Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Coorinna Saison at 4.8% ABV | 21 IBU (C$8.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 20-Jun-2017, acquired 4-Aug-2017, reviewed 7-Aug-2017)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with three fingers (and growing) of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pepper, white grape must, crackery malt, floral, hay. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild tart, low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively to moderate carbonation, sweetish mildly tart, spicy, and funky finish. (3/5)
Not bad, but a touch too sweet for my preference, though others may disagree. I don’t think I’ve ever had Tasmanian Pepperberries before, so I’m not entirely sure what (beyond the obvious pepper notes) they’re contributing here – if you had told me they used black peppercorns, I might’ve believed it, except for the fact that there’s no building spicy heat in the finish. They also don’t specify what NZ hops are used here, but it might very well be Nelson Sauvin, given the white wine vinous notes. Overall it makes for a pleasant and fruity Saison, albeit one that I find just slightly too sweet. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
