Review: Spectrum Shampagne Saison


There's a serious lack of Saisons in Manitoba to the point that I think the last time I had a Saison was from a Unibroue taster pack back last summer. So, when I saw this saison, I knew I had to buy it. Today I'm checking out Shampagne Saison by Vancouver's Spectrum Beer Company.

Shampagne Saison is described as "bright and effervescent,  featuring notes of apple, white grape and pear, with a crisp and dry finish. It's basically sparkling wine in beer form!"

Appearance: Pours a cloudy lemon yellow with a very hefty amount of snow white head on top of the beer. The head only starts to decline once I'm done taking photos of the beer, leaving behind a thick amount of lacing on the side of the glass, and a moderate amount of foam on top of the beer. The body has a bit of carbonation and a light amount of sediment floating around.

Aroma: The first thing I got from this beer was a liberal dry hopped aroma with a hefty dosage of grassy and piney hops to it. Following that, I get a moderate Champagne-y aroma to it that gives off a sharp sourness to it, a hint of soap and a hint of lemon.

Taste: Quite dry but not as sour as I experienced in the aroma. The beer is decently carbonated for mouthfeel, gives off a bit of a Champagne-like sourness with your typical American Farmhouse kind of vibe to it. It's moderately sweet, decently hopped with a bit of a grassiness and pine to it, and has a hint of soapiness to it. Not much more to say about the beer, moderately sour, dry, and a bit Champagne-y.

Overall Thoughts: Not a bad Saison, I prefer the Belgian bubble gummy Saisons more over the funky/sour Saisons that are popular now days but I think this has a bit of both to it (aside from bubble gum). Easy to drink, dry and good for a day like today. 5.5% ABV

No comments: