Grasslands Rye Saison

This is a recurring monthly series in which I taste and share my thoughts on a different beer from Grasslands Brewing Co. as they progress on their journey to open their doors to thirsty craft beer lovers (2014).  Grasslands is an up-and-coming brewery out of Tallahassee, Fl. that centers their philosophy on making quality "earth first ales." I will taste pilot batches and share my thoughts with the BeerApostle community. You can read past posts about Grasslands beer in the archive section of this blog. 

Brewery:  Grasslands Brewery
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Style: Rye Saison
ABV: 6%

Each of my next two beer reviews will feature Grasslands' beer. Today, I am trying their Rye Saison, and up next will be Grasslands' Funky Rye Saison.  Let's dig in! :)

Appearance: Light golden in color with visible carbonation racing to the top of the glass. The head quickly forms and fades after pouring.

Aroma: I smell a lot of spices that are typically found in a saison, such as cloves, yeast, and other indiscreet herbal and citrus tones.

Taste: The spices take a front seat with this one: it's like a spiced up pilsner that would be perfect for warm weather. I really enjoy the semi-dry finish that is also accompanied by mild tartness (possibly from the citrus--lemon zest, perhaps?). Unfortunately, I am unable to detect any rye, which makes me wonder if Gabe might have sent me the wrong bottle. I believe what I have here is a traditional saison and not the rye saison that he intended to send. Regardless, I am still enjoying this quite a lot and have no complaints!

Overall: This is a lighter beer that has a crisp and clean effect on the palate. I really enjoyed how the spices that were so prominent on the front of the palate dissipate before the finish. This leaves almost no aftertaste on the tongue, which, in my opinion, is a good thing when it comes to saisons.

I was fortunate enough to have Grasslands' Rye Saison on tap at Gabe's house, and I was blown away with how much flavor and spices the rye contributed to this beer. For this reason, this particular bottle did not perform as I had expected, but my hunch is that what I have in front of me is not the Rye Saison. It might simply be a traditional saison that Gabe accidentally sent in lieu of the Rye variety. I will be sure to follow up with him to solve this mystery.

Or maybe my taste buds are just on Christmas break right now...

As always, I am grateful to Gabe Grass for sharing his brews with a chump like me. If you would like to get your hands on Grasslands' creations, simply become a Grasshopper (see below)!

Up Next:
Stay tuned for my next review which will cover Grasslands' Funky Rye Saison. Who doesn't love some funk in their beer? Get excited, because it's sure to be a good one!

Cheers!

Interested in becoming a Grasshopper?
If you're interested in getting your hands on any of Grasslands' brews before 2014, register for their Grasshoppers Club which is your ticket in to getting exclusive releases from the brewery before they open. As a Grasshopper, you'll be eligible to enter the monthly lottery drawings to sample beer and provide critical feedback that may contribute to the final product. You can also check out Grasslands on Twitter and Facebook for more information.