Borealis Fermentery Raisin Liaison Saison. Knife River, MN. Belgian-style Saison Ale. 1 pint, 9.4 fluid ounces.
At last, at last, Borealis is dropping by the Twin Cities and bringing their beers to us. I haven't been to the Duluth area since the All Pints North fest in 2012, and haven't had a chance to pour one of their beers into one of their glasses since I brought bottles back home in May of 2012. Another trip to Duluth is long overdue, but I don't need to make that journey, for now their beer is at Zipp's and a few other stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Enough blah, blah, blah, I'm ready to crack this open!
Appearance: dark amber/ hazy burgundy coloration, with a sizable, staying head of white froth. Looking great.
Aroma: Ah! Utterly lovely. A lot of yeasty notes in this nose, some citrus fruits, more dark ones. Minor hops, major malt. Creamy, rich, beautiful.
Taste: Smooth, mellow, and malt-tastic. Hops are very low, spices are felt, and dark fruits maintain a delicious presence. Perfect integration, magnificent melding. I'm not really getting what I would from a normal saison, the fruit additions transform it a bit.
Saisons have been turned into a rather malleable style these days, a platform for tossing about other flavorings. I wouldn't have guessed this as a saison, more of a Belgian pale or, no, a strong dark, with the raisin additives.
Hey, you know what, maybe the label will make things clear….First paragraph is the same as all the others…then "Raisin Liaison is a Franco-Belgian-style Saison of "seasonal" ale that was served up to summer field hands to keep morale high and the work flowing. The traditional spiciness of a Saison with a hint of darker fruitiness imparted from our friends, and liaisons, the raisins."
No ABV listed. I'd guess it at 8.5 or 9%, maybe…maybe more? Higher than an average saison (6-7%), is what I'd assume.
What this is, though, is terrifically delicious. It makes me very happy. Mmm, smooth, malty, well-rounded, and all kinds of wonderful. Love it.
2 comments:
Mine totally smelled like peanut butter. None of that for you?
no.
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