This year's summer vacation was spent just outside Smoky Mountain National Park (we also spent a night in Nashville, but that's the subject of another not yet written blog post). On night number one of our vacation, after getting the wife and kids settled in to our cabin with a view, I headed out to the supermarket for some provisions.
As luck would have it, while making some breakfast selections (mostly just milk, juice, cereal, and yogurt because cooking while away wasn't gonna happen), I noticed that they had the same deal going on as our local Wegman's, i.e. mixed six-packs of craft beer for $9.99. This was a deal that was too good to pass up, so I pulled together a mixed six-pack that included two beers from New Belgium of Colorado, one from Sierra Nevada of California, two from Sweetwater of Georgia, and one from Yazoo of Tennessee. The plan was to write a review of every single beer, but due to a lack of motivation (I was on vacation after all!), I only managed to write a review of the beer in the photo at the top of this blog post: New Belgium's Long Table Farmhouse Ale.
Here's what New Belgium has to say about this beer:
The longer the table, the more room for friends. This season, our new Long Table Farmhouse Ale is the best excuse to pull up a chair with your closest companions for a few rounds. An ode to the bucolic, table-friendly Belgian saison, we've added a delightfully new hoppy spin to the style, creating a sip that whisks a taste of the tropics into the Old World. Traditional grains of Munich, pale malt and rye lend a wash of toasty, spicy bread, while exotic Nelson Sauvin and citrusy Chinook hops buoy the juicy fruit flavors of our Belgian yeast. So gather around and get ready to hoist this spritz complex farmhouse ale amongst the company of friends.
And here's a little video from New Belgium that tells us a bit about the Farmhouse Ale style:
Let's get on with my review...
- Appearance: Golden yellow with a slight haze. Super frothy head of off-white foam.
- Aroma: Smells like a Farmhouse Ale / Belgian Wit mash-up. Lemon peel. Coriander. Clove. Fresh cut grass. A hint of pepperiness.
- Taste: Very creamy with an almost velvety smooth carbonation. Good bit of lemon zest and pepperiness at the start. Clove and coriander kicks in at the middle with a good bit of astringency. The finish is dry and somewhat crisp with a bit of peppery clove that lingers in the aftertaste.
- ABV: 6.2%
It's been awhile since I've had a Farmhouse Ale. While this one isn't quite "Top of the Class" (I'm looking at you Saison Dupont, Tank 7, and Sofie!), it's still pretty darn good. And when you consider that I picked it up as part of a $10 mixed six-pack, this beer is a damn fine value! I'd say this New Belgium beer is definitely worth a try.
Categories: Brew Review, New Belgium
Tagged as: Beer, Beertography, Craft Beer, Drinkwire, Farmhouse Ale, Glotography, New Belgium Brewing Co, New Belgium Long Table Farmhouse Ale, Review, Reviews
