340. Valley Brewing Decadence 6

This is our first beer from Valley Brewing Company in Stockton, CA; we found a website address, but it is not currently up and running, which seems to be because the ownership is in flux and making changes. Dumping one of the head brewers doesn’t seem the smartest first step...

Decadence 6 pours a hazy golden straw color with a minimal white head; the nose is slightly juicyfruit and creamy sweet with fruity Belgian yeast esters. The front is dry, clean, and biscuity before moving into a bitter middle with low levels of generic hop flavor and some residual sweetness; the finish is crisp and clean with a bit of a minerally seltzer water bite to the end. Decadence 6 is a dry, light-bodied beer with medium carbonation; while it is listed on Beer Advocate as a Belgian Pale Ale, it does taste much more like a saison; this could be due to age, as we aren’t sure how old it is. Whatever it is, Decadence 6 has very little that signifies pale ale; it tastes more Belgian than anything else.

From the bottle: “Decadence 6 is what happened when you merge a Czech Pilsner recipe with a Belgian yeast strain and throw in a little Central Valley attitude. Decadence 6 pours a brilliant golden color with plenty of upfront hop bitterness but a long clean finish and a wonderful hop aroma.”

ABV: 6.0%

(6/5/10)