Harpoon Leviathan Saison Royale

Leviathan Saison Royale

Harpoon Brewery
Boston, Ma.

9.00% ABV



C. A Little Cloudy

H. Yellow
N. Spicey Nose…Similar to a St. Somewhere, Slight Apple, Cinnamon

Well in honor of Harpoon Night at the Coffee District tonight we decided to review the Leviathan Saison Royale. This beer was only brewed one time, it is still unknown if it will be re-released. Come out tonight (05-18-2010) and meet the Founder/CEO of Harpoon Brewing Company at the Coffee District. They will be having a wide variety of Harpoon beers on tap as well as on bottle. This is a perfect opportunity to experience some great beers before they hit the local market. Event is from 6pm till 10pm.

El Guapo;Ok so this is actually my first beer from the Leviathan series. I wasn't sure what to expect from a 9% saison. On the nose was just huge amounts of spice. I couldn't really pick out specific spices but I suck at that. I should probably buy a bunch of different spices and herbs used in brewing and become familiar with how they smell and taste. Anyways, after smelling it for a while I started thinking that it smelled a little bit like apple pie with hints of cinnamon... It could have been all in my head but whatever. In the taste, I immediately got a little alcohol. That 9% made its presence and although I might think this acceptable in a Tripel or Belgian Strong Golden, it seems a little odd in a saison. I am not used to "imperial saisons"... Anyways it tasted spicy and fruity with some of those apple pie flavors coming through a little bit. It was a little boozy and sweet at first, but seemed to dry out a bit on the finish with the spices. I almost got a bit of a minty note to it at times. It was an interesting and heavily spiced saison that was a bit too big for my taste. I seem to prefer more traditional saisons.
Score: 3.33 (repeating)

The Ferm; Ahh the Leviathan line is one of my favorite lines in the entire beer world. The entire line is based on BIG beers that have a large ABV. This is the first time I have had the Saison Royale. I would not say that the Saison is my favorite style of beer but I appreciate a good one. This beer poured slightly cloudy with a nice golden hue to it. I got some pepper on the attack then sort-a mellowed out to a medicine-y taste, almost like cough syrup. While the medicine-y taste didn’t linger too long, it was a bit odd. I also was able to get a slight amount of apple pie/spice out of the beer. Hey a 9% Saison is pretty damn impressive so I will give them that. This is not a beer I personally would go out of my way to find, but would drink it again if someone offered me one. I would say this is the weakest (flavor wise) Leviathan that I have had so far.
Score: 3.112

Overall: 3.221