Raspberry saison sounds like it might be a style of beer reserved for beer nerds… but it’s really not.
For example, there’s a group of tradies who are regulars at the Coolum Beer taproom who wouldn’t call themselves beer nerds; they’re usually perfectly happy sitting on easy-drinking lagers and session ales. But one day, one of them broke from his regular order and got a raspberry saison – or "the pink beer", as his mates called it. A week later, everyone at the table was drinking it. It’s that kind of beer.
Scattered Light certainly has a nice blush to it – think coral pink, or a pinkish-orange – showing off the raspberry addition that makes this beer what it is. After purposefully keeping the saison characteristics low with a gentle fermentation, head brewer Jesse went and loaded in a bunch of raspberry puree to stand as the headliner. So while it’s technically a saison, Scattered Light uses a mild saison base to show off big fruit aroma and big fruit flavour – not overwhelming, but distinct. We’re talking an aroma* of fresh raspberry that’s right there at the forefront, while in the mouth the fruitiness is soft but clear, balancing light tartness with that pleasing floral note that raspberries carry around with them.
Enjoy your pink beer.
Mick Wüst
*I really want to say ‘perfume’ or ‘bouquet’, because those words seem to suit this particular aroma… but I’m very conscious of how pretentious those words sound. And this isn’t a pretentious beer.
