring. It looks sticky though.

S - Smells fairly good for a Saison. Belgium yeasts, wheat, coriander, white pepper, and quite a bit of alcohol.

T - Ow damn the ABV is cloying as hell. A strong yet semi-balanced alcohol taste carries over mild waves of coriander spice, lemon like zest, and a touch of banana. Halfway though the glass the wheat thankfully comes into play balanced the ridiculous ABV of this beer but it's too little too late.

M - Heavy a sipper for sure.

Overall I am not really planning on getting this again and really as unimpressed with this as the 16th (braggot) Hopefully next years release with be a high octane stout since these releases are ridiculously high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 02:30:29 | More by DrDemento456

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Thanks to jtd1969 for bringing this to the tasting.

A - bright yellow with little head

S - banana, clove

T - lemon, banana, clove

M - over carbonated, crisp, light to medium bodied

This is an alright Saison. For 10.50% it doesn't have great body, but the alcohol isn't as prevalent as one would anticipate. The flavor and aroma are simple and one-dimensional. Overall, a decent beer but boring. I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 23:15:25 | More by tdm168

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours an extremely cloudy (almost milky) glowing golden straw yellow in color. The beer has a half finger tall fizzy white head that quickly reduces to a small patch of extremely thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal lacing is observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of citrus zest (both lemon and orange), sweet orange citrus, candi sugar, and some spicy yeast notes. Very light hints of alcohol.

T: There is a light amount of candi sugar sweetness along with citrus (orange) and citrus zest (lemon and orange). There is a pretty heavy amount of spicy yeast notes and some light amounts of alcohol.

M: On the fuller side of medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Chewy.

O: Not the easiest beer to drink as the high ABV is not as well hidden as I would have appreciated. I like the spicy notes from the yeast but would have like just a hint of the barnyard funk I have come to expect in the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 22:40:22 | More by dbrauneis

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

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a tulip glass this beer was a hzy gold color with a small white head.

Citrus and spice aroma. A little funky.

Things sorted themselves out in the taste. Lemon and orange, a little clove. Yeasty.

This beer felt right, with a nice blend of citrus and spice. The alcohol wasn't at all noticeable, a dangerous thing, perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 22:59:23 | More by lordofthewiens

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. This is one mighty saison, clocking in at 10.50%. Can't wait to try this.

3.5 A: Opaque golden brown color. Less than one finger of frothy white head. Retention and lacing aren't worth mentioning since so little head developed.

4.5 S: The first thing you'll notice with this is how spicy it is. The peels (orange, lemon, grapefruit) both meld together and stand on their own. The pink peppercorns (what the hell is a PINK peppercorn anyway) offers a healthy peppery kick. Otherwise this is surprisingly floral without being very herbal. Yeast also gives you a touch of clove. Quite clean, especially given the murky yeasty color. Booze is extremely well hidden.

4.0 T: Taste is like the nose, but perhaps a bit less unrefined. Plenty of peels and pepper again. More clove than the nose hinted at. Overall quite spicy. Mild herbalness enters the scene. Rich neutral malt flavor, moderate yeastiness. Hay and wet grass. The booze is apparent in the taste, but doesn't distract too much.

3.5 M: Heavier medium body. Probably the heaviest saison I've ever had. Good moderate carbonation, though I'd prefer it to be spritzier. I'm not much of a fan of this kind of body on a saison, but it's decent enough.

4.0 D: Really tasty imperial saison that is worthy of an anniversary.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:40:25 | More by DavoleBomb

billab914

Virginia

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

12oz bottle poured into my CBS snifter. Light orange in color with a thin, spotty head scattered across the top of the beer and concentrating around the edges of the glass.

The aroma has a strong presence of lemon zest and orange peel with a touch of bitter grapefruit citrus. The Belgian yeast spice is also playing a pretty big role in it. It's got a bit of a sweeter, almost honey like flavor to it as well.

The taste shows the yeast spice a little more prominently throughout. The citrus rind flavors are there as well giving it some lemon and orange zest. The finish is bitter with some grapefruit mixing in with yeast spices.

The mouthfeel is heavy for the style with carbonation being low. Overall, it was a pretty decent beer. It hid the abv very well and the flavors were pretty good. I'm not really sure the size and heavy feeling of the beer did it any favors though either. The refreshing, easy drinking qualities are usually the main reason I want to drink the style. It wasn't bad at all, but I think I'd choose something else in the style with half the alcohol content over it.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:48:21 | More by billab914

prototypic

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Seventeen pours a lighter gold color. It’s definitely hazy. There are a lot of yeasty particles swimming about. I was even careful with the pour. Backlighting gives it a brighter, yellow-ish look. A soft white head sits on top. It’s rather modest, only rising to about a finger in height. It’s quick to recede, leaving a very light, spotty coat of lace clinging to the glass.

