A wonderfully labeled and frothy Farmhouse Saison from Bellwoods Brewery
Bellwoods Brewery “Farmaggedon” Farmhouse Saison, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
In the world of wine the subject of Brettannomyces, or “Brett” as it os more commonly referred to, is a point of some contention. Whilst some adore a bit of funk in their wines, others see it as one of the very worst of faults. In beer however it can do some truly wonderful things, and this Farmhouse Saison from Toronto’s Bellwoods is a great example of that.
The Brettanomyces genus was discovered at the Carlsberg brewery in 1914 by a fellow named N. Hjelte Claussen, who was investigating the yeast as a cause of spoilage in the English Ales of the time. Although seen as causing off-aromas in most beer styles, it is this yeast that gives Lambic, gueuze, and saison (or “Farmhouse”) beers their particularly unique aromatic and flavour profiles… Oh, and just to add a little more complexity the buggers at Bellwoods also inoculate with the Brettanomyces Lambicus strain.
Aged for four to six months in used cider barrels from the Spirit Tree Cidery in Caledon, there are a lot of funky cidery elements to this terrific beer. It pours cloudy and golden, and with a huge lacy and frothy head that is really damn persistent, clinging to the sides of the glass until the last mouthful. Behind that delightful horsey schtinkiness there’s an alluring apple, pear, and lemon rind character that is hard to resist, with the hops playing merely a bit part from the wings. Whilst I happen to enjoy the sour and tart elements that are trademarks of the Saison style, I realise that the palate may not be for everyone. Strangely enough, my only complaint about this beer is that it could be a little stinkier than it is, although perhaps Bellwoods in their infinite marketing wisdom realise that to do so may frighten the horses… not everyone’s palate is quite as perverse as mine.
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And yes, this is the second Try This beer from Bellwoods Brewery, but it is just around the corner from his house.
