Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled 7/12/2012. Pours slightly hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, pear, pineapple, clove, orange zest, pepper, herbal, earth, grass, floral, and yeast spiciness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of big lemon, pear, pepper, pineapple, apple, orange zest, clove, herbal, grass, earth, floral, and yeast spices. Light earthy bitterness on the finish with light tartness; with lingering notes of light fruits, lemon, pepper, clove, herbal, floral, grass, earth, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic balance and complexity of flavors; great spiciness/malt balance; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a lightly slick and very crisp and prickly mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a world class saison! Fantastic balance and complexity of flavors; insanely smooth and crisp to sip on. A truly incredible experience when it is quite fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:34:23 | More by superspak

Ryan011235

Ohio

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

On tap in a pint glass at Woodlands Tavern on 5/24/12

Pale, dull golden yellow; maybe a tad dirty. Slightly hazy. One finger cap of foam. Thin retention, but thick trails of lace.

Smells really nice with a slew of cracklin' lemon tones: lemon zest and lemon grass. Floral hops and prairie grass, too. Notes of cotton candy and banana as it opens up. Maybe some tart apple. Hints of clean grains.

The taste is much of the same, though with more of a fruity penchant. Juicy apple and fruity esters mix with zesty lemon hops and prairie grass freshness. Hints of toasty grain, but there's no doubt this is about the hops and twangy yeast.

Moderately light body with a crisp, distinct feel. Carbonation is punchy. The finish is clean.

Overall, this is darn tasty and very easy to drink. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 05:52:08 | More by Ryan011235

Tschnab

New York

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

A golden straw hazy pour with a nice fluffy head and a moderate level of lace. The smell is a burst of juicy lemon and lemongrass, belgian yeast, spice, mango and pineapple. The flavor has a clean belgian bannana profile with lemongrass and a grassy phenolic finish. Solid saison with a hop variety you dont get to see often. Glad to have had it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 22:11:52 | More by Tschnab

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy dark yellow. Big pulley head settles to a finger of head. Web of spotty lacings.

Yeast and restrained citrus on the nose. Dont't know if it's just the style, but I really want to say spice, coriander even. Mostly though it's comforting lemon, like neo citron (not in a bad way).

Dusty yeast plays a big role in this relatively simple brew. Bit strong up front, mellows in the middle and let's through lemongrass (the Thai cook in me wants to say ginger) and fresh grass seed. Finish is trying with more yeast.

I'm not sure if this is the best way to showcase a hop, and the scaled back Saison Isn't going to blow anyone's mind. Still, a nice drinker with a bit of something different.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:46:23 | More by CanuckRover

spokeydonkey

New York

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

Hazy burnished gold in color with a thick and lasting white fluffy head. Lemon zest, pepper and soapy aroma.

Taste: opens up spicy and crisp, follows up with a hint of malty sweetness, finishes with strong pepper and lemon zest and even some soapiness with hints of pear in the background. Lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Nice creamy head helps balance out the very light body to this beer. Crisp carbonation and astringency makes the finish a bit harsh.

Overall: I want to like this beer more than I actually do. I love saison-style ales and unique hops, but the hops dominate this one a bit too much, covering up the saison yeast character. The harsh finish drops the drinkability a bit.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 01:52:28 | More by spokeydonkey

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

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

Lives up to the special hops hype. Poured a 2" white head with long life. The body is a hazy raw sienna yellow color. The smell is different including the lemon zest but also spiciness, malt, even soap. Taste mirrors the smell, especially the lemon zest, and also has caramel and a touch of sour. Medium rich body. Finish is a little soapy. Interesting and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 02:09:07 | More by MoreThanWine

Sharkophile

New York

4.23/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a brilliant cloudy golden color with a white head made of very fine bubbles. Retention is good and the beer leaves lacing.

S: Smells fruitier than the typical saison, with alot of banana and citrus, along with the customary spiciness, some pleasant citrussy hop character, and a bit of booze.

T: Like the smell, it's initially quite sweet, with pear, banana, orange and honey like flavors chiming in. Goes spicy with some more citrus, allspice and clove, and finishes dry and quite crisp without a hint of alcohol.

