Sneak Attack Saison - 21st Amendment Brewery

JayQue

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tasty enough beer, just not a great Saison. Pours a hazy pale gold color from a can into my pint glass. A hard pour gives you a decent size delicately bubbly white head. Average retention and a little lacing.

Smell is primarily lemon zest and some cardamom. Pleasant.

Taste is more of the same. Lemon zest is most prominent. Spices are cardamom and black pepper. What is missing is the musty, yeasty funk that has been described as "horse blanket" or "barnyard". To me that funk is an essential part of a great Saison.

Mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing.

Overall, a good summer beer, but if you are looking for a top shelf Saison...this one isn't it.

Serving type: can

03-06-2013 01:30:03 | More by JayQue

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz can poured into pint glass:

A: Ok head settles to barely a covering, opaque but not cloudy, very very pale gold

S: Smells like a typical wheat beer, wheaty malt, defintely some lemon too, not sure what cardamom smells like but it is definitely present and unique

T: Cardomom flavor comes through very strongly, tastes like a beer mixed drink, too strong for me, but interesting

M: Medium light body, lower carbonation than I expected, feels smooth

O: Good, just not my thing

Serving type: can

03-20-2013 01:31:25 | More by dpodratsky3

Jason

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz can with a freshness date.

LOOK: Hazed pale yellow, thin ring of lace

SMELL: Semi-agressive cardamon, peppery, faint juicy fruit, medicinal, grassy

TASTE: Spicy, smooth, slick, nutty yeast, grassy, medicinal, herbal, ghost-like ginger, green peppercorn, bready, semi-dry spicy finish

A good Saison, don't know of many canned Saisons which is cool and all but on the flipside it does detract from the crispness I look for within this beer style. This pulls away from the flavor a bit as well, perhaps I am used to the bottle conditioning and big dryness in most.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 03:31:00 | More by Jason

morimech

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy straw color with barely one finger of head that quickly settles to a thin skim of suds. A nice amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass.

Aroma is a combination of yeast esters and cardamom. In fact the cardamom is a little strong for me and would of been better at a lower level to let more of the beer aromas to come through.

I prefer the flavor much more than the aroma. Nice fruity ester and dry malt flavor that the cardamom compliments. Still feel the cardamom is too strong. Nice dry finish that I prefer in my saisons.

Body is very light. Lively carbonation in an otherwise unremarkable body.

Not the most impressive saison. Enough of the Belgian yeast comes through to make this a worthwhile effort.

Serving type: can

02-13-2013 22:51:10 | More by morimech

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pale yellow in color, very light haze. Airy white head sticks and deflates. Crowned nicely. 3.75

Coriander, cardamom, pepper, yeast funk, light peppermint, and almost an aroma of treacle. Strange, but likable. 3.5

Herbal, like the nose. Cardamom is right there along with white pepper, grapefruit pith and rind, light nuttiness, and a few trapped malt sugars. Lively and spicy with big herbal notes and barely definable citrus. Flatter in the finish. 3.75

Drinks lighter and refreshingly so, but with a tad too much sweetness. Carbonation is big and fluffy. Warrants a more careful approach, as it can burn you out too quickly if you try to guzzle. 3.5

Canned saisons. Steps in the right direction. Not exceptional, but good enough to approve. 3.75

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 02:17:32 | More by thecheapies

Billolick

New York

3.69/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

In a can, with dating info on the bottom. Purchased for $2.49 a can at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY.

Pour is lightly hazed, yellow/dull golden, loose off white head, with minor blobs of lace here and there..

Heavy cardamon spiced up nose, with some background pepper

Spicy up saison in a can. More cardamon, pepper, ginger and light citrus.

Near over spiced, sort of a heavy handed take on the style. Not my favorite saison, but on a hot summer day....

Serving type: can

03-06-2013 01:24:49 | More by Billolick

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a light golden amber with a half finger white head that dissipates to a thick film and ring around the glass, leaving lacing. Aroma dominated by cadamom and cloves with light bready yeast and wheat, hint of wild yeast. Flavor is subdued and dry; light lemon, biscuit malt, cardamom, developing a slight sweet flavor then finishing dry with mild wild yeast and bittering hops. Light bodied as to style. A non-assertive saison style ale that is refreshing, but not memorable.

