Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

As a wise old man said " Tastes like fireworks!"

Thrilled to be able to try this as who the hell knows when it will actually land in my state, lol. Served cold and poured into a couple pint glasses. This one was consumed on 06/18/2010.

Really great pour here as the light golden amber quickly filled up the glass with tons of bubbling white foam. Crowning the top and hanging on for what seems like an eternity thick, coating lace is dropped all over the glass.

The aroma was thick with peppery spice, grassy notes, lots of herbal, earthy, and grainy hops. A touch of light peach or pear in here as well. Really just a nice well rounded aroma. Taste rolls through with loads of pepper, coriander, touches of grain. A gritty, earthy taste and feel to it as it was light in body but I felt as though I was chewing it. Light finish, light tartness, dry, very dry with a touch of a peppery spray an lemon in the finish.

Overall a really nice and different beer. I really enjoyed this tremedously.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 17:58:34 | More by mikesgroove

Bendurgin

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Andrewinski1 for sharing this. Poured it into a tulip. Lots of fluffy white head that was monstrous! About three fingers! Gives a hazy straw color. The smell is kind of hot, kind of peppery with hints of orange zest. Lots of orange taste and grassy hops in the background. Kind of a spicy aftertaste. Light in the mouth and the carbonation is pretty spot on. Crisp and refreshing on the warm summer evening. Light and easy going down. Great summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 03:06:14 | More by Bendurgin

timtim

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Attractive bottle dispenses a fairly clear, dark golden brew with a just-off-white head that pillows up and holds. Wow. Amazing hop character right off the bat in the nose that is very lemon-centric, which also carries notes of citrus, flower and earth. The backbone contributed by the yeast and grains is spicy (pepper/clove? almost non-existent), biscuity and earthy in it's own way. Hops dominate though. Taste is lemony flowers with sweet notes and pepper just before the finish that is wiped away by a zippy heat from the booze, crisp carbonation, and what tastes to me like preserved lemon. As it warms, it seems like some light sweetness comes out and the spiciness in the middle seems to show a bit better. Very nice showcase for a really great hop. Unfortunately, I fear that this unique new hop is the soul of this beer, and if it were to be stripped away and replaced with a more traditional variety in a more traditional level of ibus, you would end up with a very well-made beer that may seem a tad contrived, exhibiting clean, textbook yet conservative, "saison-style" flavor. Very impressive. Very well made. Nowhere close to becoming a classic, although full of classic flavors. Great beer, just lacks soul for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 01:16:20 | More by timtim

mjaskula

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pilsner glass. The beer is light golden and effervescent with a huge bright white head that thins and leaves a ton of lacing.

Aroma is really great, I assume that it's these Sorachi hops. It's earthy full of pepper and and lemon also belgian yeast. Flavor is smooth and mild. The classic saison flavors go very well with the hop flavors.

This is a very pleasant and drinkable summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 01:23:39 | More by mjaskula

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Straw colored pour, two finger white head.

S: Spicey and a little funky. Yeasty characteristics are balanced by grassy hops.

T: Spice up front leading into lemon peel and biscuity malt. Hops are present more so than any saison Ive had. This is my first beer with sorachi hops, they seem pretty grassy to me, at least in this application. Maybe a more basic brew utilizing sorachi would reveal some intricacies.

M/D: MF is surprisingly thick despite ample carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good, enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 02:41:08 | More by zoolzoo

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml corked & caged bottle poured into a DFH signature glass.

Pours a cloudy golden wheat color with a huge bright white head that starts sticking to the glass immediately. Nose is very lemony and zesty! A bit of that home floral note comes across after the yeastiness.

Taste is pretty good, it's a bit funky and zesty but it's not over the top like helios. The Sorachi Ace makes it quite smooth and bright. Mouthfeel is your standard brooklyn bottle conditioned beer mouthfeel, needless to say it's great. Dry and crisp with a ton of mouth filling carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 21:36:41 | More by kingcrowing

silver0rlead

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden color with a thick and frothy eggshell colored head that retains nicely. The aroma is also nice, with minty and floral hop notes upfront, along with green apple and pear, lemon rind, funky yeast, biscuity malt, and some honey. The flavor has a really unique hop character upfront with notes of mint, lemon and flora, along with some honey, biscuit, funky yeast, green apple and pear, and a little alcohol. The mouthfeel is sprightly and drinkability is excellent. I thought this was an excellent and unique saison, flavorful and unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 06:00:50 | More by silver0rlead

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Excited to try this one-seeing as I like Local 1 so much.

