I Don't Mind Going to Maggie's Farmhouse

Terrapin Side Project Vol. 7: Maggie's Farmhouse Ale
“One Time Release”
Terrapin Brewing Co., Athens, Ga.
22 oz. capped bottle
Sampled: Oct. 4, 2009

The most intriguing brew from its earlier volumes, Gamma Ray Wheat Wine, has since reappeared in 12-oz. bottles.

The thin lace quickly evaporates – a stark contrast from many saisons, which practically burst from the bottle and always sport a thick, “ice cream” head. However, it retains a rich creaminess.

As consistent with the farmhouse style, Terrapin goes with the local ingredients, so the mix of oats, wheat, rye and barley. They produce a deep, slightly burnt orange flavor that never grows obnoxious. The body ranges from reddish orange to pale yellow. Lemon emerges mid-palette and stays through the finish, when trace amounts of bitterness arose.

I hate to compare it to Ommegang’s Hennepin Saison, an all-time favorite. But Terrapin came so close to brewing the same ale, so it’s a necessary evil. Terrapin bucks the trend of limited brews by going light with the alcohol content. Hennepin runs 7.7 ABV, but this saison almost qualifies as a session ale. At 6 percent, it never seeks to leave you drunk.

Maggie’s Farmhouse is a strong saison, but lacking in the complexities brought by the spices and honey used by other saisons. This might suit someone not normally big on saisons, since the spice holds back while creaminess and citrus dominate.

While limited now, don’t expect Terrapin to keep it that way for long. I don’t know if I would return to it so long as Hennepin, Southhampton and Great Divide’s saisons are on the market, but you can’t go wrong with Maggie’s Farmhouse either.

Rating: 7.5/10