The second edition in 7th Day Brewing’s occasionally blasphemous Making Waves series is the Sinner Belgian Blonde. Apparently, the can art by @biffybretano lines up with a future Saint release so perhaps this will be one of those instances where you should hold onto your empty tin for reasons other than hoarding.
Inside the tin is that timeless classic: a Belgian blonde ale that pours the colour of an old copper mash tun. On the nose the smell is sweet, funky and farmhouse-y, with maybe even a little Christmas ham in there. The first sip caught me so severely off guard, however. Evidently, I forgot this was packing 6.7 percent ABV, making it something of a sipper. It packs the sweet intensity of dried fruits steeped in brandy but also the gentle touch of fluffy vanilla wedding cake with Chantilly cream.
Sinner is an appropriate name for the beer too: it wants to be your friend but keeps testing your friendship to see if you’ll stay. And, of course, you will, not least as it feels like 7th Day have effectively opened up their own Flemish embassy in the Northern Beaches.
Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Published April 15, 2022 2022-04-15 00:00:00
