Thursday, December 11, 2014

2014 Advent Beer 11: Tropical Christmas Saison


The calendar heads south of the Equator for the first time to fetch this Belgian farmhouse style ale with both a seasonal and geographic twist. Brazil may not be the first place you think of when you think of beers, but like many of the New World brewers, they they mix an affinity for tradition with a disregard for restrictions.

Saisons are normally characterized as light and refreshing, and the pale gold liquid and its tart aromas meet that expectation. Not so much a head as an effervescence arises from the pour, and only moderate bubbling after that has disappeared.
In terms of taste, there are the fruity and spicy aspects that saisons are known for, but the 7%ABV brings its own sweetness to the party. The ingredients listed on the label include raisins, figs, coriander and orange peel, but my palate has a hard time discerning anything beyond general fruitiness and the coriander; the latter being something I think may have been better left out.
All in all, not an unpleasant drink at all, but previous forays into Christmas beers has left the bar pretty high!


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