This limited release, housed in 650ml bottles, is a reimagined version of a beer that originally appeared solely on tap>. The founders and brewers of Smiling Samoyed, Simon Dunstone and Kate Henning, found the first version to be too clean even though the ferment temperature reached 35 degrees. Simon discovered the yeast actually loved the heat so he decided to tone the temperature down a little to create some more complex saison esters and, to bolster the flavour even more, dried orange peel was added to the mix.
The colour of the saison is quite remarkable, a bright and vibrant yellow that pours perfectly clear. The head is bright white, large and fast dissipating, the carbonation is on the higher side and the body quite full. The aromas are dominated by yeast derived esters and phenols, in particular clove and other spices, assisted by a touch of orange and some biscuit malt sweetness. Similar flavours present throughout the beer but the citrus is more the prominent flavour atop some grainy malt, resulting in a pleasant balance between orange, spice, malt sweetness and fruity characters. The yeast must have worked overtime to eat all the sugars too, as this saison finishes very dry.
Matt King
Published July 19, 2018 2018-07-19 00:00:00