M: Medium body with moderate carbonation for a saison. Serves the beer quite well.

O: Excellent, excellent saison. Haven't had another quite like it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 21:46:11 | More by Sharkophile

eriktoyra

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pale golden hazed liquid into the glass. The head is off-white and about two fingers high. Nice curtains on the glass.

S: Smells of chalk, dill and coconut flakes.

T: Tastes dill, chalk, white bread, dried coconut flakes.

M: Medium body with medium alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 19:18:17 | More by eriktoyra

flagmantho

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750mL corked & caged bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: light golden hue with a mild haze and a big, active effervescence. Head pours three fingers of frothy white foam. I like it!

Smell: light but enticing funkiness and sourness atop a sweet, chalky malt base. Not a lot of the hops seem to make it through the overall funk, but it's still pretty nice.

Taste: moderately funky flavor with less sourness than the aroma would indicate. Malt is nice and sweet and a fruity, somewhat piney character comes through which must be the hops. Overall, quite nice.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a huge carbonation and concomitant creaminess. Love it!

Overall: an interesting, tasty and refreshing saison. I will definitely try to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 22:18:30 | More by flagmantho

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

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

Poured into Allagash tulip/chalice glass

A - Seriously effervescent. Duvel territory or beyond. Massive head with a huge stream of bubbles coming from the base of the etched glass. Three to four fingers of a tan head rest atop a lightly orange, chill-hazy golden ale.

S - Fresh and clean, with peppery spicy yeast, lightly bitter and lemony hops, and some grain.

T - A bit spicy, a bit bitter, the beer does a good job of more closely incorporating the hop into the commonly less-hoppy saison. It is light and refreshing but also biting with pepper notes and hoppy bitterness. Lemony too!

M - Light body with a ton of carbonation that goes great with the flavor, plus a drying finish.

O - Very good beer and unlike any other saison I have had. The Sorachi Ace hop seems to be bittering and lemony in my experience here, need to seek out other beers that feature it.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 21:10:29 | More by greenmonstah

KajII

North Carolina

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

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a cloudy golden yellow with a large (2-3 finger) white fluffy head that reduced down to a medium cap and had excellent sheets of lacing.

The aroma was of a light grain malt, floral and grassy hops and a funky Belgian yeast with notes of citrus (lemon), green apple, and a bit of spice.

The taste was lightly sweet and rather creamy with a hint of citrus, and a mild fruity ester from the onset, progressing into a mild bitter yeasty taste with a light spicy finish. The flavor stuck around for a little while with the spicy fruity taste left lying on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a creamy and slightly dry texture and a mild carbonation.

Overall a nice crisp tasting brew with all components working harmoniously together, which did a great job of concealing the high somewhat ABV making this one very enjoyable drinking experience...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 21:05:54 | More by KajII

jwc215

New Jersey

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

750 ml cage-corked bottle:

Pours clouded pale gold with a bubbly white head that slowly descends. Not much lacing.

The smell is of lemongrass, somewhat musty, with tinny/metallic notes.

The taste is musty lemongrass with slight honey with a champagne-like character. Yeast, malt and hops converge to bring about a musty sweet and sour character that is pleasant. Finishes dry.

The feel is spritzy, towards champagne-like. Holds up a nicely refreshing body.

It certainly fits the broad style. Nice and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 20:04:38 | More by jwc215

vickersspitfire

Texas

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

Pours out a light, hazy gold with a copious head. Great retention; good lacing.
Biscuity malts, a bit of funk, and a very faint citrusy and lemony hop character, but not much else.
Now, the strong points of this beer. Thee’s a 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

07-28-2012 02:59:29 | More by vickersspitfire

AaronHomoya

Indiana

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

Paired with a simple fish at Black Market dinner with Garrett Oliver.

I think this is the perfect use of this hop. The lemon with the spiciness of the saison was great. Mostly lemon in smell, with some dill flavor as well. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Overall a nice twist to a standard saison. Very balanced and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 14:44:00 | More by AaronHomoya

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

danieelol

Australia

4.48/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Platinum Liquor

Had this following Ginger Chops. Lemon and ginger is a classic combination after all.

