Beer Pick of the Week: Lectio Divina
January 6th, 2009 by Jeff Holland in Drink
Divine: Lectio Divina from Saint Somewhere
Saint Somewhere Brewing Company
Tarpon Springs, FL
8% ABV
My hope is that breweries like this little upstart near Tampa are the wave of the beer future. They don’t even have a proper website! Still, the Saint Somewhere Brewing Company has managed to get its two Belgian-style ales distributed in Georgia, so they know how to work it.
Beautifully packaged in a 750-ml bottle with a cork-and-wire closure and Art Nouveau-style artwork, Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is an amber ale that falls somewhere between a dubbel and a strong dark ale, with a bit of Flanders red tartness thrown in. Bottle-conditioned with a big, funky yeast, it should be decanted carefully to keep the yeast from overpowering the other flavors. There’s lots of caramel and candied sugar sweetness in the aroma, along with the yeast’s distinctive, ripe banana ester.
The taste brings a more complex palate of orchard fruits, raisins and sour cherries, along with white pepper, clove, mace, and a spicy, yeasty tang. An active carbonation counters the slightly syrupy mouthfeel. As befits its humble origins, the flavors are a bit raw and sweet, and the alcohol gets a little boozy, but Lectio Divina is a distinctive ale that proves that there’s more to Florida beer than island lagers with a lime jammed in the neck. It pairs nicely with the nutty flavors of an asiago pressato and some Wheat Thins.
(Photo by Jeff Holland)
January 7th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
For a little background on Saint Somewhere, check out the story about owner Bob Sylvester in CL’s Tampa paper last year – http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A320722
He went from a Mr. Beer homebrew kit to Saint Somewhere in just a few years. Homebrewer dream come true.