Beer: Cassis Bleuet
Brewer: Le Castor
Wild Saison, aged in oak barrels, 6.8%
Bought it because, well, the only review I have done for this brewery wasn’t very positive, and I wanted to give them another chance, since they are our best seller (or one of them anyways). I did try their Session Houblon, which I liked a lot, but I disliked their famed Yakima IPA. Sooo… Let’s see what this very limited edition seasonal brew has to offer.
The poor lighting in my kitchen doesn’t to this beer’s colour justice. It really is quite pretty. It’s like orange with hints of purple. I don’t understand how it can be both at the same time, but there it is. There was no foaming at all when I poured it out, only the hint of a few bubbles, much like when you pour out ginger ale.
It smells lovely. Definitely sweet and fruity, but I also smell a slight sourness. Someone who recommended this to me mentioned it wasn’t a “fruity beer”, and to expect some tartness. So okay, definitely smell that. The label doesn’t describe any other fancy fruit other that what is included in the name, so I guess I’ll stop trying to identity any hahaha!
Ok yeah, interesting. It is a bit on the sour side, but only lightly, so I don’t mind it so much. I don’t generally go for sour. The blackcurrant is dominating my taste-buds right now, I’m trying to find the wild blueberries. Oh! Ok I was about to give up, but I think I taste it lingering behind after the rest fades a bit. Like, in the after-taste. Definitely tart, over all, but it’s alright.
My first thought, honestly, is that it would make a great salad dressing hahaha! This is definitely a popular choice so far though. We’ve had one box of 12 in the shop since Wednesday, and it’s already almost gone. People come in looking for it. I had originally ordered 2, anticipation the demand, but sadly only received one. Apparently there was an issue with their second batch, and suddenly this limited beer became super exclusive!
So if you see it and enjoy fruity wild saisons, my advice is not to wait. Get it now, because you may not get the chance again this year.
Comfortable percentage, but not on an empty stomach 😉 6.8 % can sneak up on you. Price matches the ‘specialness’ of this brew, but I’ve seen worse for lesser beers. I like it well enough, but not my first choice if given the opportunity again.
EDIT: As the beer warmed a little, I found I could appreciate the flavours better.
***
All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)
