Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery

sirdrinkwell

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: the pour is a murky and dull golden corn/straw color with lots of off-white head which is slow receding and which leaves moderate lacing in its wake.

S: yeasty with muted citrus aroma of lemon and grapefruit

T: very bready taste with a bit of underwhelming lemon peel and every so slight peppery bite of mild hops.

M: mild carbonation and medium body, a bit of peppery grit.

O: not a bad ale, decent for a try but nothing i'll be breaking the door down to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 00:42:18 | More by sirdrinkwell

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly cloudy pale golden yellow color with a half finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a thin lasting ring. Not much in the way of lacing.

Slightly earthy, spicy aroma with hints of peppery clove, ginger and something else I can't put my finger on. Crisp light fruit notes, mostly apple and pear along with a slight hop profile and subtle malt in the nose.

Lighter bodied with some earthy hops and zesty spice. Hints of pepper, ginger and corriander along with a slight metallic flavor which is kind of off putting. Slightly cloying with a long dry finish.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2010 07:29:16 | More by corby112

thecarster1

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a- 750ml corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter, hazy lemon coloring, dense bright white head, great retention.

s- spicy, peppery, lots of lemon, yeast, bright and dry.

t- bitter and lemony, lemon zest, dry, easily the most lemon ridden beer i've ever had.

m- light in the mouth, slight coating.

d- good, missing something here though, didn't hit me as a terrific beer, i'd drink again, but not seek out and buy.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 21:43:14 | More by thecarster1

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Sloeber tulip glass.

A nice extra catch when I found the BCBCS. It pours a somewhat hazy (though mostly clear) plae golden straw capped by over a finger of bright white foam. The nose comprises lemon zest, a light funk, cardamom, hay, and mandarin oranges. The taste goes somewhat sideways: notes of grass, hoppy citrus and bitterness, greens, stinging lemon and lemongrass, garlic, and a very light butter in the background. Something is heavily amiss, though. I must just not like the sorachi variety, I guess. The body is a very light medium, with an active carbonation and a dry, strangely dusty feel. Overall, a pretty large disappointment that I chalk up to a distaste for the sorachi and the weird dusty feel.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 03:30:53 | More by TMoney2591

emsroth

New York

3.13/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750 bottle

App: cloudy gold with a foamy white head

Smell:strong hop presence that's herbal and lemony. Slight yeast funk. A slight husky malt.

Taste: sweet cookie like malt with butter and cream notes. Dry lemon rind and rough herb finish with a malty and hoppy bite.

Fine carbonation. A bit light for a saison (i LOVE the saison carbonation) but still nice.

A bit clean and sweet for a saison but a pleasant drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 00:23:17 | More by emsroth

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

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.08/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Yellow pour with lots of haze, white head, looked nice. Lemon pledge aroma, not impressed.

More lemon, lemon, lemon, up in this. Was really one dimensional. Didn't really pick up the sorachi ace hop, unless its just all lemon. Thicker consistency to the brew than I like in a saison, keeps it from having a crisp appeal to it. Belgian yeast flavors as well, with some tea leaves. Alcohol too pronounced, same with the bitterness and metallic flavors. Dare I detect some butter that actually was a better development than one would think.

I have no idea why some are apeshit for this, chalk it up to a region not having many loyalties to divide I guess. For me, this was just a bottle of lemon, coriander & clove.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 16:16:03 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Merkur

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a flute glass.

Beer pours almost like champagne. Very carbonated and light and fizzy. A ton of head- like 3 fingers worth.

Beer smells of bannannas and slightly grassy and earthy.

Beer tastes like the smell, but very muted.

Mouthfeel is extremely carbonated like champagne.

Not my favorite saison.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 12:24:21 | More by Merkur

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

2.99/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at St Augustines in Vancouver.

A: 1/8" white head over cloudy straw coloured liquid.

S: Lemon, floral hops and yeast predominate along with a strong aroma of cat urine.

T: Lemon, pepper, banana, floral hops, orange rind, wheat and yeast.

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: Not the most drinkable Farmhouse Ale I have had. Not worth the price tag in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2012 16:02:55 | More by DaftCaskBC

Brent

Kentucky

2.9/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A saison using a specific, Japanese developed hops - I wanted very much to like this beer if only for the innovation. But, I just couldn't. The hops varietal had, to my perception, a very off character, a bit funky but not in a good way. The mouthfeel was also a bit light and fizzy, and not a good fit with the hops burden the beer was attempting to bear. Not for me, and I gotta' call 'em like I see them.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 18:43:20 | More by Brent

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -30%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

750 ml bottle. Pours golden hue with a long lasting, tall, white head. Aroma is of heffeweizen like fruit, yeast and spices. Medium, smooth body. Taste is spicy hops and cooked vegetables. I did not really enjoyed this brew. Maybe I've head a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 19:08:40 | More by mikeg67

champ103

Texas

2.7/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a transparent yellow color. Kind of macro like. A bubbly two finger white head forms, and recedes to a ring after a minute. Light patchy lace is left.
S: Overwhelming soapy hops that really detracts. There is a light spice and lemon zest.
T: Just like the nose, overwhelming soapy hops. Dish detergent, and pin sol like. A lingering sweetness and a lemon peal flavor.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. A little on the thin side. I could finish the bottle if I had to, though I am not really interested in this.

This did not come together all that well for me, as just a Saison, or a beer. Soapy hops just takes over, and there are no other Saison qualities that I can find. Not something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 00:16:51 | More by champ103

n2185

North Carolina

2.58/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with three fingers of white head. The head recedes into a nice white cap with some decent lacing.

S: Some sweet cloves and bubblegum aromas up front. A grassy hop aromas follow with a bit of a corn smell to them.

T: There are some spicy Belgian yeast flavors and bubblegum at first. The grass/corn hop flavors kick in afterward along with a touch of butter flavor and a light bitterness for the finish. Pretty strong metallic aftertaste.

M: Light body with medium carbonation, this beer is fairly crisp but could use a bit more carbonation feel.

O: Unfortunately, the metal aftertaste and the corn flavors kind of ruin this beer for me. I find similar flavor profiles in many American takes on Belgian styles, especially saisons and Belgian IPAs. It's not awful, but I had no desire to finish the entire bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 19:12:36 | More by n2185

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.23/5  rDev -46.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured into a goblet.

3.5 A: Hazed yellow orange color. Two fingers of frothy white head. Retention is good and a small amount of lacing is left.

2.0 S: I've never experienced sorachi ace hops before, but I'm pretty sure I hate them. They do have a nice lemongrass component, but that's just the beginning. Super herbal with plastic undertones. It's like a plastic pumpkin or something weird like that. The hops are too distracting for me to see what's underneath.

2.0 T: It tastes like it smells, which is unfortunate. Super herbal with plastic pumpkin strangeness. A bit or earth and hay underneath.

3.5 M: Lighter body. Active, spritzy carbonation with a reasonable creaminess.

2.0 D: Not a fan of this. I'll try a sorachi ace beer one more time and if it's anything like this, I'll write them off for eternity.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:05:37 | More by DavoleBomb