A-Body is a quite pale, nearly transparent golden yellow hue. Pours with a frothing, foamy 3 finger+ foamy white head. Head eventually subsides to 1 finger and has perfect retention from there. Some lacing is left behind in the glass.

S-Nose is rather mild with a floral hop accent-but there is a lot of citrus presence as well-orange peel, lemon zest and maybe a hint of grapefruit. Below this is a hint of grain and yeast funk.

T-Taste is similar to the smell. The cirtus characteristics come forward the most initially with a slight funky background. The finish is refreshing and dry with a good dose of floral hop flavor and bitterness as well as a hint of peppery spice.

M- High tingly carbonation and a lightweight, yet full somewhat spritzy body with a hint of juicy consistency.

D- Overall this is a great, hoppy, slightly dry, enjoyable saison. ABV is pushing 8% but is not noticable at all throughout the profile. Garret Oliver shows here for a second time that he really knows how to make a great saison/pale belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 01:01:35 | More by PittBeerGirl

dasenebler

Maine

3.1/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

From a Brooklyn-branded 750mL bottle, Sorachi Ace pours a light, hazy gold with a copious head. Great retention; good lacing.

Aroma is weak: biscuity malts, a bit of funk, and a very faint citrusy and lemony hop character. Disappointing lack of fragrance.

Now, the strong points of this beer. The first thing I notice is the Ace's brilliant mouthfeel: awesomely soft and fluffy. The carbonation is high, but very refined and pleasant. The alleged star of this Saison--the Sorachi Ace hop varietal from Japan-- is present, though seems to be more than balanced by the malt. The hop flavor is nice: lightly lemony and herbal. Bitter, but not totally dry.

And the not-so-strong? I must admit, I was expecting more from this brew. There is a big, biscuity malt presence that I wouldn't say is par for the Saison style. But the main flaw I see in this beer is an annoyingly buttery flavor-- dare I say, diacetyl aftertaste. This doesn't fit into my definition of "crackingly dry", as the bottle proclaims. Clean this butteriness up, Brooklyn, sub in a bit more Saison funk, and you'd have an awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 01:13:48 | More by dasenebler

tigg924

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: cloudy, yellow/orange in color, 1 inch head, high carbonation

Smell: funk, hay, light citrus hops, and lemon

Taste: lemon, wheat, citrus, coriander, funk, and a small touch of the malt that is common in Brooklyn beers.

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, light bodied, dry, funky sour tasting..slightly bitter

Drinkability: A nice hoppy and bitter saison. Certainly different from others I have had in the style. Taste wise a kind of a mix between Blue Moon, a hoppy pils, and a saison. A nice summery beer I could have a couple glasses of.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 14:31:27 | More by tigg924

drcarver

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - light golden color with a white head that lasts the entire beer. Great lacing that lined the entire glass. Cloudy.

S - the hop hides in the background but its there if you are looking for it. smells like a typical saison otherwise.

T/M - very nice. it has a classic saison flavor with hop dancing on the back of the tongue
. After taste lasts for while. Smooth and light almost creamy mouth feel.

D - goes down nice, but I can't have more than one.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 19:46:16 | More by drcarver

Mora2000

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was surprised to see this sitting on the shelf in Dallas so I had to pick on up. Good thing I did because it was very good.

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a white head. The aroma is strong lemon with some wheat and Belgian yeast. The flavor is lemons with some oranges. I also get some wheat, yeast and grassy hops. Low to medium bitterness. Very soft, creamy mouthfeel and low to medium carbonation. A very good saison.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 04:25:32 | More by Mora2000

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a nearly perfect summer beer.
In a tulip glass, the beer is an orange/yellow color with a thick white head that retains well. There's a bit of lace.
It has a grassy/outdoorsy aroma with some citrus.
A fairly strong lemon taste, sweet malt, hops late. Very enjoyable.
I think this beer is very crisp and dry, and very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 01:07:28 | More by lordofthewiens

Naugled

New York

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From champagne bottle to tulip.

Hazy dark yellow body with high carbonation and foamy white head. Typical for this style, nothing special to see here.

Aroma is very spicy and lemony with some green fresh herb notes. Very aromatic.

Flavor is very perfumy with white peppercorns and intense lemon. Very intense flavor, almost chemical like pledge spray wax. A bit heavy on this, I think it would be better toned down.

