Perennial Perpetual Waves West Coast Style IPA

 Perennial Perpetual Waves West Coast Style IPA.

6% ABV, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO. 

Clear, bright golden hue, large and lush ivory head. 

In the nose: intense hopping, dry, floral, bursting with botanicals. 

In the mouth: dry, brittle, full of hop bitterness. Clean, lean bodied, long, bitter finish. Fresh and lively, just a little juicy, not quite bone dry. Delicious approximation of a WCIPA. I may have to go back for more. 

West coast style IPA with burts of light citrus and a dry pine finish. Inspired by the ocean & the relentless energy of the surf, this brew captures the essence of the coast in every sip. 

Perennial Saison des Rêves

 Perennial Saison des Rêves.

5.2% ABV, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO.

Picking up this 4-pack was a no-brainer. I can trust Perennial with Belgians. It was merely $10.50. And the icing is the collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne. Or is it the cherry on top? Never mind, let’s drink it....

Slightly hazed, brilliant yellow tone, large and lovely snowy white head. 

In the nose: citrus and spice, Belgian yeast, barnyard funk and bubblegum. Maybe a pinch of banana.

In the mouth: a touch of tart at the front, followed by fruit, ending crisp and dry. Belgian sweetness lingers. Lean bodied, clean, delicious. Spicy notes hang on through the finish. Refreshing, delightful, and pretty much yum a dum dum. 

Saison des Rêves is the 2nd installment of our 10th Anniversary Collaboration series. Conceived over a series of emails with our new friend and idol Yvan de Baets we landed upon a spelt heavy saison recipe that speaks true to both of our outlooks on Saison. Snappy bitterness is coupled with a massive wave of melon and freshly cut wet grass from a dry hop of Huell Melon. Finally we naturally carbonated Saison des Rêves in cans and kegs for ultimate crushability. Drinking this beer reminds us of the freshly cut grass after a light rain of cantaloupe chunks, the first roll of a soccer ball over the morning dew on a chilly spring Midwest morning, and the version of He’s Gone from the 10/15/76 show in LA.  

Perennial Distant Land Saison

Perennial Distant Land Saison.

6.2 % ABV. Belgian-style ale with brettanomyces. Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO. 

I used to think that maybe, possibly, I could drink all the beers. That possibility dwindled away many years ago. There are too many beers to drink them all. I can only hope to drink the best, as much as I can, to suit my taste, as well. 

Before opening this bottle, I looked on the other Perennial postings here in the Nib. One bottle purchased in Chicago-land, seven years ago. Next, five years ago, a bottle bought locally once they'd begun to distribute here, with this at the end of the post: "This is the first Perennial brew I've purchased locally. There's no reason why I should stop here. Drink 'em up, people." Six months later, another, with the next review being four years later, a sample can from a distributor rep. And then, nothing, until now. 

I hate it when I lie to you guys like that. I basically promised that I would keep sampling this brewery's wares, and then I dropped the ball. Why? Was I shopping in the wrong stores? Was I passing them over for something hotter, sexier, fresher? So many questions. 

One thing I know for sure is this: I need to stop complaining about the trends in beer that I dislike, and shine a spotlight on the good stuff going on, like the works of breweries like this one. 

So, let's drink it. 

Lightly hazed, vibrant gold coloration, large, lace-leaving head, looking absolutely gorgeous. 

In the nose: classic farmhouse funk. Horse-blankety. Slightly tart, utterly wild. Definitely touched by Brett.

In the mouth: Bright and zesty. Smooth, citrusy, medium-bodied, easy-drinking. Smacks of fruit for a bit, spice for a bit longer, then turns dry on a dime. Delicious and refreshing. Delightful touch of Brett on the palate. 

I'm enjoying this one quite a bit. Yum, as I've said, before, a dum dum. 

 Belgian Saison brewed with Flaked Oats and fermented with our house saison strain, then package conditioned naturally with Brettanomyces claussenii.

A late hop addition of Mosaic lend to the tropical flavors produced by the B. claussenii. Distant Land is an ode to the melding of classic Belgian beers, with new American brewing techniques. Lightly hoppy, lightly funky to help get us through the long nights of Winter.