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 01:20:30 | More by LiquidAmber

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

(on tap at the 2nd St brewpub, mid-Apr 2013)

A: pale amber, cloudy... lazy foam and lace

S: nice basic spicy-floral, biscuit aroma - smells like a Saison

T: same basic flavors as aromas... pretty spicy tart.... very nice hot cinnamon-like finish.... fruity/malty aftertaste

M: nicely dry but no burn or heat

O: not distinct or unique, but well-constructed - does its job

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 05:54:51 | More by Bouleboubier

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head, lots of carbonation. Smell is of spices, some fruits. Taste is good. Lots of spices, cardamon standing out, some fruits, yeast, good flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: can

02-22-2013 06:30:00 | More by tone77

flagmantho

Washington

3.79/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz can into a tulip.

Appearance: yellow hue with a bit of haze and a strong effervescence. Head is a single finger of frothy, fizzy white foam which seems to be falling pretty quickly. Not bad, but nothing special here.

Smell: sweetish malt with almost a wheaty character, along with a mild farmhouse funk. The spicing is readily apparent, although to me it didn't read as cardamom immediately; I admit I had to look at the can to see what it was. All in all a pretty nice aroma.

Taste: good malt flavor, again with a very wheat-like taste to it. Lightly funky and a little bit grassy with a little bit of a tongue-numbing quality that has got to be the cardamom. Bitterness also seems a little high, although within the style and relatively balanced. An interesting beer.

Mouthfeel: here's where Sneak Attack shines! Despite the medium-light body, the well-integrated carbonation yields a fantastically smooth and creamy texture. Wonderful!

Overall: I like this beer, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again. For an offbeat brew in a can, though, this one is worth a try.

Serving type: can

01-28-2013 23:32:56 | More by flagmantho

dertyd

California

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can to my chimay challice

A:verry nice looking beer looks like a White wheat beer nice yellow orange color with a nice cloudy look to it

S: can't smell much maybee a little grass and orange peal

T: great beer not to much going on but what is going on taste realy good. I taste some lemon or orange peal,fresh grass,with a decent amount of hops in the end realy good beer

M:nice crisp and dry good taste that lingers for a wile

Overall: I'm surprised a realy good beer dosent taste much like a traditional saison but it taste great I think I found a new session beer

Live life drink beer!!!:-)

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 09:01:47 | More by dertyd

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Yay craft beer in a can, cause everybody likes it in the can... although I have a feeling this will be a generic American saison, which is not my style of saison, but can't count the flavors before the can is cracked. Canned on 12/16/12, don't you love dating cans!

Big fluffy fizzy almost 2 finger head fades semi quickly with a bit of lacing, over semi clear but sediment laden watery looking pilsner color.

Nose brings some light watery saison aromas, a little grainy toasty malt, lemony, lemon grass, cracker, little bread dough, light saison spices, somewhat floral and effervescent.

Taste starts surprisingly with a little farmhouse funk, saison earthy Belgian yeast like funk but not a lot, then into the grainy malts with more cracker flavors, a little dough, some pilsner malts with a nice toasty wheat, and toasted hay, a light wheat flavor and complexion. Saison brings light spices as well, with a little lemony citrus fruit , coriander, clove, etc, and finally a cardamom bite which adds an interesing complexity. Then hops cut in, of course... it's 21st A, a lemony grassy and slightly spicy and chewy hop profile that gets fairly bitter. The hops, besides the lemony flavor, brings an interesting terroir earthy like flavor, perhaps some sorachi ace hops... Finish is dry, quite dry, decent bitterness with more lemony earthy spicy hops and a bit grassy, as well as saison grassy flavors, wheat, more spices with even more of the cardamom coming through, and a bit more farmhouse funk lingering.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb that gets fluffy and almost overcarbonated as it goes.

Overall not bad, a bit surprising as I expected an "American" boring saison with some light pilsner, watery lemon, and hint of spices. This had some of that, but even some nice farmhouse funk, a decent malt profile with toasty pilsner and wheat, the lemony flavors get a little overbearing, and the hops get a little too bitter for a saison, but that's typical for 21st A. Cardamom comes through lightly but nice in conjunction with the saison spices. So a decent saison that comes in a can so i can take it on trips easily. I wonder if the few months in the can helped the funk develop.

Serving type: can

04-19-2013 02:08:17 | More by jlindros

tdm168

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - pale, golden yellow with a thin lacing of bubbly white head

S - huge Belgian yeast funk, some faint spice, some faint fruit

T - white grapes, Belgian yeast, big fruitiness, funky, a mild bitter finish

M - crisp, well carbonated, medium bodied

This is a decent saison. It's rather typical in flavor, but that's ok if a saison is what you're seeking. This is a sound, balanced beer with a solid drinkability. If you enjoy saisons this is worth finding and trying.

