PICK OF THE WEEK

Saison by Powerhouse Restaurant & Brewery

Here is what I wrote about this on RateBeer.com:
I actually had this at the Powerhouse Restaurant & Brewery in Puyallup WA, which is the sister brewpub to Engine House No. 9. I have never had a saison before so this was a new experience for me. I liked it. The color was golden straw, looking very much like a pint of apple juice with a thin white head that had good staying power. Only a minor amount of lacing. Light bodied with slightly fizzy carbonation. Flavor was sweet and fruity and floral with hints of spices I am finding hard to place. Cloves? Coriander? Cardamom? It also had a slight caramel and nutty character lurking in the background. I had this with the Powerhouse’s Fish Taco, which was a perfect food for the saison. The spiciness of the taco nicely complemented the spices of the ale and pulled them further to the forefront. Intriguing.

My ratings of aroma, appearance, flavor, palate, and my own overall rating for "sensory experience" gave this saison a 4.1 on a scale of 0.5 to 5.0. I don't have any other saison to base my scoring upon, but I have had other Belgian-style ales. (The saison is a Belgian- or French-style ale.) If this is what other saisons tend toward then sign me up!