Perennial Artisan Ales Saison de Lis

Perennial Artisan Ales Saison de Lis. Belgian-style ale brewed with chamomile flowers.
5 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO.

Lightly hazy, golden toned, slim white head.

In the nose: Bright citrus notes, lemon and spices. Floral. Belgian yeast. Whiff of funk.

In the mouth: Light bodied. Smooth. Crisp and delicious. Belgian malt and yeast play on the tongue. More citrus notes, a modicum of hoppiness, and, yeah, a little more floral. Tasty stuff, and quite refreshing. Fits the saison style to a T.

A straw colored Belgian-style Saison brewed with chamomile flowers. It is fermented with a traditional saison yeast strain that imparts fruity and spicy notes that dovetail perfectly with the tea-like quality of the chamomile. Finishes dry, tart, and refreshing.

Perennial Regalia Belgian-style Ale with brettanomyces

Perennial Regalia, Belgian-style Ale fermented with brettanomyces. 8.5% ABV. Brewed and bottled by Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO.

Clear, bright golden coloring, slim white head.

Wildness starts off the nose, some tartness, some sharpness, a hint of spice and funk. A little lemony, and a whole lot of weird.

Taste: ah! Bracing, sour, sweet, spicy, and smooth. All that and more. Moderate mouthfeel, lean body, Crisp, funky, and refreshing. Ah, delicious. Ah….mmmm. Yeah. Just delightful. Spicy, spritzy, zesty, hoppy, fresh, and yum.

“Inspired by the rustic farmhouse style ales of Southern Belgium, Regalia is brewed with barley, wheat and spelt and fermented with Brettanomyces. A sturdy malt character supports the complex array of flavors that the yeast provides, and will continue to develop over time. Bottled 3/2015.”

Perennial Dual Artisanship Belgian-style ale with Brettanomyces

Perennial Dual Artisanship, Belgian-style Ale fermented with Brettanomyces. 6.9% Alc. by Vol. Brewed and bottled by Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO.

Appearance: clear and bright golden-hued, with a lush, blooming ivory head.

Aroma: Brett's up in there from the get-go, bold and sour, wicked and wild, wild and crazy. Cra-zay. Lemon-y. Sour. Funky.

Taste: Starts out bitter, bright, brash, even alarming. Much malt, smooth and slightly sweet. I'm getting the feeling of a Belgian golden ale, or even a saison, where the malt is more in charge, the hops lay low, and funk is in full effect.

I'm going to take a break and read the label: "With equal parts Belgian farmhouse and West Coast hoppy, Dual Artisanship is a red saison fermented with a blend of ale yeast and Brettanomyces and dry-hopped with Centennial and Simcoe. Bursting with tropical fruit and citrus, it evokes both old and new world brewing traditions, while remaining wholly it's own. We brewed this in collaboration with our friends at Prairie Artisan Ales." Bottled 10/2014.

Simcoe makes sense. Big time cat pee. And I'm not just saying that because I just changed the litter box.

Damned delicious, and ridiculously easy to drink. This is the first Perennial brew I've purchased locally. There's no reason why I should stop here. Drink 'em up, people.

Perennial Aria, Belgian-style Ale with Brett

We're winding down on the Chicago beers, two months later. Here's yet another one purchased at the Schaumburg Binny's Perennial Aria Belgian-style Ale fermented with Brettanomyces. 7.2% alc.by vol. Brewed and bottled by Perennial Ale, St. Louis, MO.

Appearance: hazy, golden/amber color, slight, but lasting  white head.

Aroma: Ah! The brett hits at first sniff. Wild, funky, wicked yeast-y aromatics. Semi-sweet, fruity malt lurks beneath. Hops lay low

Taste: First comes the fruit, we got some apple and apricot, peach and minor cherry notes behind them. Next comes the fuzz and the funk, that twisted sour attack on the palate that brett brings. Medium bodied, long finish, hangs lightly and delightfully in the mouth. Not too sour, not too sweet, and not too fruity, not really too anything, at all. The only characteristic that looms over all the others is that tasty semi-sour flavor of the brett. And I do like it.

Soft, malty, a little bit sweet, a little bit sour, and just enough fruity. Tasty, tasty stuff.