I thought htis was an excellent saison. I nice lightly spiced saison that was both subtle and interesting. It hid the alcohol exceptionally well and was overall quite tasty.

Pours a brilliantly clear, bright gold color and it is topped by a four-finger thick pale, off-white head. The only thing that differentiates this from an all-malt Pilsner is that this beer is very well carbonated, with a massive head that forms a rocky surface & ample Belgian lacing as it falls slowly back into the beer. The aroma is light, yet alluring with soft notes of freshly bloomed flowers, and a soft fruitiness that has notes of light acidity both of which remind me of pears and tart apples. There is a slightly sharp herbal note here as well, that serves as a nice foil to the other notes. The more I stop to explore the nose on this beer, the more I am really digging it; it is a nice mix of yeast driven notes that form together to make a great aromatic Saison.

The beer starts to explode on my tongue, it has lost some carbonation since I first cracked it, but it is still fairly frothy. It is not so carbonated that the flavors cannot come through . The beer has a nice subtle tartness to it that reminds me of green apple, and continues on through the finish of this beer. The beer is light and refreshing, but has a nice soft sweetness that is driven by a forward grain note that must be a mix of the both the barley and the wheat. Actually I would say that the wheat is a bit more evident in the up-front grain character, and the barley malt contributes a light toasted maltiness to this beer. So, what about the spicy yeast character, well that is definitely here as well. Spicy notes of ginger, clove, white pepper, and definite notes of lemon zest. And yes there is a nice level of hopping here too; there is a solid herbal note here through to the late middle of this beer, and a solid contributing bitterness is found here that grips the palate just so, and lingers on through to the finish.

This beer is an impressive, clean example of a Saison, it does not have the funky / infected notes that are found sometimes, but the character that is here is executed beautifully, brightly, and light. What a great Saison, in fact I have been in Saison heaven tonight. The mix of character in this beer is excellent. Spicy, fruity, hoppy and malty each of these notes is prominent and bright, yet strikes an overall balance that keeps this beer light and quaffable (but at 7.5% can sneak up on you).

Purchased: Sam’s Wine & Spirits, Chicago, IL