Jonny Saisonny
The Hidden Mother Brewery

 

well made beer, but not the kind of saison i am into. its fermentation forward, but its high tone belgian to me, and would work better as a belgian golden or belgian single i think, there is nothing really rustic about it, which is also true on the grain side, where this seems quite polished and refined, not even really wheaty as such, and while this is quality beer, its not a great expression of the saison style i dont reckon. clear golden in the glass, lively white head, radiant glow, high carbonation. the yeast drives this, done plenty warm, with hints of bubblegum, green apple, elderflower, honey, pear, and copper. its pleasant, but its a lot, and without much substance from the malt beside some general middle sweetness, it seems slightly out of proportion, it needs a counterpoint that never comes. while this is objectively good, its a samey yeast strain, even in this loud voice, and i miss more interesting fermentation elements, more farmhouse character overall, and would love to see these guys start taking their saison types in that direction, they have all come off as clean belgian and french types to me so far. hops is what is being done so masterfully here, they definitely have the potential for the saisons too. better as a belgian blonde than a saison for me...