Rye Peppercorn Saison
Amsterdam Brewery

 

Despite spending five months in red wine (Cabernet Franc) barrels, this Saison comes out the bottle looking as sunny as a nice summer afternoon. Equally surprising, the bubbles seem well rested (not exhausted) and spring to the surface with zeal, creating a fine but steadfast head. Clarity, mind you, is compromised but that's hardly noticeable with such a bright polish.

The influence of Brett (wild yeast) is immediately appreciated in the form of a sharp citrus acidity and mildly 'funky' tartness, as if someone tried to disinfect a farmhouse with lemon-scented cleaning products. That's not the only thing appreciated from the barrel-aging: red wine-like notes of earthy oak, berries and cranberry hit me, albeit as if from far, far away.

The Brettanomyces character, however, turns out to be unexpectedly subtle on the palate. Most appreciated are the conventional flavours of straw, cereal grain, herbs, orchard fruits, and spice (which is also surprisingly delicate given that rye and actual peppercorns are used). Time in the wood resulted in an additional (but again very soft) vanilla character.

It's highly unusual for a Saison to have a creamy texture - this is certainly a first for me. While mild tartness and illusive citrus fruits may be noted, the mouthfeel is almost like that of vanilla ice cream: lusciously sweet. It's not as distinctive as one would think, but it is an immensely agreeable, fluent recipe, one completely unwrinkled by its disparate parts.

I'll admit it: I snickered at the thought of a Saison aged in Cabernet Franc barrels. And one brewed with rye and peppercorns to boot? You've got to be kidding me! What are they thinking? Turns out, however, my foot fits nicely into my mouth. It takes a very skilled hand to make this work as well as it did. My hat is tipped to the man responsible for this lovely offering.

Day after Amsterdam Tap Takeover at Bar Volo. This one aged in Cab Franc barrel. Orange coloured body. A little head. A little astringent. Orange citrus taste but everything else was rather muddled. OK drinkability but understandable why it wasn't the highlight of the event, despite some Brett inclusion in the mix.