Today I cracked open a bottle of my 'fistful of hops' ale, which used a mixed culture (Wyeast French Saison and Brettanomyces Lambicus) to ferment, hop bursting to impart all of the bitterness, dry hopping, and oak aging. Phew. Seems like alot going on in this one. Let's see...Pours a nice pale golden color, with a foamy white head that dissipates. The aroma is reminiscent of cider, hay, barnyard, a touch of hot sand, and a vinous quality.
It hits your mouth with a constellation of carbonation, with abundant streaming bubbles visible in the glass. The taste is relatively hoppy, though I would say less so than even an American pale ale. Hay and light funk come into play as well. Very dry, and leaves a long finish of floral, earthy, and somewhat spicy hops and caramel oddly enough. Caramel is not a flavor I would expect to taste in a beer that is Pilsner and light wheat malt.
Overall I would say this is a good and drinkable beer. It would be nice on a hot day, though maybe not entirely what I was aiming for. But then again, I am not sure what I was really aiming for anyway.
I feel that fans of Belgian style beers would like this, but I am not sure if people who normally drink American hop bombs would or not. It is definitely less hoppy than an American IPA and the aroma might be off putting. I feel that I would prefer this beer over those though. It has a very nice hop character with out being too much, as I feel many beers of that style are.
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