Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Lectio Divina (2013) Belgian Strong Ale at 8% ABV | 25 IBU (US$11.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 29-Nov-2016)
Appearance: clear medium amber with two fingers of fluffy light beige head, moderate retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, dark fruit, apples, leather, horseblankety funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, light tart and funk. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, lightly tart and funky gently warming finish. (3/5)
It was obvious, from the way it did its damnedest to uncork itself, that this desperately wanted to be a foamy gusher, and even with the gentlest of handling it ended up with an impressive head. It didn’t retain as well as might be expected, though, and left behind no lacing to speak of, while the carbonation dropped off fairly rapidly from lively to moderate. A fair bit too high in ABV to conform well to the style of Saison in my opinion, though to be fair they do call it a “Belgian Style Ale” and describe it as a cross between Saison and Abbey Dubbel. I can see elements of both, and it’s an interesting hybrid, but it’s also a bit clunky. On the up side, the relatively high ABV is well integrated and it never becomes a challenge to drink. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
