Cranberry Saison
Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the LCBO, one of three beers in their Northern Winter Survival Kit sampler pack. Packaged Sep 27 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy pinkish-orange colour, producing one finger of smooth, creamy white foam that melts off within two or three minutes' time. A creamy collar and filmy cap remain behind, with rings of lace deposited as the level drops; looks fine to me. Subtle cranberry on the nose, with hints of powdery, spicy yeast, apple flesh, orange peel and grainy, gritty pale malts. Understated, but it suits the description on the tin.

It's alright - cranberry and red apple fruitiness come through at first, soon joined by a grainy pale malt sweetness. Orange peel nearer the finish, with hints of grassiness and yeasty coriander spiciness added to the chorus of grain/cranberry/apple; spicy aftertaste with briefly lingering cranberry astringency. Light-medium in body, with aggressive carbonation that feels spritzy on the tongue - it's suited well for this brew's yeast spiciness, and lending a crisp bite to each and every gulp. Good drinkability, no sign of the 6%.

Final Grade: 3.68, a B grade. Sleeping Giant's Cranberry Saison is entirely what you make of it. As a random sampler pack inclusion, it's inoffensive and unlikely to rub many beer drinkers the wrong way. As a saison, it's underwhelming at best, and not something I'd recommend on that basis - but as a cranberry beer, I suppose it's passable, and I think fans of witbiers will also appreciate this one. Not a bad beer, but it's very 'safe', which is usually not a helpful attribute, at least not with farmhouse styles. Not something I really need to try again, but I might be roped into another purchase if I'm in the mood.