Saison Series: 2018 Q3
Taxman Brewing Co.

Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a bottle on December 31, 2018. a deep golden dry-hopped sour saison brewed with Indiana pilsner, wheat and rye malt. This ale features an experimental acid-producing wild yeast in primary, followed by an extended mixed-culture fermentation in wine barrels. Q3 2018 was then delicately hopped with Southern Cross, Pacific Gem and CTZ and bottle conditioned.

500ml
$7.99
Cork Liquors - Columbus, IN

This is labeled as an amber saison aged in wine barrels. The color descriptor certainly fits. An amber beverage, more like aged copper to be exact, looks good in the glass with it's soft glow. The foam is pure white and tightly bubbled, very frothy. It grows to a couple fingers in height on the pour and takes days to relax back to a cap leaving sticky lacing clinging to the glass on its way.

This stuff smells very Belgian in nature. There's a good undercurrent of orchard fruitiness by way of Bartlett pears and underripe peaches. The malt profile is impressive, it's clean but complex with some fresh cracked grain, a wheat twang and a touch of spiciness, The wildness comes through in the form of wildflowers with a smattering of straw in the background, extremely complimentary. Subtle vinous qualities combine with dry, splintered oak to surround the whole.

The flavor is as complex and clean as the nose suggested. It's spicy, bready, and wheaty off the bat with that deep malt profile. Orchard fruits come from both the saison yeast and the dry hopping. Again, the barrel is subtle bringing added depth with soft vinous and dry oak qualities. There's a whisper of tartness. The brett brings about the wildflowers and straw on the backend. This stuff is really good.

The mouthfeel on this beer is bested only by some of the best Belgian beers out there. It's a tick or two under moderate in weight with a frothy carbonation that's perfectly dialed in. There's a little prickliness on the tongue and a finish that dries up pretty quickly. There's a soft lingering tartness that lingers because of that dryness. This beer is incredibly easy to drink and there's not a whisper of noticeable alcohol.

This is an expertly crafted saison. There's a ton of depth and complexity while remaining balanced and incredibly easy drinking. It's effervescent and light like some of the best Belgians out there and the use of brett seems just right. I wouldn't hesitate in picking this one up often. My first from Taxman and certainly not my last.