Insight Brewing Doe Eyes Saison with Door County Cherries

Insight Brewing Doe Eyes Saison with Door County Cherries.

Only about eight months after their launch, Insight Brewing has undergone a re-branding. There was almost unanimous consent that their logo was terrible. That's been corrected, and the names of the beers have been changed, with back-stories and legends to suit them, with new iconography as well. Some of it is clever, some of it bewildering. For instance, the last entry from Insight on this blog was "Yuzu Pale Ale." Find it now under it's new name, Hell Chicken.

A few weeks ago, I stepped in to see all of this for the first time, and get this beer. Now, at last, I will drink it.

Clear, bright crimson coloring, sizable off-white head, looking good.

Mild cherry notes in the nose. A whiff of farmhouse funk underneath.

Tart and fruity in the mouth, low bitterness, fairly clean malt flavor. Bright, tart, fresh and zesty Door County cherries reign over this saison. Light bodied, easy drinking. Tasty stuff. The saison component of it all is thoroughly drowned out by the cherries, though, as often is the case wit these sorts of beers.

But, as I drink down the growler, I think that it ultimately is not for me. Fun for a little while, but not really what satisfies me. Have I moved beyond fruit beers? I probably did a long time ago. This should be popular, and it ought to be loved by many.

A little more about this re-branding. There's all-new gobbledygook on the back of the growler, and I find it funny, so I'll repeat it here: "For every journey, a story. For every story, a beer. For every beer, a toast to the journeys to come. You hold in your hands the expertly fermented essence of epicness. Every beer we brew is inspired by a chapter in my globe-spanning quest to uncover the secrets of the world's finest beers. And while I have no way of knowing exactly what beer you are on the precipice of quaffing, I know you are drinking it from that most sacred, spumescent of steins: The growler. Please treat this foamy vessel with the reverence it is owed. Feel free to rinse and re-use it, of course. Maybe bring it back in to be re-filled. But do so with a bit of awe. OKAY. You Look Thirsty. Drink On!"
The Brewmaster.

It's an incredibly badly written load of hooey. Note for a moment though that "the Brewmaster" is un-named. I think he is merely a character based on the original brewmaster/co-owner, and they have co-opted his story for use in this new re-branding.