name: Colette
brewery: Great Divide Brewing
% alc: 7.3
type: Farmhouse Ale
vendor: Quinns Gastropub, Seattle
price: $6.00 (12oz Bottle)
first impressions:
First of all, this is my first out of the house beverage that I'm deciding to write about. Because, well, it was a great beer, I haven't seen it in stores yet, and the environment was perfect for it. Evening sunlight was being thrown through a patterned glass making for a soft white glow. I saw this Colette from Great Divide on the menu in the bottles section with no description. The server thought it might be something dark but would have to check. I thought, well my backup plan will be this other summer session style ale but lets see what it is. I like Great Divide a great deal and she came back with a seriously exciting answer: "it's a Farmhouse Ale." "Done!"
Cut away to a quick background on this ale format...
This is one of my favorite styles of Belgian origin. It is one of those beers that just stands apart from the rest, the kid in the group who can hang with a bunch but can also be a part of several other groups. This was me in high school. But that part of my life aside, this type of ale speaks to those who think Belgian beer is generally too strong, too dark and dank, and often times too fruity or sweet. This ale is golden, with a touch of tart, and an earthy body that comes from special yeasting. This particular one had 4 strains in it. It's a little fruity but it all comes to a close with a dry, crispness. Now back to our hero...
Colette was a great rendition of the farmhouse ale. I sipped my glass slowly, as though I didn't want it to go away. Not that I'm too cheap to order another but in the moment it seems like your only ration. Great Divide 6-pks can be pricey but most of them are worth it, so as soon as you see this on the shelf grab a single and check it out. Don't be surprised if you end up running back for the whole pack before the shelf is pillaged.
review (/10): 8.5
recommended setting: I love the idea of a Belgian farmhouse with ale being created in it or nearby. As the sun is showing its last colors I wouldn't mind being there swirling the last yeast-clouded sip and with a euphoric sigh, tipping it onto my tongue.
extraneous ramble (optional): Unfortunately I only had my phone's camera for these.
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