About a month ago, when I brewed my Arctic Vortex Winter Saison, the weather seemed much more winter-like. It was, in fact winter. I probably should have brewed it earlier in the winter months so that I could drink it during the winter season. Oh well, something to think about for next year.
If you want to read about the brew-day, see Brewing Arctic Vortex Black Saison.
I have been drinking this beer recently, and find it truly awesome. I mean, I really like this beer. The Beer Model says she likes it too. She said to me "it doesn't taste black", which from her is a compliment.
It does look very black. There are redish-brown highlights at the "corners" when held up to the sun light. The head is thick, cream colored, and long-lasting. Lots of tiny bubbles rise up throughout the drink.
Its aroma is slightly lemony with the signature farm-house pepper and funk of a saison. There is a noticeable saaz hop aroma.
Its flavor is complex. A bit of chocolate subdues the saison farm-house flavor pushing it into the blackground. A bit of pepper tries to come out in the beginning, but quickly comes across as more tart lemony flavor. Then a deep berry flavor replaces that ... sort of reminds me of maybe a combination of blackberry and blueberry. The balance starts off tart, goes a little sweet, and finishes off dry with some significant hop spiciness.
The mouth-feel is a bit odd in that it starts off seeming much fuller bodied than the 1.006 finishing gravity would suggest. There is a brief bit of slickness in the middle and finished off with a perception of dryness.
Overall, I'm not going to lie ... I love this beer. I have never had one quite like it, and it really is a pleasure to drink. What a wonderful drinking experience! The low(ish) alcohol coupled with the wonderfulness makes me want to consume pint after pint. I can't stop at just one.
The overwhelming success of this beer pretty much guarantees that there will be more saisons using this yeast coming up this year.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete