Beer – #735 – Behemoth – Iron Harvest Farmhouse Saison

Behemoth Iron Harvest Farmhouse Saison, doesn’t trip over the tongue that easily does it. Something for a summer evening when the temperatures are edging up and everyone has been out in the sun enjoying themselves, but moving at a leisurely pace.

Dry, fruity, Belgian funk

From the fill station this is 1 litre bottle of a beer that is of 6% ABV, that’s 180 calories a serve size,  and this is 4.73 standard drinks worth in NZ

For Behemoth Brewing Company this one was brewed at The Twisted Hop in the style that is the Saison, and that’s an Auckland, New Zealand, thing.

I’ve been out in the garden working hard for a beer.

Originally the 3rd beer we ever brewed it is back, less alcohol, more motueka hops, dry, refreshing and full of saison character and orangy, limey spicy flavours of the Motueka hops.

Saison means season, indicating a summer beer. The source of inspiration for this unusual beauty is Belgium style Saison. This style is dry and sometimes slightly sour. What a refreshing strong summer ale. This style is often bottle conditioned. Typical in the province of Hainaut Belgium.

So, what could possibly go wrong? Look at the colour! it’s like weak orange juice, it’s more yellow than orange if I’m being accurate.

It has plenty of pent up hiss to escape, and there is a familiar slightly sour aroma.

Rather keenly I used a new glass that might have taken the whole litre, but I saw sense and backed off a bit. Poured with a lovely had of fluff white that looks like it’s going to stick around, and surprising there is no difference in the colour in the bottle or in the glass.

Aroma in the glass is more like a damp grass, old and musty.

The taste, well it’s not over abundant in taste elements, a simple quiet beer, so I’ve got then a simple tasty refreshing beer.

But wait.. there is some hop action and as this develops you get more of that in the lingering aftertaste.

It’s nice, sometimes the simple things are really, and I really am enjoying the way that this kind of unravels itself a little each time, and the taste firms up somewhat.

Surprising for a Saison somewhat then, but it’s a strange style, this one appears to not have a strong spice or herb element (that hop note aside), and the aroma is less pronounced than others I’ve had. Perhaps that’s the Belgian thing rather than the French thing. It’s not a bad thing.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. No difficulty in enjoying a nice cold beverage on a warmer than average day and a lovely summer evening in the garden with the BBQ steak and salads. Nicer still if you have a beer that refreshes you and doesn’t take centre stage over the food. Win-Win.

The double dip review

• Where did I get it? At the fill station of the Liquorland in Forrest Hill
• Am I enjoying it? I am for it’s refreshing quenching quaffability, over the taste.
• Would I have another? It’s nice but there is only so much quenching you need.
• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I might, despite it’s look and initial tasting this is quite a nice drinking beer that would lend itself to being a platform for other beers with stronger tastes.

Music for this : I’ve embraced the Foreign thing, and so I’ve gone for ” Françoise Hardy ”  on Spotify    Hardy is mentioned in a poem by Bob Dylan, “Some other kinds of songs”, which he wrote on the cover of his album Another Side of Bob Dylan, released in 1964. This is not that poem.

SAISON

Fruity esters dominate the aroma. Clarity is good with a large foamy head on top. The addition of several spices and herbs create a complex fruity or citrusy flavor. Light to medium bodied with very high carbonation. Alcohol level is medium to high.