Professor Good Ales

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

Pours out golden and with an orange blush on it. Fat creamy head of off white foam that lasts and leaves sticky lace.

I was expecting a bigger nose but it’s a bit shy. Sultry even. It has a tropical fruit sweetness and bit of mango. Soft suggestion of pine but nothing sharp. Fresh ripe orange and a bit of sugar for a malt presence on the nose. Some orange peel to really sweeten it and brighten it.

Taste is a light delicious juicy mouthful of liquid fruit. Fresh orange with tropical underpinnings. Gentle pine. The malt is supple and graceful and like a bit of sugar. It drinks with a bit of hop oil on the body of the beer, medium mouthfeel and has a touch of sticky resin to coat the mouth and leave a softly moderate bitter. Dries the palate and finishes with a faint spice and a bit more bitter with a pleasant aftertaste like fresh orange juice. There is no alcohol on this beer save for a touch of warmth.

Drinks so easily and has an amazing lightness.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

_________________________________________Beer HERE

Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

Profiled by Maria Devan for the Professor

This poured a light straw color yellow with a peachy blush on it. It started with a fat white head that fell a bit too fast and left a thin ring and sheets of lace to look at.

Nose is darn good with a nice fruity peach, soft and ripe. Grapefruit and the zest of that fruit. There’s a bit of earthy coriander on the nose that does not overpower the sweet and tart fruits. Malt is a light sweet grain that has a touch of honey on it. Just wonderful and herbal. Aromatic.

Taste is pretty good too. There is a tart grapefruit and a soft ripe peach in the background. The malt is honey kissed and light. A nice little grain sweetness. The lactic sour from the yeast is perfect and the spice does not outdo the fruit. It’s tremendously dry. Strips the palate actually and finishes a touch thin and watery. Mouthfeel is effervescent and dry. It’s tart and while the grapefruit seems to compete with the peach for center stage the grapefruit and the tartness wins. This one would have been very very refreshing except for a parching dryness.

Saranac continues to surprise with offerings that seem to be getting better. This one fell short only in the fact that the dryness was overdone and detracted from a fuller mouthfeel. I asked myself two questions while rating this beer. If this had come from stillwater as a saison instead of saranac would I have liked it better? And is that thinness really as bad as all that in a witbier? You be the judge.

Serving type: bottle

aroma – 10
appearance – 2
flavor – 12
mouthfeel – 3
overall- 7

Serving type: bottle
On the PGA scale a 3.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

_______________________Beer HERE

Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.