Banded Peak Brewery Chinook Saison Saison at 4.5% ABV | 25 IBU (C$3.60 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Jun-2018, acquired 11-Sep-2018, reviewed 19-Sep-2018)
Appearance: clear bright straw with one finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grainy pale malt, earth, stone and pome fruit, hint of white pepper. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, light tart. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, dry short duration lightly tart and spicy finish. (4/5)
This is a pretty solidly-done Saison, that hits every characteristic of the style: light body, lively carbonation, slightly funky, and refreshing, with a low ABV. The aroma and flavour are pleasantly complex, though the particular set of characteristics might not be to everybody’s liking. My biggest disappointment overall is that there isn’t more Chinook character. I’m not sure why I gave this a much lower score the first time I tried it, two years ago at the Alberta Craft Beer Charity Festival, but I’m definitely correcting that now. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
