North Coast Brewing Company Le Merle

**Aroma:** “Light aroma with light tart note and a bit of peach. Stone fruit and malt sweetness up front. Peach, apricot, musty barnyard _Brett_ funk. Very slight vanilla.” **Flavor:** “Moderate malt sweetness with a light tart note and pear and tangerine notes that extend into the finish. High carbonation with a slightly astringent note toward the end of the sip. _Brett_ barnyard funk up front with some apricot to back it up. Slight herbal and earthy character. Light fluffy mouthfeel.” **Overall:** “More malt-forward example with a bit of spicy hops and light peach and pear notes toward the end. Creamy consistency helps. A bit too sweet and malty for my tastes but nothing inherently wrong. _Brett_ funk-forward stone-fruit saison with a moderate amount of acidity that makes it drinkable and refreshing. Great light and fluffy mouthfeel. Overly clean compared to some of the acid bombs we’ve had.”

**Aroma:** “Very light wheat with notes of coriander and a little bit of hop spice blended with slight sweetness and subtle hop notes. Mainly coriander and pepper notes.” **Flavor:** “Moderate sweetness with a strong bittering finish. Significantly more hop bitterness than would be expected for the style. Complex for a wit, with slight sweetness and herbal earthy notes. Sweet citrus in the finish. Big body despite carbonation and crispness. Almost a viscous mouthfeel.” **Overall:** “Wheat and spice character are well done, but the hop utilization or timing adds a bitterness that’s atypical for the style. A refreshing and different take on a wit. More spiced than usual but still finishes with sweet citrus. Good, crisp, refreshing beer.”

**Aroma:** “Moderate lemon notes up front with a touch of spicy hops note and big fruity esters.” **Flavor:** “Moderate spicy notes up front with a forward lime note. Very light body (maybe a touch too light) with high carbonation. Moderate spiciness up front with a black pepper–like note that slightly overpowers the esters. Wonderful malt sweetness is appropriate and balances well with the hops flavor. Very well-balanced, but hops shine through with some slight yeast characteristics. Overall clean finish with some spice.” **Overall:** “Very refreshing with high carbonation and moderate fruity notes up front. Good spiciness that extends into the aftertaste with a mild bitter note. Perhaps a bit too thin—would prefer a bit more body to balance out the carbonation and spiciness, but a very well-balanced saison.”