Sure many of us might like to forget 2020 but there were some positives tucked into the year too. Aside from the local craft beer industry’s resilience, the year was also responsible for many excellent beers and some personal favourites were Stomping Ground’s Into The ‘Wood series, which explores beer’s wilder and oakier side. While the series isn’t going anywhere, the March 2021 release of Barrel Aged Cherry Brett Saison does represent a turning of the page with it being the last from 2020. It's also likely the wildest of them too, with the combination of saison yeast and Brettanomyces and a time spent aging on Victorian cherries, provide a complex mix of characteristics.
With a striking red appearance, Brett saison is heavy on the funk with some really quite abrasive notes of leather, blanket and banyard and an incredibly intense tannic quality. After a few sips and you’re olfactory senses adjust (okay, it might take more than a few sips), rich, sweet and sour all blend together while the cherry flavour comes to the front and is joined by almond. Farewell 2020; at least one part of you will be missed.
Published March 23, 2021 2021-03-23 00:00:00
