922. Perennial – Prism Saison with Amarillo & Wakatu

Posted By kkozlen on Dec 31, 2018 | 0 comments

It’s New Year’s Eve and I just got back from the local BBQ place where we had a Mizzou alumni gathering to watch the Tigers come back to barely lose at the end. So after having a couple Sam Adams there, it was time for another beer. I’m enjoying this one and working on the computer while Ryan Seacrest hosts the party in New York. This beer was given to me by my sister a couple months ago. The beer says it was canned on 5/1/2018, so it’s been around a few months. The can says, “Prism is a new, ongoing series we created to reflect classic and experimental hop varietals through the form of dry-hopped saison. Three times a year we’ll release cans and draft of a new Prism using a simple grist and a blend of saison yeast strains to create a platform for showcasing a la different combination of hops.”

Location: Poured from the 16oz can into a snifter pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 6.2% ABV, ~200 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s a very pale yellow color and it’s also very hazy with a huge fluffy, pillowy head on it. The aroma is a lemony-citrus and grassy hop mix.

Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth with a little bit of creaminess from the head and a little bit of oiliness from the hops. The flavor up front is lightly lemony with a dose of saison spiciness and a hint of malty breadiness behind it. The middle is a bit richer with a little more maltiness and there’s a little bit of papaya-like hop flavor along with the lemon-citrus flavors. The hop flavors follow through into the finish with a little more bitterness, and it’s joined with a little bit more saison spiciness. It’s the lemony flavors and spiciness that last briefly in the finish.

Food Pairing: With all of the lemon and citrus flavors, I think this would probably pair best with a fish dish or maybe a pork loin.

Overall Impression: I will admit that saisons aren’t necessarily my favorite style because of the saison spiciness, but I enjoyed the bright drinkability of this one. The hops brought a bright, refreshing citrusy flavor that had a little bit of depth in the middle. This is definitely a hot weather beer and should be enjoyed during the summer. Overall, it was a good beer that definitely shows off the citrusy flavors in the hops and the spiciness of the saison yeast.

My Rating: