Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Nearly brilliant gold. Huge cloudlike head. Lots of tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.

S-Lemon pledge. Some cinnamon and cumin. Woodsy, not like oak but like a forest. Some pine.

T-Nice light crackery malt flavor. Firmly bitter, but not harsh. Lemon scented soap. more pine. Slight spicy phenols.

M-Fairly dry. Very prickly from the carbonation.

D-Interesting beer. A dry bitter "farmhouse" ale. the Sorachi Ace hops are pretty strange. a mix of lemon soap, pine, and kitchen spices. This is good, but I don't want another bottle. I'd like to try a Sorachi Ace beer that didn't focus entirely on the single hop strain.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 00:21:21 | More by organicbrewer

MEsquandoles

Texas

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

750mL bottle with cork, like their Local series. $15 at Whip-In

Hopped and dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace (developed by Sapporo), re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast.

A little cloudy, Duvel-like head.

Smells of the Local 1, Champagne, cork, lemon meringue or orange marmalade, some tropical fruits or pina colada, wet vegetation.

Surprisingly, I taste the hop in the flavor more than the aroma. Alot of the aroma flavours, but not as sweet. Clove and some other spice. White grapes and melon. A unique hop. Corky. Similiar to Duvel or Local 1.

Thick and oily, spritzery carbonation, looonng finish with hops, dry. A pleasure to drink.

Kudos for making a dry and hoppy saison, and getting it to Texas! Extra kudos for single-hopping, using an exotic hop, and re-fermenting in the bottle with Champagne yeast! Def. worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 22:50:38 | More by MEsquandoles

elniko

Texas

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

Poured from 750 into tulip glass.

A: Light glowing amber with nice frothy head and heavy lacing. Nice looking brew.

S: Lemon, zesty notes coming from the nose. I pick up pepper tones as well.

T & M: Light bodied, quite nice throughout the experience. The notes from the nose come through in the taste. Nicely balanced, sweetness up front with a dry finish.

D: Quite drinkable, my first experience with the sirachi hop and an enjoyable one. Looking forward to having another bottle of this fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 01:53:43 | More by elniko

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Corked bottle poured into a snifter glass in two parts. Review is from notes from two weeks ago.

Appearance: Golden straw yellow in color. Clear and bubbly throughout. Three finger pillowy and aggressive white head. Very good retention.

Aroma: Lemon zest and tart green apple are the first notes I pick up. The Sorachi hops play in toward teh back end with some nice hop bitterness.

Taste: Lemon juice and sweet apple play nicely together. Some citric and pine flavor near the back thanks to the hops. Lemongrass notes in there as well. Crisp.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, bubbly and smooth. Medium bodied. The crispness is the impressive feature here.

Drinkability: Very smooth and moderate ABV.

Overall, a nice crisp and bright saison. can be a bit watery at times in my opinion. I wish there was a way for the flavors at assert themselves more.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 19:40:52 | More by Gosox8787

socon67

New York

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Cracked open a 750ml with the family. It was a big success.

A- poured very smooth. A nice layer of foam in the glass. A cloudy look that reminds me of most belgian ales.

S- You can clearly smell a hint of citrus.

T- Tastes of lemon, and the champagne yeast they use gives the beer *lots* of action. It paired awesome with the BBQ chicken I ate, but I could see this going with seafood perfectly. The Sarachi hops reminds you that this is a different type of beer, and in a good way.

M- Fizzy, smooth to drink though. No problems getting this one down.

D- I would look for this as a summer beer. I tried this a year ago on tap at the brewery, and in a bottle it was just as good. Could easily have finished the bottle myself, though I'd need to hide it from everyone else.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 12:35:51 | More by socon67

nerdrocker101

Georgia

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

750ml poured into a tulip. Not shared. My wife is very sore about the subject so I'll have to pick up another bottle.

Pours a hazy yellow with a foamy head just short of two fingers. Pepper and lemon sit lightly on the nose. Spices show up more in the taste, mixing in with lemon and just a hint of alcohol. Smooth and fizzy, incredibly easy to drink. This beer really snuck up on me.

This was my first beer made with Sorachi Ace hops and if it's any indication of how others will be, I imagine I'll be wanting to try them to.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 12:10:31 | More by nerdrocker101

Stigs

Pennsylvania

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

750ml bottle, split and served in Stone Levitation glasses

A - pours with a very hefty amount of bubbly, pillowy bright white foam. the beer is just slightly hazy, more so as the bottle dwindles down. leaves behind some thick yet spotty lacing.

M - very sharp lemon, not quite tart or even fruity...just a nice display of Sorachi Ace hops. joined by some sharp grassy piney hops, a slightly musty graininess, and light mustiness. nice but a little one-sided.

T - very bright lemony, grassy, piney hops. some belgian yeast with a light kiss of funk and musty basement. finishes very dry

M - insanely effervescent, with a ton of carbonation...once in your mouth it slowly fades to a pillowy fizz of a beer which just melts in your mouth. very bright and tingly, pairs great with a myriad of spicy food.

D - very enjoyable, leave it to Brooklyn to introduce an entire new unknown strain of hops and make it shine. great unique Saison.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 00:13:00 | More by Stigs

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