Stepping Into Tomorrow
Perennial Artisan Ales

 

A - A pretty pour, clear rich amber, dense white cap, minimal lacing.

S - Pungent Brett elements, subtle plastic, earthy notes, lemon aspect.

T - Follows the nose, but with some grapefruit highlights and more limestone.

M - Prickly feel, clean and dry, fairly light on the tongue.

O - A very nicely built Saison. Tasty.

375 ml bottle into a tulip glass. Had 11/4/21.

Pours a bright, lighter yellow, fairly clear, with a three inch spongy foam head with great retention and a good amount of spongy foam lacing. Active carbonation. Aromas of wheat, some yeast, Brett, light malt, a whiff of a mint like aroma. Smells a little herbal. Flavors of wheat, malt, Brett, light yeast, some funk as it warms, some herbal and earthy hop bitterness. Tastes somewhat herbal overall. Smooth, fairly dry, a good light to medium body, well carbonated a touch on the high side.

Like the big wheat presence overall, and the Brett was prominent, as well. The herbal hops and bitterness provide a complimentary twist. This could be a little fuller bodied, for a better mouthfeel. Worth a try.

 

Gusher. Pale bright gold, short lived head of dish soap foam that fades quickly to a glassy surface. No lacing.

Funky Brett-forward aroma, kind of one dimensionally musty, overpowering wet hay and horseblanket. No trace of Loral hops, the Brett has taken over after time in the bottle.

Moderate lactic acidity, medicinal Brett steamrolls it, super phenolic. It’s all sharp lactic acid, Brett ≠ sour. There’s almost nothing behind it, just a hollow seltzery base. Lingering pepper, clove, and horseblanket. Very dry, light bodied with ample carb. Poof, it just disappears like champagne. Overall this is far too unbalanced and Brett heavy to be enjoyable.

 

 

Poured from bottle to wine glass, little pooling foam, small lacing. Pale hazy golden in the glass. Apricot, and barnyard funk on the nose, very little saison phenols. Slight tartness on the palate, brightness leads to slight dankness, dry finish. Good prickly carbonation, good to drink with food. Good level of complexity

 

 

 

I'm finding more and more Brett moderates. By that I mean that Brett --being harder to control than other yeasts -- increasingly was used in intensely sour beers. Now that brewers are controlling Brett more (and probably don't need to coverup the wildness with sour -- the Brett subtleties are becoming easier for me to appreciate. Stepping Into Tomorrow uses Brett as a moderate tarting agent and seems to use little lactic souring, if any. The result is a nice, gentle, moderate saison that both prepared me for food and was effective at a table of leftovers; cleansing the palate for another bite.

I'm liking Perennial more and more. They brew thoughtfully in the Belgian tradition and, despite Covid, they continue to make thoughtful pairings with their ales. So they are learning fast how Belgians brew, for the kitchen. I will seek out Perennial more often and definitely I want more of Stepping Into Tomorrow. A Votre Sante " !