Hanami
Fair Isle Brewing

absolute stunner, another one, fair isle is among the best of the best despite the relative lack of fanfare around them, this is elite level saison, bright and sparkling and super nuanced and interesting, its steeped with some really special tea, which seems like its becoming a thing for them, i love it! this has a pretty yellow color, on the clearer side with some wheaty looking body still and a sudsy bottle conditioned looking head on it with nice retention and density, rises as high as i want it to on the pour and stays fixed. the aroma on this is striking, clean but funky too, some green glass character right away, their house saison yeast, slightly tangy too, lemon and lemon curd notes, majorly herbal from the tea, floral and citrusy, but also with what must be a little dry hop thing going on, hints of white coconut and even vanilla bean, green melon, white flowers, just popping, fresh and mature at the same time. i love the oak on this in the flavor, white wine and vanilla notes from it, some tang in the mix too, tannins, minerals, white wheat, maybe some raw wheat too, pils malt likely, this is snappy and brisk and really well grounded. clean lemon, verdant hops, the layers of the tea from spring meadow to light smoke and thyme and verbena, just wonderfully dosed and so clean the whole way, yet the beer still retains old world rustic charm as well refined and tidy as it is. light to drink but infinitely complex, this is my kind of beer, an epic showcase of this special tea, sakura sencha, need to drink some of that on its own. this is world class, among the best ive had from these guys which is saying a lot!

 

Bottle into Snifters
Look: Muddy pale yellow with a touch of green. Pouring a 1/2 finger head which dissipated into a ring with light lacing
Smell: Oak tannins, citric acid, yeast, floral, green tea notes
Taste: Mellow lemon tartness, light melon taste, some sencha tea which fades to light musty yeast and oak
Feel: Light-med body with moderate carbonation and a crisp finish
Overall: Very interesting brew but its good. Worth a try