Black Saison
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery

Straddling the styles of porter and saison, the brewing team at Maplewood bring those robust, tangy, fruity and spicy flavors to balance that pulls this often notorious style within balance.

Simply named Black Saison, the dark brown beer takes on a hazy garnet finish while crowned with a loose and lacy, sandy froth. The nose is chocked full of complex aromas ranging from plum to wine, to chocolate and coffee, to peppercorn and nuttiness; all in even keel fashion. Steely caramels splash the tongue with a toasty, coffee and light chocolate depth early on the palate.

Its sweetness lightens quickly and the fruit and spice medley overtake the middle palate. Plum, blackberry, blackcurrant and red grape provide a succulent and robust vinous quality before the spices of peppercorn, dry oak and red wine tartness balance both the fruit and sweetness. Mildly hopped, the toasted edges of roasted grain and playful acidity balance the beer more so than do the woodsy, citrusy hops.

Medium bodied, the often light bodied, dry and spicy style of ale carries a more robust taste and an elevated texture with the involved malt bill. A linger of sweetness and starch keep the balance in check deep into the finish while a medium length, winey and peppery interchange occurs in aftertaste.