The nose is weak and surprisingly average. It really needs more strength. It kicks off with a malty, sweet smell. It has a strong sugary scent. Belgian yeast is noted and adds a blend of spicy notes. Clove and pepper are the most notable. It does have some light, citric fruit notes and an interesting honey note. It is earthy, grainy, and slightly herbal. Alcohol is definitely in there. Smells a bit strong for a Saison. Eh. For the style, it’s average.

The flavor is a little better. It does have a strong malt base and is very sugary. It’s a bit sweet for me. Belgian yeast is noted. It adds spicy flavors of clove and pepper. Spice esters are abundant. Coriander and orange peel are also noted. It is earthy, grainy, and herbal throughout. There is a light, citric grapefruit note and a bit of a honey flavor. Those aspects are interesting, but don’t improve the flavor much. Alcohol is there and is a bit strong for the style. It’s not quite warm or hot, but it is too prevalent. Finishes malty, sweet, and spicy.

Seventeen has a medium body. Carbonation is rather light and restrained. It has a pretty good feel, but won’t be confused with any authentic Belgians. Drinkability is okay, but suffers a bit from its size and sweetness.

Weyerbacher did an okay job with Seventeen, but it’s not among the best of its anniversary series. Its biggest problems are that it’s just too big for the style and it’s too sweet. That probably makes it sound worse than it is. It’s alright. Definitely worth grabbing a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:13:23 | More by prototypic

merc7186

New York

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw/Orangish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, No Lacing

S: Oranges, Corrainder

T: Oranges, Grapefruit, Corriander

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Bitter

Overall, for a saison, it was poorly carbonated and just a boring nose and flavor...very disappointed for an anniversary beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 00:18:42 | More by merc7186

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a: Bright, clear, shining golden color. Small, short lived head.

s: Mild overall, but appealing. Bicuity malts, mild spice, and warm, floral phenols.

t: Sweet, spicy, and a little hot. Sweet ripe bananas and a little citrus up front. Light spices mid-palate getting heavy towards the end. The finish is sweet, flowery alcohol and peppery cloves run amok.

m: Heavy for a saison.

o: I've loved most of their anniversary beers, but this was a miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 18:30:20 | More by DIM

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a glowing honey hue. Head is tiny. Barely a full film atop the beer. The beer glows but is shockingly quite hazy. Light lacing.

S-A deep, concentrated yeastiness. Bananas soaked in liquor. Definitely boozy. Herbaceous and spicy. Smells very robust.

T-A big ass Saison.Expressive yeastiness.Long alcoholic bite. Bananas and pepper and cloves. Syrupy sweetness and a lingering herbal quality.

M-Syrupy with a low carbonation level. A bit cloying with a considerable bite.

O/D-I now see why most Farmhouse Ales aren't such a high alcohol level. The flavors (especially the yeast) are turned up too high. But all-in-all, this was well worth trying at a decent pice ($3.00 a 12oz. single). Just a cool brew that is far from perfect but worth experimenting with.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:48:31 | More by VelvetExtract

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - No real head to speak of... Instead there is a slightly lopsided lacing comprised of big chunky bubbles that quickly fizzes away leaving only the thinnest of collars around the edge of the glass... The color is a medium golden honey... There is a haziness throughout... Some small streaks of quick paced carbonation can be seen towards the top of the glass...

S - Lemon zest... Belgian yeast... A light candied sugar presence... Some mandarin orange notes... A very subtle spice component as well... Fairly complex... Very pleasant and quite well rounded...

T - Lemon zest... Orange zest... A strong spice component... Belgian yeast... The finish is an interesting mix of bitter grapefruit and peppercorns...

M - Medium to full bodied... A bit thicker than is typical for the style... Lightly carbonated... Sleek... A bit sticky... A bit chewy...

D - The booze is a bit hard to hide at 10.5% ABV and while not typical for the style it's an interesting twist... Treads over several Belgian styles in arriving at its Saison classification... I've always been partial to the Weyerbacher anniversary brews and this one is no exception... Howerver, some time in the bottle will probably serve this one quite well to mellow it out just a tad...

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 21:53:48 | More by philbe311