Saison beers are not a style you usually find in South Africa. Even for me, it is still something relatively new, novel, and one you rarely see even at places that sell a wide variety of beers.
But this beer is such a good fine, one that defies the borders a bit in terms of what it provides.
As I understand it, the beer is usually low in alcohol and very carbonated, and fruity.
This particular beer was moderately carbonated and relatively high in alcohol, 5.3% ABV. But wow, what a punch in the gut with flavour. They used Citra hops, known for its citrusy and pine flavour and smell.
When I opened the beer, the familiar smell hit my nose. So many breweries in the region are currently using Citra hops, but I am not one to complain as I love it.
I paired this beer with some smoke, in the background you can see the fire going. In my country, we usually light the fire, cooking our food over warm coals. This gives the food an incredibly smokey flavour.
The smoke coming from the burning wood, rather interestingly, complimented the beer really well. The citrus and freshness of the beer with the heavy smoke in the background, it just worked for me.
I usually cannot light the fire without a beer. It has become a ritual of kind for me. I always crack open a cold beer when I light the fire, staring into the flames. There is something magical about the moment, a spiritual moment I always celebrate by drinking a beer. The wood grew so slowly, turning into a magical tree. And now it is cut down for us to cook our food. It is truly a magical moment I always celebrate with a beer.
The beer poured hazy with some yeast sediment at the bottom. I love unfiltered beers, and I love cloudy beers. This reminded me of so many IPAs I have been drinking the last couple of weeks. But this beer was so fresh, so clean, and not heavy at all (like the IPAs).
I shared this beer with my girlfriend, a roaring fire, some delicious food and snacks, and the magical moment of realising how short life is, and that we need to live every moment. The taste of this beer blew my mind away, I think it is a new edition to their ever-growing list of different beers.
Like life itself, the fresh and lightness/citrussy flavour of this beer made me smile. It is good to be alive. I watched the flames dance while I sipped my beer. I thanked the brewers, even though I would never meet them, for they produced something truly special. For the love of beer.
I hope that you can also crack open a cold one, one that will make you think about the incredible beauty of small and insignificant things.
For now, happy drinking, and keep well.
All of the writings in the post are my own, albeit inspired by the beer. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.