Beer pick of the week: Saison Rue
November 24th, 2009 by Jeff Holland in Drink
The Bruery
Placentia, CA
8.5% ABV
The Bruery has been making a name for itself out in the highly competitive Southern California beer scene with its Belgian-inspired artisanal beers and has recently begun distributing in Georgia. Saison Rue is a Belgian/French farmhouse-style ale brewed with malted rye and fermented with wild Brettanomyces yeast, giving it a tart fruitiness and a distinct spiciness. It is bottle-conditioned, unfiltered, and presented in a 750-ml champagne bottle with a cork and wire cage closure. If you are looking for a unique beer to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, this is an excellent choice; but be forewarned that it is not a typical saison.
Saison Rue pours a cloudy burnished orange with a fluffy, quickly dissipating head that signals the tingly character of the carbonation. The intriguing aroma blends coriander and clove with an earthy yeastiness and a bit of citrus tang. The initial tart apple cider, grape skin and sour yeast is supported by honey sweetness and biscuity pale malts. Spicy rye, white pepper, and an herbal, citric bite of hops contribute to the quenching finish. The mouthfeel is a bit raw and prickly from the carbonation, spice, and alcohol. It is rustic and musty in the tradition of saisons and biere de gardes, but with a pronounced hoppiness and the added element of wild yeast.
The Bruery notes that Saison Rue is designed for aging and will become drier and more earthy over time as the yeasts in the bottle continue to work. Try purchasing two bottles; serve one at Thanksgiving this year and save one for next year so that you can note the differences.
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