Steamworks Brewing Company / Blasted Church Sanctuary Saison at 7.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$6.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Feb-2018, reviewed 26-Feb-2018)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim and ring, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: white grape must, floral, crackery malt, peppercorn. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, dry mild tart finish. (4/5)
Oh, that’s all right! Lots of grapey goodness on the front end – and not just any grape, either, but probably my favourite German varietal, Gewürztraminer. (Yeah, fine, it’s a training wheels grape, piss off, I’m a beer nerd, not a oenophile.) This is completely out of left field for Steamworks, who in my experience thus far have excelled at IPAs… and not much else. I mean, seriously, if you rank them, there’s three or four IPAs at 7/10 or above, then it drops to 6.5/10 or less with the pilsener, fruit beer, and “white stout”. But this is actually a very well-behaved, even-tempered and easy-drinking Saison. And really very reasonably priced! (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
2 replies on “Steamworks Brewing Company / Blasted Church Sanctuary – Saison at 7.5% ABV”
Are you kidding me ?! You don’t like the Steamworks Pilsner ? It’s damn near one of the best damn lagers I have ever had and I’ve had a lot. They absolutely nailed their pilsner. I seek out every pilsner I can find as it’s my preferred style and I’ve only had one better; Moon Under Water Potts Pils. I’m not a huge fan of a lot of Steamworks beers either but I had to say something when I read that about their Pilsner. Take it back.
To each their own, of course. That being said, you caught an error in my spreadsheet – my “best by brewer” filter told me I had it at a 5/10, but when I went back and checked my notes, it should have been a 6.5/10. I’ve adjusted my comments and my spreadsheet, thanks!