Pours a cloudy bronzed yellow. Good head/lacing.

Smell is herbal hops and garden smells, followed by lemon and lemon sherbet, which I have heard described before in reference to Sorachi Ace but never experienced. Nice soft citrus/lemon cake. Some funky body odour notes. Great combination of leaves and lemon.

Taste is more subtle, well rounded lemon. Texturally great too, confident but restrained carbonation is tempered by a soft feel on the tongue. Do get the more conventional tea-like hops coming through also, evoking lemon iced tea.

Overall, what more to say? Fantastic beer. Brooklyn found a great application for Sorachi Ace, and executed it par excellence.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 12:44:27 | More by danieelol

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Cork City Pub in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a hazy dark golden yellow to golden orange in color. The beer has a three finger tall off-white head that slowly reduces to a thick film over the entire surface of the beer with some small thicker patches and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of saison yeast spiciness with hay + earthiness. There is just a hint of lemon citrus.

T: Light to moderate amounts of lemon citrus sourness along with some earthy/hay hop bitterness. There is an underlying sweetness with some spicy yeast flavors.

M: Just heavier than light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Very enjoyable and easy to drink - definitely one to have another time. Well balanced and the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2012 01:27:51 | More by dbrauneis

imasloth

Texas

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

A- Hazy, brownish orange with foamy white head and thick lacing.

S- Definite saison yeast character, peppery underbelly with bubblegum on surface.

T- Peppery, lemon, still some bubble gum when first taken into mouth. Spiciness and hop character come out, then dryness and bitterness.

M- Thin, evident carbonation, dry finish (even powdery so, as though you'd had powder in your mouth) ...

What I like so much is the distinct components in each reviewing component. The color in the appearance, the peppery and bubble gum scent, the spiciness and hop character of the taste, and the feel of the finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 15:14:48 | More by imasloth

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: three finger head with excellent retention and scattered lacing on a cloudy pale golden body.

S: a little musty, belgian yeast, slightly sweet tropical fruit

T: very floral and herbal with clove, pepper and funky belgian yeast. pear and lemon citrus fruit notes.

M: light to medium body and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: a nice saison. a little dull in the flavor but the yeast character is excellent. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 01:39:05 | More by kylehay2004

TheStove

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into goblet from a bomber that I aged for nearly two years.

Pours a slightly hazy dull golden yellow with lingering head. Smells deeply of citrus in a number of dimensions, both hops and lemon/lemon candy. Even subtle hints of vanilla and honey come through.

Has a robust almost slightly creamy first sip exploding with flavors of citrus, yeast and honey. A champagne like snap occurs on the tongue and it starts to mellow and give way to a slight bitterness and eventually dryness.

The champagne yeast is an interesting take on this one. It "brightens" up your traditional saison in a sense without getting into anything too fruity. Definitely tastes like summer in a glass or in some sense maybe even late summer since the bitter cold is usually around the corner.

I'm probably too ebullient in my review but Brooklyn seriously nails it on their large format bottles.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 05:44:53 | More by TheStove

fmccormi

New York

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

Straight pour from 750ml C&C bottle to an oversized wineglass (HF stemware). Bottling date of January 24, 2012 printed in black ink in a little square above and to the left of the barcode on the back label (“0242”).

Appearance (4.5): Pretty aggressive head on this beer, rising to 3-4 fingers of bone-white foam composed of very fine bubbles, and fading eventually to a haze on the surface of the body and a wide, sticky ring around the glass at the edges. The body is a perfectly hazy honey-gold, not murky but definitely not clear—perfect body appearance! I’d just like some more lacing, but that’s all I can complain about.

Smell (4.0): Classic saison yeast in the nose: some earthy, hay-like characteristics, a little musty but not in a “funky” way—just lightly earthy and spicy, with the scent of straw. This is pretty aromatic, actually, and there is just a subtle hint of snappy lemon in the nose, like lemonade very light on the sugar.