Rich soft slippery mouth feel.

Drinkable as a novelty, but certainly not something you want a few glasses of. This is a very interesting hop which needs the right combination of ingredients to be palatable, but I don't think this is it.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 13:18:56 | More by Naugled

Zodijackyl

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy light golden yellow, fine silky head. Aroma is fruity with raisins and mild citrus hops, spices mixed with a very light wood smell.

Very smooth mouth feel, light carbonation and balanced taste. Citrus hops balanced with dried fruits and spices and a very smooth, buttery grain/malt taste. Hop flavor is a unique, slightly woody flavor with a citrusy/lemon zest tang. Mild hoppy aftertaste with a light astringent finish - much of the flavor of the beer is prevalent in the aftertaste.

The unusual hop flavor is the highlight of the beer, balanced with malt while allowing the hops to be the primary taste. Long-lasting and exceptional aftertaste, with a lot of taste between sips of beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 00:42:33 | More by Zodijackyl

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Straw yellow in color. Huge head going on here. Great lemony and heavy citrus aroma. Very crisp flavor. Mildly lemon like and very fruity. Touch of sweet malt going on. Long, lingering lemony sweetness in the finish. Great mouthfeel here. Very, very drinkable and enjoyable. I recently used this hop in a homebrew but over did the bittering hops. The lemon/citrus qualities were still very apparent. A bit pricey-damn enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 00:29:02 | More by lackenhauser

hosehead83

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a smart-looking bomber bottle into a wine goblet
Cloudy, orange-gold, with a big fluffy head of foam
Aroma-Fruity, lemony, some subtle funkiness
Taste-Very crisp, lemon essence, coriander notes, snappy earthy hop notes, peppery. Very flavorful and refreshing, bright and zesty. Delightfully complex yet "gulp-able" in its drinkability. An instant classic. Top shelf all the way. Truly "sunshine in a glass". Get some!!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 14:51:46 | More by hosehead83

Patrick999

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I'd had this months ago in a small portion poured by a Brooklyn rep. I now have my own bottle. And what a bottle it is - classy stylish presentation as with all of the 100% bottle fermented Brooklyn beers.

It seemed like a good candidate for the Duvel tulip, and I was right. It requires a careful pour. You'll get a lot of foam atop a cloudy golden body. It passes the looks test.

Aroma is of lemon zest, pepper and bread. Textbook "clean saison" aroma.

This beer was clearly meant to show off the Sorachi Ace hops, and that it does. You're either going to like the slightly dank lemony hops, or you won't. Peppery and dry throughout, some grapefruit accents. I think this is the only Sorachi Ace beer I've had...the lemon zest aspect of this hop varietal. Reminds me of Saaz for sure, but less flowery.

The bottle fermentation nails the feel. Lots of crackle and pop but not overcarbonated. Very crisp.

I'm not draining the bottle with tremendous quickness, but it'll go. You can polish it off yourself, but probably better to share it and pair it.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2010 20:44:56 | More by Patrick999

Beejay

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A slightly hazy, off yellow straw color. Huge head on this, white, fluffy, and delicious looking.

S: Nice belgian yeast right at the front.citrus, specifically lemon, another spice in there that is very nice, though I can't figure out what it is.

T: Nice, mellow and crisp. Lots of lemon with a nice belgian yeast kick. There is something in the finish that I can't quite get, maybe fruit or a carmel. I can't really pick out the hops specifically, unless they are the unknown spice in the background.

M: Thin bodied, fairly highly carbonated. Seems about right for the style.

D: Decent all around, but I can't see buying a lot of this. It seems like a really special bottling, for a fairly average beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 02:48:56 | More by Beejay

dahlen22

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Golden in color with a good amount of carbonation and a 3/4 inch head.

Aroma: Lemon, grapefruit, and other floral scents are obvious even on the cork.

Taste: Tastes like it smells...lemongrass, other fruits, flowery, with a semi-dry finish. A nice easy drinking beer perfect for the spring and summer as is true to the Saison style. I am surprised it is almost 7% because it does not taste strong at all (I would have guessed 4.5 or 5%)

Overall: Brooklyn Brewery has some quality beers and some outstanding beers. This beer falls under the quality section. Nice and refreshing and easy to drink with a crisp lemon-fruitness. The $11.00 price for a 25 ounce beer is a bit much, especially since I can easily name 5 other Saison/Farmhouse Ales that are more worthy (Flying Fish for starters). Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 23:19:35 | More by dahlen22

bum732

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy pale yellow, bubbly head with great retention. Smells very floral, pansies, roses, lemongrass, grassy, lemon rind, yeasty breadiness, some spiciness. Tastes of dry lemongrass like malt with a nice grassy flavor. Moderate bitterness leads to a more lemongrass and lemon rind aspect. Finishes dry with some earthiness and lemon leaf. Carbonation low for the style, good moderate body, dry.

