Parallel 49 Apricotopus Sour Apricot Saison Saison at 6.3% ABV (C$4.25 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: cloudy pale straw with a short, short-lived white head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dry yeast, unspecific tart fruit, wheat, mild funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, mild tart. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, brief slightly tart and funky finish. (3/5)
I admit, I went into this with high hopes, mostly because my go-to beer guy loved it. It looks like a saison, and it (largely) smells like a saison, with just a hint of extra sour fruit. But really, minimal sour, and minimal apricot – though it does grow as it warms. (At least, minimal beyond the normal content for the style.) So, when you get right down to it, it’s a saison, with a hint of sour and apricot – which aren’t bad things, by any means, but I was expecting to be blown away. And wasn’t. Not a bad saison, but ultimately not overly interesting – decent, but not great, let’s say. Y’know, I can’t get a handle on this brewery – they blow hot and cold, but not to the point where I won’t try them. Kinda like Phillips, I guess…? (And why, oh why, do all of P49’s labels now say “brewed in collaboration with Parallel 49”, even when they aren’t collabs? Are they collaborating with themselves? I’m pretty sure there’s bible verses against that…) (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
