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Pat Mulloy's picture

The Scupper

January, 2017
Judges Rating: 
95
Aroma: 
24 / 24
Appearance: 
4 / 6
Flavor: 
38 / 40
Mouthfeel: 
10 / 10
Overall Impression: 
19 / 20

Category 28C Wild Specialty Beer. It’s like sticking your face into a fresh spring bouquet with banana, berry, spice, floral, faint orange, pepper, almond, light toast and a hint of tobacco rising from the glass. It pours hazy gold as streams of fine bubbles race to the surface under a moderate, frothy white cap with moderate retention. The saison and oak come together especially well on the palate with the oak joining moderately high hop bitterness to balance the big fruit, honey, peach, orange, banana, pepper and spice yeast flavors. The crisp, medium light and dry beer hints of white wine as a light tartness, a slight, oaky astringent note, and traces of vanilla bring the beer to a pleasant, satisfying finish. The beer does everything a saison should do while the oak is there but not over bearing. The Brett comes through more as spice, fruit and floral than funk and helps create the rich mouthfeel.