Cervejaria Wäls Tropical Christmas Saison Saison at 7.0% ABV (2014 Advent Calendar #11, 330ml, no bottle date or best before)
Pours clear pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, minimal patchy lacing. (3/5) Nose is yeast, coriander, dark fruit, pithy citrus. (6/10) Taste is moderate sweet, mild bitter, slight pepper. (5/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky and moderate bitter finish. (4/5)
Not a bad saison, but not a great one, either. The dark fruit (raisins, figs) certainly adds a little to the “christmasy-ness” of it, but also detracts from the crispness that I associate with a nice saison. A little muddled and not all that impressive. On the other hand, the high ABV is very well integrated, adding just the faintest hint of booziness when the glass is mostly gone. I’m definitely not unhappy to have seen it in the calendar. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
