I picked up this saison farmhouse ale at the farmer’s market in Gravenhurst, which seems to make sense to me. The young lady from Katalyst was so nice to deal with, it was just a small reminder of how great craft brewery people are. As opposed to cranky old reviewers and even more irritating editors.*
Once again I put the COMDB translation department to work on the word Saison which they tell me is French for season. They sure have earned their money this week.
Context is important. Let me give you an example. If I say “I didn’t catch anything today”, that’s good news if I am a health care worker during the pandemic, it’s bad news if I was just out on the lake fishing for two hours (guess which one applies to me). So before you drink a saison brew (farmhouse ale) you need to understand what they are. Traditionally a pale ale that is bubbly with fruit and spice with no hoppiness and low ABV. So don’t be expecting an IPA pine bough slap in the face from this brew.
This brew poured golden cloudy (not hazy, there is a difference). Some solids in suspension. A spiced fruit malt grain bread aroma, in other words complex. Earthy with apple and pear fruit, not citrus or tropical. Spices in there as well. No hops or zing or bitter, and not a lot of carbonation either, a very smooth finish, and a nice full mouthfeel. A bit of a spice aftertaste. If you are used to our more traditional fare this brew takes a bit of getting used but it is true to its style. I didn’t notice the high ABV or the typically high carbonation at all. It is easy drinking but different. Enjoyable but not for everyone.
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