Taste (4.5): And then there’s the lemon. Bright, snappy, bitter in a citrus-sour kind of way, and slightly grassy—but the distinctly fruity side of lemon comes through here, fruity in the way lemon-flavored icing can be. But there’s a definite citrus pith bitterness to this, too, helping to cut through the (mild) sweetness of the hops and the earthy, slightly spicy malt body. Speaking of which, the malts are downplayed, and rightfully so: biscuity but very light, like fresh white bread, but it’s easily lost in the back-and-forth between the lemony hops and the slightly spicy, earthy yeast note. A bit of coriander and clove, just a bit of white pepper, but mainly subtle and earthy. No alcohol detectable.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Surprisingly understated here, it’s lush and well-carbonated but not prickly at any point—just smooth, foamy, and slightly numbing. Light-bodied but not watery, but the dry finish makes this feel very quenching . . . damn.

Overall (4.5): The more I think about it, the more I realize how well-rounded this beer is. My only personal complaints are that I could always go for more lacing and I’m a fan of moderate, musty funk—this is pretty traditional, in terms of the yeast character. Though, it’s clear they picked a pretty refined strain for this, given the surprisingly nuanced mouthfeel and unique but not overpowering yeast note on the palate. And then the hops. This is a very unique, VERY successful pairing of hops and beer style, and to be honest I’m amazed at how long they’ve held on. Great job, Brooklyn! Now if I could just get this and Local 1 in a slightly smaller package . . . :-)

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:28:28 | More by fmccormi

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

No freshness date. Caged and corked.

Pours a hazy golden yellow-orange color with a coarse head boasting half-decent retention. Looks elegant.

Lovely dashed spicing. Peppery and coriander aromas with some lemony hops and papery yeast. Well-balanced aroma. Tidbits of orange peel detectable, as well.

Lemony and funky with dusty yeast residuals. Offering many characteristics from Bretty BPAs, it's this with a magnitude of yeast cake and spice rack array. Zesty and semi-hoppy with a bubbly dry bitterness. Sparkling white wine and sea salt. Flaked wheat, white pepper, and coriander.

Very spritzy--high carbonation. Pushes and rolls over all of the spice notes that never become too intense. The body is pretty simple; a zippy dry medium-light.

All about balance (not intensity) on this one. A delicate beer from Garrett Oliver and Brooklyn Brewery. I had waited much too long to finally give this one a go. Possibly my first time around with Sorachi Ace hops. A delicious drink and very much recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 03:10:44 | More by thecheapies

JayQue

Virginia

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

Pretty good beer, but hardly an exceptional Saison. Looks the part. Big delicately bubbling white head. Good retention and lacing.

Pleasant aroma, but did not stand up to the marinaded chicken and steak that came off the grill. Most of the good Sasions I have enjoyed were paired with dinner. The flavor and aroma usually stood out.

The aroma and taste featured some lemon zest and mild hoppiness. The earthy, funky flavor I usually associate with Saisons was not there.

Mouthfeel was good. Rich and crisp. A very pleasant drinking experience but not a great Saison.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 01:11:32 | More by JayQue

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 6.4.12.

A - Pours a hazy, dark yellow with a large fluffy off-white head. Good retention.

S - Hoppy grass, citrus, subtle spices. All are pretty mild.

T - Sharp lemon at first, then some hoppy citrus and Belgian yeast and spice.

D - Good carbonation and a very light body.

O - A hoppy saison, but not as hoppy as I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 21:29:12 | More by HuskyinPDX

spicelab

Australia

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle thanks to Adam@Platinum Liquor.

Orange-straw, just barely hazed. Two finger pillowy white head that falls relatively quickly, sans lace, to a raised ring and film. Rather rapid bead.

The signature pulped banana and lemon custard Sorachi notes are there, but surprisingly don't dominate. The spicy, doughy Saison yeast character shines through nicely with marmalade, bitter citrus pith and mild funk. Solid nose.

Sorachi leads the flavours a little more, but quickly coalesces with the now sour/bitter citric notes, bay leaf and continental parsley into a satisfyingly crisp profile.

Lightish body, but aggressive carbonation makes it very busy for the palate. Moderately tart on the mid and rear.

Great concept and execution. I ordinarily find Sorachi too domineering in Pale Ales / IPAs, however the more aggressive Saison yeast tames it nicely.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 11:23:22 | More by spicelab