Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery

DapperGrowler

District of Columbia

5/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - A very carbonated beer. Mostly due to the champagne yeast. cloudy and slightly orange in color. there was a nice head to the beer.

S- Fruity with notes of citrus and some light floral hops.

T- earthy/slight hoppy taste on the back/ sweet

M - Crisp, good mouth feel.

I had this beer on New Years eve as the last beer of 2011. It was one hell of a way to go out. This is now one of my favorites and cant wait to get my hands one some more of this farmhouse ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 04:01:03 | More by DapperGrowler

jimilayne

New York

4.63/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Eagle Provisions in Brooklyn. Poured from bottle into a chalice glass.'

Appearance: Nice sun yellow body with a thick, foamy 2-finger head.

Smell: Strong bitter yeasty nose with some citrusy and hoppy goodness. Doesn't reflect the taste and

Taste: Yeasty, champagne-y taste but not overpowering on the tongue. Refreshing even. Hint of lemon in there. Based on the nose I expected it to have a strong lingering aftertaste, but it doesn't.

Overall: Surprising burst of deliciousness after the bitter nose. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 00:32:49 | More by jimilayne

drewone

California

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

Poured into a tulip glass

Light hazy color, frothy head with large bubbles that become a fine layer of bubbles

Typical yeasty Saison smell with tropical fruit notes

Yeast taste dominates - lends a good amount of spiciness, little alchol and mild bitter fruit finish.

High level of carbonation - dominates mouthfeel - creates

All around very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 06:03:17 | More by drewone

TheHopHeadGirl

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It's a single hop saison, germanpilsner malts, with spices, golden farmhouse ale. Has a 7.6% etoh. Reminds me of honey basil from berkley & saison du buff from dogfish. It would be great with food. My 1st time having it is @ pig & fish in rehoboth for $i a 16oz glass.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2012 22:30:31 | More by TheHopHeadGirl

bigflatsbeerman

New York

3.3/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Appearance: What I think a saison should look like, a hazy golden color.
Smell: A very pronounced lemon scent.
Taste: I liked the first half pint of the 750 ml bottle (noteworthy: this is a 100% fermented ale). The rest was a chor as I found the "lemony fresh" smell and taste to be too much (if it was a claening product it would be spot on).
Mothfeel: Light, this would be a great summer beer, which saisons were designed for.
Overall: Average, I like the fact they did a saison and 100% bottel conditioned, but I am not a huge fan of the lemon taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 23:59:30 | More by bigflatsbeerman

slammo

New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Sorachi Ace is really something special. If you read the back label too intently you might never open it. The ingredients are well thought out and effective. Drinking it right now in February it reminds me of warm summer days and crisp dry satisfaction. The head is white and crisp, the aroma a bouquet and the taste exquisite. I want more.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 02:26:17 | More by slammo

SlothB77

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 25.4 oz bomber into glass.

A: A cumulonimbus cloud of three fingers of white foam on top of a clear body. Very light shadings of gold and yellow in the color. Very clear.

S: Nose has melon, pine, herbs, mint, blossom.

T: Flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, cut grass. I can taste the ginger the prior reviewer mentioned and definitely a peppery spice kick as well. Slightly bitter finish, no charring.

M: medium-bodied, lots of carbonation and acidity.

O: As expected for a saison, lots of fruit and florals. Very sweet. The sugary sweet citrus hits first, but the pine/ mint/ grassy flavor hits almost immediately after and the two mix for a very nice flavor definitely stronger on the mint/ pine/ grassy side.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-08-2013 00:19:09 | More by SlothB77

Crazyale

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into Tulip.

A: Pours a pale golden color with a big four finger head that leaves nice dabs of irregular lacing on the glass. Almost crystal clear, with some nice effervescence.

S: Almost an overwhelming hit on the nose, it's hard to even articulate anything the smell is so big at first. Belgian yeast, soft fruits, spice, lemon zest, a bit of alcohol burn. Complex and interesting aroma.

T: Very strong peach taste at first, along with some sort of vague creaminess. It's sweet at first, but this is followed by some biterness on the back of the tongue, some of the lemon as well. There is a pleasant alcohol burn in the throat, not too strong. Much better as it warms.

