Slow Lane made the unorthodox choice of launching their brewery in May 2020 with a barrel-aged saison in a can. The beer, named Foundation, was a bright light in an otherwise pretty grim time and nabbed a spot in our end of year Best of NSW list. Continuum is the follow-up to Foundation and is more or less built on the same basic formula. It does, however, come in a bit bigger at 6.4 percent ABV and spent ten months in white rather than red wine barrels, with a couple of legendary roommates named Lacto and Brett.
Continuum pours bright and effervescent with a large, champagne like head that dissipates quickly. For a beer without fruit or new world hops, there’s a surprising fruit salad medley of stonefruit, lychee, pineapple and lemon that ends with some yeasty earthiness and leather. It’s like a lovely array of delicious fruits served in a very expensive boot that’s only been worn four times. That’s a good thing, I promise.
It’s all a bit champagne-like on the palate too, with white grape and oaky vanilla coming to a spicy and absolutely bone dry finish. And, for a lacto-soured beer, the acidity is really rather restrained and refreshing.
Judd Owen
Published March 19, 2021 2021-03-19 00:00:00
