#006 Saison
Exit Brewing

So it seems that Exit have dropped the “#000” numbering system that I neither lamented nor cared for – the whole thing felt a bit silly if you ask me. Here is their re-branded #006 Saison in all its yellow canned glory (with a picture of a barnyard on it – in case you didn’t know what a Saison is maybe you’d know what a “Farmhouse Ale” is). I’m always excited to crack open a new Australian Saison since La Sirène broke through with beautiful representations of the style. Will Exit be up to the task with their own Saison? It’s a tough call, and a tough style to ace, I think it would be amazing if the brewer of my favourite Australian Milk Stout can also pull off a brilliant Saison as well, but I do have faith in Exit – they are a solid brewer.

Poured from a 375ml can into a Duvel tulip.

A: Cloudy golden-straw body with a lovely chalk-white cappuccino foam head that leaves impressive lace-work as it drops back. My hat this is a great looking Saison, ticks all the boxes with a metallic-green pen: colour: great, head: great, etc. 9/10.

S: Very Saison Dupont-like, right down to the cider apples, barnyard straw, musty yeast and spicy peppercorn character. One thing to be said though is there is a touch of ethanol in the background, waiting to spoil the party – the flavour party about to take place on my tongue, the address of which is: 2,000-8,000 Taste-Bud Circuit, Doc’s Tongue, HEAD 4001, Rest of Doc’s Body. 7/10.

T: Flavour profile is a classic Saison with: cider apple, hay, earthy, musty/peppery yeast, touch of honey, and a dry(ish) finish with a light sweetness to round it out. Ethanol noted above practically non-existent, however there is something amiss with the yeast – it’s got a home-brewed thing happening (like some of the New England Brewing beers have). Hard to describe, I thought it was due to oxidisation when I home-brewed a beer with Saison yeast, but at craft brewing scale that shouldn’t be a problem. Still it’s a minor complaint. 8/10.

M: Medium bodied with a creamy Weizen-esque carbonation, no issues here. 9/10.

D: Bit of an up-and-down review for a solid effort Saison. I suspect the issue with the yeast might be environmental, as I’ve only ever had a flawless Aussie Saison from La Sirène and they are well-known for using strains of local wild yeast – perhaps the European yeast used in other Aussie Saisons doesn’t hold up as well due to the differing quality of air over here. Who knows? As the (beer) Lord says “Yeast works in mysterious ways” amen beer Lord, amen. 7/10.

Food match: Cheese platter, bit of the hard stuff like Manchego or Pecorino.

I'm reviewing a Saison bottled in December 2016, although it has a yellow label and it dropped the #006. I suspect Exit is still working on their recipe and I'm making the first review, so I see little value in adding a new beer.

Exit's Saison is a good effort. As a test, I had it with a cheese plate at a Belgian Beer Bar in Melbourne. It cut through the fat on creamy cheeses and offered a subtle alternative to the sharp cheeses. As a saison, Exit did their job well. The ale could be improved: the hops could be muted a bit more for my palate.

Exit's label talks about the influential role of the Belgian yeast. And I believe them when they say they got their saison's yeast from Dupont. But, the climates are different and Aussie brewer's are still learning about how to handle and replicate Belgian yeasts. Exit did a good job and I hope to try it again they next time I get to Melbourne... which hopefully doesn't take another 64 years.