100 Beers, 100 Days: Day #10
Star Island Single is Smuttynose Brewery’s latest year round beer, replacing Portsmouth Lager in the lineup. That’s a little surprising to me, but sounds good. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Pilsners (though I do enjoy one on occasion) so this is an interesting change. The Star Island is billed as more of a sessionable Belgian ale with some spices. Let’s see how it stacks up.
The 12 ounce bottle pours a hazy straw color with a decent white head and heavy carbonation. I smell wheat and some indeterminant spice aroma. The website tells me it’s coriander (which I kind of hate) but just above the flavor threshold so you can’t quite tell what’s going on. I can live with that. There’s just a hint of some sweetness in the aroma to round it out. This definitely smells like a Belgian. Hops are not detectable.
It’s a fairly thin beer, which fits the session label, though I could go with just a bit more body. However, too much would spoil a good thing so I like that they have chosen to err on the side of caution. The spice hinted at in the aroma comes out in the initial flavor even if I still can’t tell exactly what it is. It’s spicy, but not overly so. Again, this beer strikes a nice balance. Otherwise, the yeast is the star of the flavor show. I’m not picking up much in the way of distinct grains in the flavor profile so it’s got to be the product of whatever yeast they’re using. The aftertaste goes on and on. Some people don’t like that sort of thing, but if it’s a good taste then I’m fine with it. This is a good, complex taste. I think I even pick up some hops towards the end. It finishes as dry as the website indicates.
So is this a sessionable Belgian ale? Yes, I think so. It’s got all the right Belgian notes - spiciness, higher carbonation, complex yeast flavors, etc. And it’s got the lower alcohol and refreshing qualities of a British session beer. I can see having three of these in a night without feeling it too much, and that’s what you are looking for in a session beer. It’d be especially great on a hot summer day. As far as I’m concerned, this is another job well done at one of my favorite local breweries.