Perennial "Prism" Saison

Here we enter the minefield of breweries that label themselves "artisan." As we walk this treacherous path, we will find that the goal of such breweries typically winds up being so far divorced from the idea of individual beer drinkers enjoying their wares that one may be excused for misconstruing their intentions as to be intentionally antithetical to the idea of beer. This particular brewery has bounced around a little bit, but they haven't openly tried to offend. I assume they're not going to start now.

The very clear, golden beer produces so much head that I became tired of waiting for it to go down when I took my picture. Eventually, I was able to virtually fill the glass, but it still has a very resilient, fluffy head. Surprisingly, it leaves lacing as it goes down, so far so good. The aroma is relatively unpleasant. Heavy Belgian yeast is mixing with tropical and citrus fruits to create the idea of a beer that is fighting itself for personality, and the beer drinker is just an unintended casualty. Maybe this will taste better than it smells.

First sip is not bad at all, once you get past the aroma. The problem is that when you go in for a sip, inevitably you'll get a snoot full of what is a simply unpalatable smell. It's a shame, because the actual beer tastes decent enough. The somewhat grainy malt is highlighted by a yeast that tastes much better than its aroma might suggest, and the fruits give a mellow background for the malt and yeast to enjoy. If anything, the taste is a little mild for a beer that has such a strident aroma.

Tip-in is light carbonation tingle with yeast and wheat atop pineapple and lemon. The middle brings the yeast forward even more, and mango comes forth to make it gentle and almost soothing atop the grainy malt with the aforementioned fruits. The finish is a crisp snap with lemons and pineapple becoming brighter before a haze of yeast leads to the trail off.

Bottom Line: Certainly drinkable, but it's not going to make a name for artisan breweries.

2.5/5