One of the advantages of being at the top of your field has to be the relative ease with which doors must open for collaborations. In this case, Costa Nikias got to work with one of his favourite wineries, Bannockburn Vineyards in the Geelong region. The Convergence in question isn't just between beer and wine but between La Sirène's wild house yeast and that of Bannockburn, with the liquid undergoing fermentation in one of the latter's old 500 litre puncheons.
It goes without saying when a limited release like these leaves La Sirène these days that it's going to be worth hunting down for any lover of farmhouse ales and this is no exception: bright, lively, tart and aromatic, with the impact of dry-hopping dancing with the yeast- and barrel-derived aromas to give the drinker lychee, a touch of berries, soft oak, and hops bordering on the dank. It's reminiscent of walking through the fruit section of a market in South East Asia, while on the palate you'll unearth dense, almost stewed citrus flavours, young mango/paw paw and, well, just pick one up and experience a little convergence yourself.
James Smith
Read our feature on saisons here
Published June 7, 2019 2019-06-07 00:00:00
