Capitola: Belgian Paradise?
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA. I’m so happy to find them, but really surprised it took me two years to discover this Belgian beer mecca! I visit or stay in Capitola, “a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem”, several times a year. I must admit it was worth the wait.
Doorway to Paradise
Sante Adairius offers a wide variety of beer styles: Pale Ale, Porter and Belgians including barrel-aged. They brew something to please nearly every palate in your party.
What makes Belgians sour is one of, or a combination of ingredients including sour mash malt, yeast, lactic acid bacteria and sometimes fruit. The predominant sour tartness isn’t magic, but usually a result of fermentation by Lactobacillus bacteria.
SARA “Magic” Propagation
Rustic Tap Handles
The Usual Suspects
I visited the brewery with a party of four, so tasting all ten beers offered wasn’t difficult. Of course, we tasted family style. Here’s a quick review of each:
831
Westcoast Style IPA 7.2%
This American India Pale Ale pours a cloudy gold with orange highlights and a nice white, foamy head. The aroma starts with a malty, caramel nose followed by an immediate punch of citrus and tropical fruit notes. The first sip delivers a slightly sweet caramel maltiness with big hop flavors, grapefruit and pine and a good, well-balance, present, but moderate bitterness. I feel the carbonation is a little on the low end for an IPA. The finish is dry and refreshing and makes your taste buds beg for another sip.
Vanilla Joe
Robust Porter With Vanilla Beans and Verve Coffee 6.8%
My glass of VJ poured a dark brown with a small, short-lived, tan head. The nose offered a complex combination of coffee, then roasty malt, then a hint of vanilla. The flavor is similar in character to the nose. First coffee dominates the palate. Secondly, a chocolatey, roasted malt character shows up. Finally, a faint hint of vanilla on the back of the palate as you exhale. The finish is a thin coffee with a drying roasted malt bitterness. Vanilla Joe is a little too much like a mochafrappachino drink than a Porter, but I love Porter.
Singulier
Belgian-Style Pale Ale 5.1%
Singulier pours a clear light to medium gold color with a small, short-lived white head. The aroma offers a grainy malt nose with little to no hop aroma, but some spicy phenolic notes. The flavor is grainy with some peppery, spicy notes. A thin and dry finish.
Marilyn
Hoppy Belgian Blonde Ale 5.7%
The pour was a cloudy light gold with a long-lasting creamy white head. My first whiff was notably fruity, then spicy. Also a grassiness and some hop aroma. The flavor was spicy and peppery with a slightly grainy malt backbone balanced nicely by hop bitterness and some hop flavor. The finish was a nice dry hop bitterness and spicy warmth.
Fresh Start
Fresh Hopped Pale Ale, 100% Simcoe hops 5.7%
Slightly hazy light gold with a short-lived white head. Big hop aroma of herb, pine and a little fruit pops with each whiff. The initial sip shows a malty sweetness followed by bold hop bitterness and some fruity hop flavor. The finish is a dry hop bitterness that lingers for a long time.
Chavez
Robust Porter 6.8%
I love Porter especially Robust Porter. The pour is dark brown and nearly black in color with a dark tan head. Chavez starts with a nose full of chocolate and caramel malt with a hint of dark fruit. The flavor starts with a roasty chocolate maltiness and some caramelly notes. There is also a malt sweetness that turns to a well-balanced roasty and hoppy bitterness. The finish is dry with an almost tart bite at the end.
Zuurcafe
Tart Blonde Ale with Verve Coffee 6.2%
This was interesting…The Blonde pours a dark brown with a short-lived tan head. The aroma is almost overpoweringly coffee with some malt and fruit apparent. The flavor starts with a slightly malty sweetness that is wrangled into a sharp coffee flavor exclusively. There is a tartness that seems to be fighting the coffee, but will lose the battle. Hop bitterness is low and no hop flavor. The finish is spicy and dry with a little tart goodbye kiss and the very end.
West Ashley
Barrel Aged Saison with Apricots 7.3%
I think this is the winning taste from this trip.
The pour was a hazy light gold with orange highlights. The head was white, creamy and long-lasting. The aroma was citrusy fruit, oak and apricot. The flavor was complex and interesting. A tart start with fruit, malty sweetness, tartness again, some oak notes and then a nice apricot fruitiness. Well-balanced with a dry and tart apricot linger.
Little Quibble
4 Grain Saison 4.8%
Quibble pours a hazy light gold color with a small, moderately long-lasting white head. The nose starts with a malty graininess that is followed by spicy notes and subtle fruity esters. The flavor has a sweet, malty, grainy beginning that progresses to spicy almost phenolic taste. The finish consists of a thin body and a nice, creamy mouthfeel that concludes with a pleasant bitter dryness.
Lucybelle
Saison with Brettanomyces 5.3%
The pour is a bright pale yellow with a small, short-lived head. The aroma is distinctly Belgian with a horsey earthiness. There are evident phenols. Eventually the nose builds to a citrusy, fruitiness. The flavors are complex with a barnyard like flavor that is also grainy. Slight malty sweetness and low hop bitterness. The end is a slight tartness that help mellow out the other flavors. The finish has a creamy mouthfeel and a refreshing tartness that ends with a gentle dryness.
Sante Adairius Fermenters
