Beer Future Mountain Howling Forever

Saison is a style of beer that can move in myriad directions, so you never quite know which way brewers might decide to approach them. But the earliest saisons, those brewed by "saisonniers" or seasonal workers in the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, would have no doubt made use of what was available to them. It’s a philosophy behind many of Future Mountain’s beers, with the Melbourne brewery and blendery often showcasing seasonal fruit and it's certainly on show in Howling Forever. The saison with Brettanomyces was first open-fermented, then aged in oak barrels and, after spending 12 months maturing, a blend of riesling, pinot gris and gewurztraminer lees were added along with further fruit in the shape of Friulano skins from the winemakers at Konpira Maru.

Given that web of fruit, barrel and yeast at play, it's unsurprisingly, a complex beer where the Brett provides a rich medley of fruit flavours, with nectarine, nashi pear and lemon peel joining an earthy funk and some honey that's most apparent on the nose. It may be incredibly layered but Holwoing forever is also very light and crisp with a biting white grape flavour and sour finish that makes you feel that it would have happily refreshed any saisonnier.

Will Ziebell

*If you're after another beer fit for a saisonnier, the northside brewery recently teamed up with Carwyn Cellars to release an ode to the world's most famous saison. You can grab a bottle of Saison du North here.