This beer was eating raw lemongrass, very potent and flavorful. Missing those traditional saison elements such as yeastiness, but i really think this beer was constructed to show off the hops. If you like lemon, you'll love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 03:20:47 | More by bum732

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Great saison with a marked lemony sense, and a nice malty and lightly woody finish.

Presentation: 750 ml corked brown bottle. Detailed and sophisticated label design bordering on a tacky stereotype of an ace of diamonds with the Brooklyn logo at center. The back label follows through with the pattern of a deck of cards, including a narrative with style, main intent, ingredients, brewing process, and food pairings. The design is not something that I like in particular but it works fairly well, and as it is often the case with these Brooklyn big bottles the presentation is something worth carrying around. Lacks freshness or bottling date. Shows Alc. by Vol. (7.6%) Served in a tulip glass.

A - Straw to pale gold hazy pour, with a towering frothy head, nice retention, surface memory and lacing. Quite the looker.

S - Lemony aromas, citrus and floral notes in a fresh range.The nose is rather nice, but with a step short of complexity or length to take it to a next level. However it is very nicely rounded and overall complements the brew very well. Touches of spice, pepper, and yeast faintly linger in the background.

T - Rich lemon sense, grassy touches hold the citrus up over a softy woody note.... The woody sense is unusual and might be woven around the hops but it works beautifully and complements the overall taste and body with great competence.

M - Medium-light body with a lingering fullness around that woody sense and a perfectly tuned fined carbonation leading to a dry finish.

D - Extraordinary. If one is attracted by the lemony hoppy sense and the unusual intricacies of this brew, this is quite the experience. At points it may lack a lot of nuances, but overall is so nicely rounded that it shows an outstanding character.

Notes: First encounter with the Sorachi Hops, I think, although this particular sense of flavor is something that I feel I have encountered before but I can not put the finger to it... Great craft from Brooklyn in any case. Outstanding Saison that I would love to see coming back at least as a yearly seasonal offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 02:43:17 | More by Daniellobo

mdfb79

New York

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 5/21/10 notes. Had at a local DC tasting, thanks Tom.

a - One finger of fluffy white head, pale yellow color with light carbonation.

s - Smells very interesting. Getting citrus hops, some spices, and yeast.

t - Tastes of fruity and citrus hops, spices, yeast, and fruity malts.

m - Light body and light carbonation.

d - An ok saison. Nice fruit and citrus taste. Would give another shot.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 01:09:53 | More by mdfb79

fastpass17

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy, golden yellow, white pillow head, 3 fingers and lasts throughout the drink.

S: Citrus, dried lemon peel, wheat, spice shows up as well.

T: Round malt, followed by citrus, hops presence throughout, lemon and sweet near the end.

M: Light, fruit, medium to light body, coats the tongue nicely.

D: One or two bombers with a friend or two on a hot summer day would be nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 00:03:57 | More by fastpass17

tlinner

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was just saying the other day that I've always been bummed that so few American breweries have dabbled with the Saison style, because it's one of my favorites. Well, I guess the Beer Gods had been listening, because one trip to the beer store later and i found no fewer than three American farmhouse ales. This one stood out, and boy am I glad I got it.

Right off the bat, this is flat out one of the most aesthetically pleasing beers I've ever seen. You could fool a rich friend into thinking it was champagne. Not since my first Duvel have I seen such a perfect golden hue, or so many bubbles. An easy 5/5.

The scent is a crisp blast of lemon, due obviously to the Sorachi hops. But there's also that floral spiciness I love about Belgian blondes. I can't wait to taste it.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed. It's not that it isn't great, because it is. It has an almost buttery smoothness to compliment the citrus hops and spicy yeast. But with all the preamble, I was really looking for something that could break into my All-Time Top 5. It's not quite there yet, but Brooklyn clearly has a winner on their hands. It's more easily drinkable than I expect from a beer in it's class, and it has a knock-out combination of ingredients that make for a fresh and unique, yet classic taste. Aces, indeed.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 17:23:22 | More by tlinner