Saison Tropique
La Sirène Brewing

 

i am so high on this style of beer right now, the delicate but mature funky and woody saison. these guys have always impressed and intrigued me, and this is another killer offering. one year barrel aged saison, explosively carbonated, wildly heady in the glass, but delicate, blonde, and alive in the glass. aroma of well developed brett with a little bit of tartness, a lot of oak and fruity white wine character, and a fresh wheat and pils type malt base, crackery and dry but not irrelevant. notes of kiwi and melon here, white grape and peach, leading to a botanical oddly hoppy segment, before a little acidity and attendant minerality rises up and washes it all clean and gone in the finish. oak tannins, crackery grain, and incredibly interesting wild yeast come together brilliantly here. epic carbonation and drinkability, complex but approachable, rustic but elegantly refined, just a beer of profound quality and uniqueness. for how many folks are doing this sort of thing, this one really rises above the crowd for me. things like mango and papaya flash in late too, maybe a product of the hops. ill be thinking about this one fondly for awhile...