North Coast “Silver Jubilee” Belgian Farmhouse Ale
It’s hard to serve me a farmhouse ale that I don’t enjoy these days. Actually, let’s be frank – it’s hard to serve me a beer that I don’t enjoy these days. But, this holds true moreso with farmhouse ales than with a lot of brews. The sweet and sour and refreshing characteristics make this a great choice after a long day or when one just wants a tasty brew that isn’t too heavy on the belly. And, being that North Coast generally makes a tasty brew of any variety, I’m excited about seeing how they do with this one.
The beer pours a hazy light golden with a slightly overzealous stark white head. The aroma on this is citrusy-sweet with just a slight burn in the nostrils. The flavor is quite delightful – it starts out with some lemon zest on the tongue that becomes both sweet and sour as it traverses the mouth. There is noticeable hop in this – more than you see in most saisons – but it never quite overpowers the citrus characteristics. As the beer clears the throat, it leaves behind a sweetness on the tongue and hoppy bitterness at the back of the throat. All in all, I’d say that North Coast did a great job honoring their 25th anniversary with this beer. It isn’t the best farmhouse ale I’ve had, but it’s right up there. Probably the only American version of this that can beat it is from Bison. Nevertheless, it’s saying a lot, and I’d highly recommend this to any fan of the variety.
