Under the Arches
Transient Artisan Ales

A very interesting saison. A collaboration with Central States, who also I've only had one ale from and should have more.
Anyhow... Gin is not something I drink much of because... well... it changes my judgment. But it is very nice to have modest amounts of gin fumes in ale that I'm having with dinner. Sort of, best of both worlds.

Under The Arches Looks interesting in that I can only remember one or two saisons this dark. While it lacks foam from its barrel effect, the dark malts are a welcome change-up. Smells are as much gin barrel as the blackberries and the malt being worked into other fruits. It is a difference to cherish as long as it lasts. My nose also said there was some tart coming, but no clue as to how much. I'm glad a balanced tart showed up because the tarting agent might have tried to steal the show from the gin barrels. But the blackberry and tart plays nice; seems like lemon, which is supposed to be like sumac spicing. Finishes almost done-dry. While the Feel in my mouth has a bit less enthusiasm, this saison still clearly is crafty and inventive; enough bubbles to cleanse the palate for food. Washing down food is important because I just ate the absolute last day of Thanksgiving leftovers and Transient made interesting what was a not-so-good-meal three days ago.

My only other ale from Transient was from their Obelus line. At that time, my quickie brewer review said that Transient should use their website to tell the world more about themselves. 27 months later, Transient's website is still cryptic. Whatever... they have made two very interesting saisons for me. I will look for a third. Transient has got a farmhouse heart.

 

Appearance - The beer poured a reddish-blue color with a white head crowning the glass.

Smell - Tart Blueberry and the gin barrels really shined in the nose.

Taste - The overall profile was pleasantly dry, with a strange mint overtone. The gin barrels really shined in the middle before the tart blueberry aftertaste. Even with a low ABV, there was a warming presence in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - The body was aggressively carbonated with a clingy body.

Overall - The profile might just be too busy. There was aspects, such as the gin barrel, that I enjoyed.