Name: Saison
Brewer: Curriculum Brewing (Philippines)
Style: Fruit and Spice Beer (Base Style: Saison)
ABV: 7.4%
Review Year: 2021
One of the latest beers from Jeff Phillips of Curriculum Brewing is a Saison brewed with mango and Habanero peppers.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Fruit and Spice Beer (29B) with the Saison (25B) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Clear pale gold with a medium-sized white head. Moderately high fruity (mango) and spicy (clove) aromas initially surfaced and were followed by low bready and lychee qualities. Light-medium-bodied, moderately high carbonation. Coriander was the most dominant flavor at a fairly high level. Medium capsaicin heat, green pepper, and subtle ripe mango flavors were noted secondarily. Despite the juicy flavor imparted by the mango, this Saison had low residual sweetness, while bitterness was moderate. The aftertaste lingered long with capsaicin heat, green pepper, and slight bitterness.
THE VERDICT
Jeff’s brew is a very interesting take on a Saison brewed with fruit and spice. The interplay between the mango and habanero peppers worked well without making this farmhouse ale too fruity or too spicy. The spicy quality of the style is typically peppery rather than clove-like. However, its presence, as perceived, was still in harmony with the overall theme of the beer. This, to us, tasted crucially like a Saison and not a Weissbier (10A).
This Saison is dry, which, in our opinion, is essential for the style. While this is a refreshing drink, we think this is not for everyone. If you do not like the heat, best to skip this. Overall, very good.
Related Reviews:
Curriculum Brewing
Beers From the Philippines
View this post on Instagram