Serving type: can

02-02-2013 02:09:45 | More by tdm168

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: 1/4 inch head, clear, gold in color, high carbonation

Smell: huge pepper smell and hay

Taste: pepper dominates, hay, flowers--maybe lavender, dry hops at the end

Mouthfeel: sweetish start with a big bitter end, light bodied with high carbonation

Overall: I really like the powerful pepper here and the flower is nice as it warms up. The end is a bit bitter for the style, but I still like this one as a more affordable saison. I could sip on a couple as the weather started to warm.

Serving type: can

02-25-2013 14:22:46 | More by tigg924

bsp77

Minnesota

3.89/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from can into Tulip.

Appearance: Hazy straw color with stark white head and some clingy lacing.

Smell: Banana, straw, grass, cardamom. Fairly spicy and dry aroma overall.

Taste: Mostly matches the aroma, with banana, pepper, lemon, straw and hay. Fairly spicy and bitter finish - more bitter than most Saisons. However, it does not quite have the depth of flavor to make this top notch.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation with a relatively light body. Finish is quite dry.

Overall: A very nice Saison. Since it is lighter and more bitter than many others, this would be better as a summer beer, rather than releasing it late in winter. I won't ding the score for being released at an odd time, but I wish I could have this while mowing the lawn.

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 21:39:06 | More by bsp77

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Not really sure what this one looks like since I drank it from the can but I can assume it's a bright hazy yellow with a 1/2 inch of fizzy white head.

S - Smells of subdued cardamom and spices, decent bittering hops, and some wheat.

T - Not very traditional but I will be damned if it was border line session-able! Just the right amount of hops, wheat flavor is constant and cardamom/spices take a backseat. Also the yeast isn't chalky and comes in rather fruity.

M - Light and bubbly, went down quicker than a Saison should.

Overall I guess I just accepted that is is a bastardized American version of the style. If they were going for drink ability this beer is a winner!

Serving type: can

02-01-2013 00:48:42 | More by DrDemento456

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a hazy light yellow pour with 2 fingers of white head which left behind nice amounts of lacing. smells of lemongrass, pepper, a nice fruity citrus scent of tangerines. a very floral flavor.. lemongrass, pepper are both there, honey, sunflower petals come to mind in a weird way. medium body with a nice amount of carbonation. a slight sting on the lips from the alcohol.. feels nice.

this is a pretty decent saison in a season where there's barely any competition. i gotta hand it to 21st amendment for the bold move of releasing this now.. and thank them at the same time :)

Serving type: can

02-17-2013 01:39:19 | More by facundoCNB

patre_tim

China

4.06/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Bright golden with a fair amount of carbonation, small and large bubbled head that fades fast like a melting mashmallow. A cloudiness to the beer, with a swirl of white sediment near the center.

S: Light and citrusy, reminding me of a heffe weizen. Some spice, perhaps coriander, most likely cardamom as the can indicates. Some Belgian yeast smell as well.

T: Light, dry, citrusy and herby, a grapefruit rind bitterness near the end with herbs. Definite Beligan yeastiness as well. Reminds me of a lemonade with the rind in, and without sugar. Somewhat fruity aftertaste.

M: Light body, medium high carbonation.

O: Very dry, and almost no sweetness. Would go great with some dry cheeses like a parmesan. Its growing on me as I drink it. First time to have a 21st Amendment Brewery’s beer. The picture on the can is outrageous and funny.

Serving type: can

02-05-2013 05:08:35 | More by patre_tim

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.06/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Straw yellow with a foamy head and a touch of lace on the glass, not much

S - Pepper and spices. Smells tasty

T - Funky farmhouse yeast is prevalent. Lots of pepper and spices. Citrus and fruit. I dig it.

M - Lots of carbonation leaves a sizzling feeling on the tongue as it goes down.

O - Not the best Saison I have ever had, but in a can? Gotta love that! Definitely will hit this one up again..

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 23:43:04 | More by BeerDawgs

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Canned on 12-17-12.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy yellowish golden orange with a lot of bubbles. Big four finger white head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A very spicy and yeasty aroma with good hints of citrus. Belgian yeast with some hints of barnyard funk, pepper, and clove. Big scent of cardamom spicing that really sticks out. Herbal, earthy hops with a hint of grass. Hints of citrus orange and lemon zest along with some banana. Soft malts with hints of wheat grains, hay, and biscuit. A nice spice driven Saison smell.

Taste: Like the smell hints, a very spice driven Belgian farmhouse taste with esters of citrus. Belgian yeast with pepper and clove spicing along with a little ginger. Big taste of the cardamon spice. Fairly herbal with some earthy hops and grass. Taste of banana and citrus fruit including orange and lemon zest. Soft bready malts with notes of wheat grains, hay, and biscuit. A pretty nice twist on the style.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Crisp, spicy, and very smooth. Fairly drying.