M: Drinks like champagne, very good for the style. I feel like it's a bit thin, but again, that's probably on purpose.

Another great beer from Brooklyn. I'm actually glad that this comes in bombers, as it takes a while to fully appreciate this. It's a complex beer that doesn't reveal itself in just a small tasting.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 04:33:58 | More by Crazyale

jefe2

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - hazy pale straw with fairly quickly dissolving white flat foamy head
Smell - lemon zest and spicy yeast and a little sweet like lemon chess, and a bit of powdery grain smell.
Taste - follows smell, but dry and with some metallic iron flavor just after the dry fore taste. There is a distinctive somewhat rubbery biscuity malt flavor in the middle that is probably from the yeast strain and the uncommon hop (Sorachi Ace). Dry airy finish. After taste is nice, little bit of powdery graininess and little bit of hop spice and tangy malt, but the flavors fade out evenly, without one dominating unpleasantly.
mouthfeel: light and airy, nice
drinkability - very drinkable, light but interesting with a lots of subtlety in underlying flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 05:40:29 | More by jefe2

ausonius

New York

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

Appearance: Big fluffy, creamy white head. Settles in 5 minutes to thin, light, but persistent head. Little lacing.
Light slightly cloudy yellow-gold.

Aroma: Earthy, slightly herbal, flowery, creamy (Belgian yeast), grainy. Pale malt. Hops are spicy orange, with a minor note of lime & grapefruit.

Taste: Big, full, round, dry, grainy, slightly creamy.
Round earthy hops that finish piney & fine grained.
Hops are not super powerful, but the fine bitterness stays with you almost like tannin in a red wine. Gives it a seemingly very dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Big & flavorful. Packed with flavor, in fact, but not at all heavy.

Drinkability: Fairly light on it's feet for a Saison so stuffed with flavor.

Beautiful stuff!

This might be one to age 12 - 30 months to see some interesting things on the palate. Not sure nose would age quite as well.

94 Points

Bravo again, Brooklyn!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2010 14:51:55 | More by ausonius

simpliciter

Massachusetts

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

A - a very pale gold with a large, wet, white head
S - aroma is light and tangy... perhaps a cross between slighty soured dried fruits and black pepper
T - peppery spice with round malty notes
M - starts clean but rounds out to a full, thick mouthfeel. minimal linger in the finish
D - an excellent beer for a hot day, and a pretty darn good one for a cold day, too!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 22:33:51 | More by simpliciter

rwmiscik

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up last night from the boonton liquor store and split it with a friend. We drank it out of snifters.The beer pours a nice yellow hazy color with a thick white head. It was very peppery saison with lemony finish from the sorachi. It was a good beer for the price however Brooklyn has better products.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 15:18:58 | More by rwmiscik

coy

Mexico

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

Great looking corked bottle.

Appearance.- Light yellow very foamy.

Smell.-Very aromatic citrus, herbal notes and the yeast gives a very particular smell.

Taste.- Very spiced, pepper and lemongrass.

Mouthfeel.- Medium with high carbonation.

Overall.- Wierd.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 13:22:56 | More by coy

dcx10music

New York

3.68/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Very light yellow and very hazy with a moderate head, noticeable lacing all the way down.

S - A very mild and somewhat underwhelming aroma of grass with a little bit of a zip from the hops coming in at the end.

T - More or less just like the smell. The hops are a little more present in the flavor than in the smell, but not too much.

M - Very light. I want to say watery, but don't take that in a negative way, it nicely matches the flavor.

D - Very easy and refreshing to drink. Just like a saison should be.

Notes - A good, but not great, saison. It doesn't live up to its greatest potential (or the hype my friend provided), but it's a pleasant drink while it lasts.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 21:47:29 | More by dcx10music

SFC21

New York

4.58/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy, golden straw color with a huge 3 inch head that dissipates somewhat quickly down to about 1/2 inch.

S - wow, smelled amazing from the second I popped the bottle. The lemon zest combined with the floral aroma of the Sorachi Ace hops is heavenly.

T - Follows the nose. Lemon zest, some orange citrus, floral from the hops, finishes a little peppery. Delicious and refreshing.

