It’s still not been a year since I visited Four Winds ahead of their June opening and head brewer Brent Mills gave me a first sample of his beer straight from the conditioning tank. It was uncarbonated but delicious, and gave me an inkling that Four Winds were on to a winner. When I tried the finished version around a month later at the Vancouver Craft Beer Week beer festival, I knew they had a winner.
It’s been something of a game-changer beer as well. Although Driftwood has been producing its Farmhand saison for years, Four Winds’ take on the style seems to have moved it more into the mainstream. That said, it’s also kept the beer geeks very happy, providing the base for two limited releases: the Wildflower Saison (excellent) and Saison Brett (incredible). Pitched as accessible, yet aiming to satisfy the connoisseurs, this saison is very much Four Winds’ core brew.
As such, it’s no slouch. It pours a clear, slightly orangey gold with a bright white, frizzy rich head.
On the nose are huge grass, hay, floral and peppery clove aromas topped by some sweet, slightly citrus orange-lemon bubblegum notes and a sea-salty mineral dryness at the back.
Juicy orange and lemon notes are the first to wrap around the tongue. They’re backed by a bitterness that introduces floral notes of grass and clove. A little peppery spice features in the crisp finish, before a parching mineral dryness appears in the aftertaste alongside lightly spiced herbs and bitter orange. It’s weighty and full-flavoured for a saison, but stays on the right side of sharp.
Food pairing: Everything except for dessert dishes. Try a cheese board instead. In fact, try a classic croque-monsieur sandwich.
Beer Cat: Interested
4 x 330 ml, from around $9.50 at private liquor stores
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