Erthe (Dry-Hopped Herbal Saison)
Propolis Brewing

fun beer, great to see so many cans from propolis, not sure why they dont send beer down to boise, but i was happy to score a bunch of their stuff in my montana travels recently. this is a dry hopped herbal saison, quite evolved for how delicate and mild it is, a real drinker that seems spot on for early emerging spring. multigrain saison, pils and wheat and spelt in here, with hyssop, sage, and thyme, plus a pretty hefty helping of noble hops, great build and high refinement, seems somewhat cleaner and more dialed in than some of their others, which run a little wild beyond just the ferment in my experience. this is tidy, clearish, high white headed, and just sparkling in the glass. pale but not whitewashed, golden and minimal, frothy, sexy. the nose and taste are complex but minimal at the same time, bitter both from the hops and the herbs, hyssop really doing its thing, light spiciness from the hops as well here, a tea-like layer, faint dried lemon peel. the grain is lightly toasty and nutty, warmer rather than cooler, earthy and bready from the wheat, the spelt seems to add minerals and even terroir, very nice composition. the yeast is rad, less funky than their best, but also more than just clean saison yeast, a little bretty animal thing to it, light tang, and a fast dry finish with rushing can conditioned effervescence. a pretty sturdy body from the wheat malt and the kilned element, but its not out of place. i think the grain in here is as interesting as the herbs, didnt expect that, but its true, although the sage can be tasted more and more as this warms. a very unique brew overall, a really adult take on the style, and infinitely drinkable in part due to its dryness, in part its intrigue. ive been getting more and more stoked on their beers of late, this was a joy to share with my colleague on the road!

Appears they recycled the name “Erthe”, as this is a different beer than the golden ale listed here already. Lovely floral and fruity aromas, grainy/herbal and a little too simple flavor.