Saison / Forte
Freehand Brewing & Blending

first i have ever had from or seen of these guys, batch 3, listed on the bottle at 7.2% abv, this must have come down some since it was first made and added here. its a pretty brew, shiny yellow golden and minimal looking, a huge high white belgian head on it, and just tiny little flecks of darker sediment the size of fine sand grains at the bottom of the bottle. its very lively and looks great in the glass. it smells and tastes much more like a belgian golden than any sort of saison, the yeast isnt rustic or farmy to me at all, let alone wild or funky, its clean, high tone estery, stone fruit and banana and green pear and white wine to it, almost more a french saison strain or a belgian blend than the farmhouse vibe i was hoping for, but i quickly start to appreciate it in the context of being a belgian golden, and i really like it. notes of clover honey, straw, and wildflowers through it, threads of peppery spice and herbal tea as well, clean and dry, really quite good. i am impressed with this more and more as it warms up, slight phenols here are appealing with the rest of the fermentation profile, lightly citrusy hops, and a distinctive white wine taste. this might be more classic belgian than farmhouse saison, but its an awfully well made beer replete with nuance, makes me excited to try more from these guys next time i am up that way. unexpected and delicious.