M - light and airy with lots of carbonation. Again, very refreshing, great for a hot summer day.

O - While a bit pricey this was well worth it. An excellent take on the style that I enjoyed immensely.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:36:44 | More by SFC21

TonyBrew

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Dilly Deli. Served in a goblet super golden yellow. Very bright like a Saison or wit.
Loved the spices at first, but major citrus comes out (reminds me of Barrel House Hocking Hills Hefe from over a decade ago, not now). A very refreshing brew and an excellent follow up to an Avery Czar. It has a dry finish but very refreshing. A great body with medium head. Very happy with this brew, cannot wait till the Deli gets more.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 17:50:12 | More by TonyBrew

JimLetson

New York

4.47/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750 into a snifter.

Appearance - a pale gold straw colour with a little haze. The head is white and about two fingers high. It's pillowy, with large bubbles that leave a nice lacing.

Smell - a lot of lemon up front, but there is also malty sweetness and a grassy smell. There is also a twangy smell, which I assume is the Sorachi hops. I like it.

Taste - it starts off with a mild sweet flavour, and moves quickly into the lemony taste you expect from the first whiff of the beer. The lemon makes a segue into pine and a reappearance of the twangy smell, and the transition/combination are really refreshing. I've let the beer sit a few minutes, and I kind of regret it; this particular combination of tastes would be outstanding at a few degrees below where it's at now. Different glass next time, for sure. Anyway, the sip finishes with a crisp, spicy bite.

Mouthfeel - surprisingly smooth, given how loudly the cork blew off and how big the bubbles in the head are. Really nice.

Drinkability - yowza. I could drink a lot of this! A really good balance, a great flavour. A nice offering. I recommend hunting one up.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 22:28:23 | More by JimLetson

KATE12

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried this beer for the second time while watching the Giants game yesterday.

Color-golden straw color

Mouthfeel-smooth, silky mouthfeel

Aroma-great aroma! Hints of fruit and floral aspects

I really enjoyed this beer. The head and lacing were outstanding and the taste was excellent. You really get flavors of wheat with some citrus and malt with a floral finish. It has a very smooth taste and is easy to drink and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 16:01:04 | More by KATE12

TheFightingMongooses

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into a tulip. The only bottled/freshness date is a small 2012 printed on the back label. I just have to mention that I love the label design/artwork! It's simple yet incredibly classy, especially the back panel.

Appearance - Big fluffy white head from the initial pour goes down slow. The beer is crystal clear pale golden with moderate yet active carbonation.

Smell - The aroma is light and refreshing. I get slightly sour white grapes, a touch of straw/hay, a good mix of clove-like spice, and a bit of sweet honey. Pleasant, earthy, fruity, complex, awesome!

Taste/Mouthfeel - The beer is silky smooth and light on the tongue, with hints of coconut (or maybe vanilla) and pineapple over a solid honey-sweet malt foundation. The spice is well integrated. At first the aftertaste was coarse and disagreeable, but as I keep drinking it becomes less noticeable.

Overall - The weird aftertaste is the only thing that detracts from this beer, otherwise it is outstanding! This may become my go-to saison when I want something light and complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 01:41:32 | More by TheFightingMongooses

PattyMelt

Michigan

3.96/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A- Nothing too special. Amber yellow, minimal white head. Doesn't look fantastic, but looks good.
S- a very, very citrus, slight pine.
T- Starts off light, very crisp on the back. High lemon flavor with a strong kick of ginger. Clean & smooth.
M- light bodied.
O- very refreshing summer beer. I can see myself sitting on my deck drinking this for hours. Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 02:10:47 | More by PattyMelt

samoblue

California

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Kudos to rtepiak for adding this beer, a brew I first tried about a week ago and have sought out all over NYC ever since. This review comes from the pint I had at The Pony Bar in New York City on 7/28/09.

Pours a surprisngly light pale yellow, a tad brighter and more vibrant than your standard BMC but otherwise not much different. A satisfying finger of tight, creamy head crested the top of the pint glass.