Overall: A pretty good tasting take on the style. A pretty untraditional take on it with the heavy cardamon, but it works well.

Serving type: can

03-08-2013 07:29:20 | More by MattyG85

HeightsEats

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark golden brown with a nice head. Smell is biscuit malt and grass with a little bit of yeast. The flavor is dry but not bitter, with a clean finish and strong cardamom flavor with overtones of biscuit and wild yeasts. Other saisons I've tried tend to be herbal (sometimes too much so) but the spicy cardamom is more crisp and perfectly fits a winter brew. The balanced flavors and body make this an extremely drinkable, tasty, original beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:18:49 | More by HeightsEats

sennoma

American Samoa

4.33/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Apparently I really like cardamom; at least I assume that's where the delicious, unusual and hard-to-describe flavour of this enormously drinkable beer is coming from. I'm not big on fruity Belgian yeasts, but that character is very light here, and more than matched by the toasty, bright, slightly dry presumptive-cardamom taste. Bitterness is moderate and balanced by body, mouthfeel is clean and clear.

Serving type: can

02-01-2013 21:40:07 | More by sennoma

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A-pale yellow with a thin white head. lots of bubbles

S-bitter grassy grains. slightly tart. some corn. strong decent scent.

T-comes in with a fruity tart flavor of corn and grassy grains. fairly bitter. Actually I had this once before and i hated it, but i had an extra can so i decided to just drink this one quickly but it's a lot better than i remember. it's actually a very decent drinkable saison. the flavors are all there and are pretty strong. it's quite savory. matching strong after-taste

M-medium creamy carbonation with a creamy finish

O-this is a good, easy drinking saison. it drinks a lot lighter than the abv suggests. i don't know why but i had it once and it was terrible, but right now i'm loving it. honestly one of the better saisons i've had from an american brewery. especially surprising from 21st amendment.

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 18:25:35 | More by AdamBear

TaylorK

West Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is another in a set I picked up on a whim while I was out of state (West Virginia doesn't have a lot of great options). I'm glad to present a fairly positive review on a 21st Amendment beer because I really didn't like their Back in Black I just reviewed.

A: Poured into a pint glass from a can. The beer is golden in color and poured a very light head. Carbonation is quite visible after the initial pour.

S: The smell of the beer is sweet like a fruity candy smell. Banana really jumps out to me. A really deep smell does yield a spring-like cut-grass odor.

T: Taste is great. It's very spicy but the advertised cardamom is present on the back end. I taste a bit of lemony flavor that at first tastes like a hard-lemonade, but does unfortauntely sort of fade off into a harsher bitter lemon zest.

M: Light, crisp and refreshing. Borders on watery, but I thought it was a comfortable drink. The beer does kind of cling a bit after the swallow, but it's not bad at all.

O: This beer is great. I'll admit I can sometimes be a sucker for nifty packaging and aside from being a farmhouse ale in a can, it's also a pretty great beer. I'd definitely consume this again.

Serving type: can

01-14-2013 00:25:28 | More by TaylorK

Docer

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: (3.5)

- A very nice light and clear straw-yellow brew with a quickly fizzing white head that settled to a small thick ring and some hazing over the brew. Out of a can especially, I was hoping to see a much more frothy and lasting head. But where can you get many saisons in a can?

Smell: (4.5)

- The wonderful cardamon is rather present, but well placed with a nice funky farmhouse yeast. Much like a berliner weisse, you get a slight funky rubber mat sort of nose. That's not in a bad way! Light bread and biscuit, grassy and herbal aromas, and more funk. Super solid. Surprised.

Taste: (4.5)

- This is a great saison. Nice light funky yeast and bready character, with a perfectly placed amount of cardamon to lighten things up. A very zesty, yet lemon-like sweetness adds great character to this brew. The after-taste is fantastic, and one may find awesome floral flavors lingering behind. Zesty, lightly sweet, floral, and bready all in one balanced shot. I am very impressed.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- Overall this is a light to medium bodied brew. It has only the slightest syrupy feel to it, but it is hard to grasp. It is well carbonated and has nice little tiny sparkling bubbles. It's a touch chewy and cloying, but overall well played.

Overall: (4.5)

- I have finally found another beer from this brewer that I like. I found myself a bit partial to their Back in Black (though I find many other local CDA's to topple it). Others I have had I wasn't very impressed. This however, and even in a damn 6-pack of cans, is fantastic. This is a must have. I really think this is something they should brew year-round. I would love this brew on a summer day.... just being outside drinking killer beer.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 04:10:52 | More by Docer