Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Exit Brewing Saison
Having made many treks to Belgium, I harbour a spot not only for the delicious local chocolate but also Belgian beer and while it is difficult to make generalizations due to individuality of their thirteens beer variants, there is something to them that makes them distinctively “Belgian”, i.e. a sublime melange of balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness, which culminates in fruity, spicy, floral, at times savoury and herbal aromas. A melange that is harmoniously calibrated.
Having convinced with its IPA expression and demonstrated that they are adept at channelling their alchemy of brewing expertly across a range of styles, it is needless to say that I was eager to experience what Exit Brewing has in store when it comes to tackling what is rooted in their appreciation of the emissions of Frase and Grum.
Exit Brewing’s homage to the artisanal craft of Belgian beer brewing manifests in their Saison variant. Safe to say that it is a deliberate sidestep from their exquisite core range, the Saison is not merely a replica or lacklustre interpretation of what an Australian version of a Belgian beer could be like, but takes the aforementioned traditional traits and infused it with the Exit Brewing DNA, which in this case also includes New World Hops and specifically Sorachi Ace.
Sorachi Ace is a Japanese hop variant that rounds out the flavour profile by adding nuances of lemon, lime and honey that not only serve as a counterpoint but complement and makes the citrus forward yeast character less dominant.
An elongated finish culminates in spicy notes just in the right measure to flirt with the underlying sweetness one you be expecting from a Belgian style brew.
Clocking in at 6.2% alcohol by volume, Exit Brewing’s Saison proves to be an exercise par excellence in honouring traditional brewing methods and taking them to the next level without traversing into novelty territory.
Cannot wait to sample Exit’s elusive DIPA...
