Monday, January 4, 2010

Tis The Saison



Recently while I was home for the Holidays I visited one of my Boston favorites; Boston Beer Works. I go to Beer Works for one of my favorite beers, their Blueberry Beer that is packed with fresh blueberries that dance in the glass. However, this trip I also tried something new, a seasonal beer they call Saison Nouveau. Saison Nouveau is an unfiltered Saison-style ale slightly orange in color with a mild spice. It was deliciously crisp with a light sweet citrus kick, spice and floral (chamomile) on the nose. Now, you may be asking what is a Saison-style ale?

"Saison" is the French word for season and these low alcohol ales were traditionally brewed in the Fall or Winter seasons and meant to refresh farmworkers. They were brewed in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium. Saisons have been described as an endangered style, though there has been a rise in interest of this style over the past few years which I hope continues.

Cheers to Beer Works for this ale and do yourself a favor if you're in the area and grab yourself a pint of Saison Nouveau!
http://www.beerworks.net/home/index.html