I was ‘gifted’ a lot longer to develop my base beer recipes than most breweries have been open in this country. One that constantly eluded me was this beer. I worked on one thing at a time until this was perfect. What I wanted was a beer that was lightly tart, dry, with a combination of subtle grain and fermentation derived characteristics. It had to age well, without getting too funky, and also suit a wide range of secondary processes. The ABV had to be as low as I could get away with, while still having enough body to carry all the flavours I wanted to potentially pack into it.

I wasn’t asking much.

30 trials spanning nearly 5 years later, I almost had it. A few more tweaks to the water and a splash of Rye later, it was time. 

To say this drove me mad, could be an understatement. I’m still not convinced that this version is the final form. 

This is our base saison that utilises Australian grains, American and Czech hops, Belgian saison yeast and our own blend of bacteria.

A fairly classic grain bill, it features some citrus forward hops from the US, complemented with the spicier Czech Saaz. When young the acidity from the Lactobacillus interplays with the hop flavours to create a refreshing citrus forward beer. When given time, the Brettanomyces converts the citrus compounds into flavour and aroma compounds more reminiscent of tropical fruit and peaches.

This beer is dry hopped with Cascade and Saaz for aroma and foam stability.

Grain Bill: Barley, Wheat, Oats, Rye
Hops: Centennial, Cascade, Saaz
Yeast: Saison
Bacteria: Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus
Secondary: French Oak Puncheon