The aroma is the first indication that this beer is something special. Floral notes unlike anything I'd ever smelled in a beer before--must be the Sorachi? (Which, I'll admit, I had to Google). Lemon, chamomile, and honeysuckle also contribute.

Taste is very floral and honeyed, but finishes quite dry. Carbonation is high, but bubbles are fairly tight so the bite isn't overpowering. Feels a bit thin on the mouthfeel, but for such a delicate beer that's probably to be expected, and given the heat we had last night, was quite welcome.

I found this to be a very drinkable beer (I had a full growler of it last Friday night), but at 6.5% it is NOT the session beer that its initial color might lead you to believe. Some may find it too flowery for their tastes, but I thought it was a beautiful beer in its delicacy. Will definitely look for this again, before it's gone forever.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2009 15:12:38 | More by samoblue

shageman331

Maryland

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

750ml was about $13. Poured into my Allagash glass.

Appearance- slightly hazy straw lemon color with a large rocky white head... maybe four fingers from a moderate pour

Smell- more muted than I expected but I get hints of lemon-ish and a very slight mustyness fitting a saison

Taste- probably poured too cold.... definitely opened up as it warmed. Lemongrass is there up front (I'm assuming the sorachi hops)... interestingly enough I get a little bit of a hefeweizen taste on the back end (banana, cloves). Finishes nice and dry.... a solid saison

Mouthfeel- carbonation is lively and crisp... on par with what I have had with other saisons

Overall - I think this is quite a solid brew. Not quite as interesting as I was hoping, but solid nonetheless. As a side note, this paired quite well with greek yogurt.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 03:47:58 | More by shageman331

Nutwood

Kentucky

5/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Saw this on the new drafts board at my main spot. Inquired about the style and was informed is was a Saison on tap.

Draft, 10 oz. pour into a goblet at ideal temperature.

A: Rich, slightly hazed golden color; half-finger of lingering head, a nice slightly yellowish off-white that lingered and laced pleasantly.

S: Country air aroma of hay, light fresh earth, spice, a touch of pine and lemongrass, an impression of tropical and floral without being sweet or perfumey. Nice notes of yeast hinting at the flavor to follow.

T: Follows nose and adds delicately balanced malt and hops. Taste is assertive but not aggressive; complex but very cohesive. Any bitter components present in the Sorachi hops are subdued and integrated into the overall complexity. There is a mellow spice hops flavor balancing the malt on the front, and the finish returns to the floral and lemongrass. There is a bit of elusive fruit here, the closest I can come is pear. After-taste is lip smacking fresh and clean and makes you want to savor and reflect before sipping again.

M: Medium body with carbonation present but in proportion to the flavor; the bubbles have presence but do not interfere with the taste.

O: This beer for me was inspiring; after a day of very high IBUs this was a refreshing eye-opener. It showed up big-time and reminded me there is more to beer than booze, bitterness and in-your-face attempts at "boldness". This is personal and is probably just an individual reaction, but the second and third sips of this gave me a bit of goose-flesh. This is a beer I will return to soon and often.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 16:14:58 | More by Nutwood

wstein70

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got a bottle of this to trade with Icharus and I decided to get one for myself to try out since I haven't had it and I am a fan of saisons. I have to say this is a very good beer and the A- BA rating is well deserved.

A: Poured out a golden color with a nice foamy head that will stick around a while.

S: A pleasant cirtusy smell. Also IPA type hoppy smell.

T: Here is the great part about this beer. To me it is a cross between a IPA and a saison. You have the intense hoppy taste as the Sorachi Ace hops comes out. Also, there is the sweet malty flavor of the saison coming right behind the hoppy-ness.

M: This beer left a clean taste without a strong after-taste. Very pleasant.

D: This beer is a good candidate to enjoy by the pool on a hot day or to relax in front of the tv watching a football game in Dec.

I am thoroughly pleased with this beer and will have to put it into my rotation of beers

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 02:19:55 | More by wstein70

martincm

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, this glass is disappearing fast. It is a very smooth brew and looks beautiful in the glass with that intermittent lacing. It is lacking in saison-tartness, but makes up for it in an interesting sweetness. Maybe just a touch more of hops would put it out of the park.

Overall: Buy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 01:25:00 | More by martincm