This was the beer in which I realized that 2011 was my Year of the Spicy Beer. SAISON POIVRE is a saison brewed with peppercorns (aka something I’ve never heard of in a beer) that clocks in with an unknown ABV.
I once again couldn’t find any info about this beer on Elysian’s website.
Saison Poivre pours a light caramel with gold highlights. Head starts at 1/4 inch of foam, but it fades before too long. No noticeable sediment or bubbles are present, but lacing is mild with tendrils that sneak up out of the brew.
The nose on this beer is definitely spicy! Pepper dominates the nose; I detected black pepper and what could only be the peppercorn.
This is where this beer completely won me over. The taste is spicy, but not too spicy. Pepper floods the forefront before sliding off into the a light wheat sweetness. The malts of this beer keep the spices in the check (I’m guessing pale and caramel malts). Delicious.
Mouthfeel is light, but burny (it’s a technical term). The pepper is noticeable and makes you remember it all the way down. A bit of drying is present due to the heavy amount of spice in this beer, but nothing that I would consider a deal breaker.
This was a good beer. Adding peppercorn to a saison was a fantastic idea and it added an extra kick to what is already a spicy style. Saison Poivre was well put together and didn’t lean too far this way or that.
Overall: 8 out of 10
As a SAISON: 8.5 out of 10
FOR FANS OF: Cigar City GUAVA GROVE SAISON, Anacortes PEPPERCORN SAISON, Great Lakes PANTALON PEPPERCORN SAISON
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