This glass of golden sunlight is an extremely drinkable saison.
Don’t get me wrong – that’s not at all to say it doesn’t have a lot going on. There’s fruity notes play playing along while light spice and pepper phenolics spread across the tongue, with clove and funk making an appearance even as it wraps up with a dry, clean bitterness. This saison stands up with there with the greats being imported from Europe - and of course, being local and fresh is a huge bonus.
And yet what really stood out to me was just how refreshing this saison is. The original saisons from a few centuries ago were low in alcohol (and presumably very easy to drink), and given to farm workers to keep them hydrated. Nowadays, it’s more common to find saisons a bit stronger - between about five and eight percent ABV. Madocke’s iteration sits right in this zone, coming in at a pleasing six percent… but it somehow manages to capture that drinkability of old.
So it feels super sessionable, but I don't know how many I'd want to have if I were working in the fields. Don’t drink and scythe.
Mick Wüst
