When Judd Owen sent over copy for the Beer Fontaine listing on this site, this beer garnered a special mention; he was pretty darn certain I'd find enjoyment in an offering that even by today's kitchen sink standards stands apart as a genuine rarity from Aussie brewers. Sparkling Forest is a "pétillant bier" inspired by the techniques more commonly found in pet-nat wines: it was capped mid-fermentation to, in their words, "create a super sparkling refreshing Belgian beer".
My sample came with a label affixed to the cap emphasising the instructions on the label: store upright and pour carefully, with an added note to use a wine glass. The wedding gift Waterford subsequently pulled from the cupboard and polished 'til it was sparkling, I set about pouring carefully. And slowly. Over quite a period of time. This beer redefines sparkling in a beer sense...
Maybe there's a sweet spot where you've got the pour going so super slow it doesn’t require multiple pauses for things to settle yet not so slow that it dribbles down the neck of the bottle, but I never found it. That said, I like to think it added to the drama.
As for what awaits, the easiest thing is probably to say it tastes like Belgium. More specifically, it comes with a head like a meringue and reminded me of a saison with a bit of age on it courtesy of the sweetly spiced honeyed malts and depth of character aplenty.
James Smith
