Wabbit Saison began life in 2015 as a way to use wonky carrots that would otherwise go to waste. Using carrots from Queensland local Kalfresh Vegetables, 4 Hearts’ original iteration of the beer was a 6.5 percent ABV Belgian saison that came out almost fluorescent orange, making it perfectly weird for GABS 2015, the festival where it made its debut.
Four years on, Wabbit Saison has evolved. Current head brewer Ken Friend specialises in tradi-tional and approachable European styles, and has altered the recipe to create a more accessible version of the beer.
The carrots make up a quarter of the beer, having been steamed, blended and then included in the mash, but they’re not over the top; the deep, coppery orange and gentle earthy characteristics in the beer could just as easily come from the beer’s other ingredients. The subtle fruity esters and spice enter the mouth with the rousing carbonation, and are whisked away by the brut-dry finish.
Coming in at a sessionable 3.8 percent ABV, the current Wabbit Saison may be less at home at GABS, but is better suited to a four-pack or pint on a warm Ipswich afternoon.
Mick Wust
Published September 11, 2019 2019-09-11 00:00:00
