Gigantic Brewing Company The City Never Sleeps (#2) Imperial Dark Saison at 7.6% ABV (C$10.19 at Oak & Vine, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 26-Apr-2017, reviewed 30-Jul-2017)
Appearance: near opaque black with no hint of relief, one fat finger of rocky beige head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: coffee, dark chocolate, liquorice, coriander, white pepper, hint of banana. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly watery, lively to moderate carbonation, drying lightly tart and astringent finish. (3/5)
Seriously, the confluence of “Imperial”, “Dark”, and “Saison” are enough to make my eye twitch, just on general principles. And no, not the first time I’ve had the style. However, this is pretty decent. Not the kind of thirst-quencher the base style originated as, obviously, and actually kind of hard to distinguish from a Black IPA, but decent overall. My biggest beef, other than the stylistic mishmash this represents, is the way the finish turns just slightly astringent and watery. However, this is only a slight tendency, and doesn’t ruin the beer. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
