...is the farmhouse brewers Blackberry Farm Brewery from Walland, Tennessee! I had their Noble Cuvee Dry Hop 2017, a take on their base Saison that includes dry-hopped Czech Saaz hops. Coming in at 6.25% ABV and 25 IBU, this Saison pours a fairly clear pale gold color. It features a slight Belgian/Saison yeast sweetness, along with a nice herbal note and perhaps a bit of apricot. There was also a little bit of funkiness in there, too, and the beer featured a carbonated, effervescent mouthfeel and a dry finish. An enjoyable Saison, though I found the more Belgian aspects of it to be a little bit muted in favor of what could be called more traditional flavor notes. Still, really nice.

Finally today, a bourbon barrel-aged Pale Ale from Louisiana's Abita Brewing Company called Old Fashioned Pale Ale. Clocking in at 9.25% ABV and just 22 IBU, this Pale Ale is brewed with orange peel, cherries, and aromatic bitters, all elements of the classic Old Fashioned drink which was popular decades ago and resurfaced thanks to the television show "Mad Men". In fact, in this beer, I got a great deal of the "Old Fashioned" portion and almost none of the "Pale Ale" portion. This is perfectly, but you need to prepare yourself, because what you get is probably not what you're expecting. The beer pours a solid amber color, and the fruit sensations are very prominent, and include the maraschino cherries used in the brewing process, along with raisins and grapes, the latter of which blended with a cane sugar to evoke a grape lollipop sensation. Again, the beer is quite sweet, though not overpowering with some fruitcake vanilla notes and an early bit of booziness that ramps up as the beer warms up. I find Abita to be hit-and-miss, but I really enjoyed this offering. Just know it's not a traditional Pale Ale.