Happy February! Last month’s Saison was refreshing, wasn’t it? Here at PlumpJack we love IPAs, yet once in a while, we have a beer that’s not overpowered with hops and ask ourselves, “Why don’t we drink more of this?” So this month we’re extending our Saison craving with a family-owned and operated craft brewery (or brasserie) in Belgium, La Brasserie de Blaugies. Pierre and Marie Carlier began brewing in 1988 and heavily focused on producing yeast-driven beers, particularly Farmhouse ales - or Saison as we prefer to call them. All of the beers brewed at La Brasserie de Blaugies are unfiltered and re-fermented in the bottles themselves, a process known as bottle conditioning. Today, most commercial breweries carbonate their beers prior to bottling by injecting carbon dioxide into the fermentation vessels under controlled pressure. At Blaugies, they bottle beer that contains little to no carbon dioxide, add priming sugars for the yeast to ferment, and allow the resultant carbon dioxide to dissolve into the beer and naturally carbonate it. Bottle conditioning can result in a beer with a silkier texture, more foam retention, more complex flavors and a longer shelf life. (Until the Middle Ages, almost all beer was consumed flat - can you imagine?) Included in this selection are four elegant crafted (carbonated) beers that showcase La Brasserie de Blaugies’ brewing expertise for you to enjoy.
Cheers!
Brendon
Beer & Spirits Enthusiast
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Saison d’Epeautre |
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Location: Belgium |
Very dry and light in body, the carbonation is reminiscent of Champagne. Aromas range from yeasty and spicy to musty and bready yet refreshing. |
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Beer style: Farmhouse Ale/Saison |
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Grain: Spent and Barley malt |
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Serving Temp: 38-55F
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La Vermontoise (in collaboration with Hill Farmstead) |
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Location: Belgium |
Pleasant aromas of lemon and stone fruit. On the palate, peppery and dry with a modest bitterness. |
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Beer style: Spelt Saison |
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Hops: Amarillo Grain: Spelt malt |
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Serving Temp: 38-55F
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La Moneuse |
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Location: Belgium |
A stronger Saison in ABV, this beer is again dry with a faint tartness, funky yeast esters and apricot notes. The alcohol is hidden extremely well. Dangerous! |
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Beer style: Farmhouse Ale/Saison |
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Hops: N/A |
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Serving Temp: 38-55F
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Darbyste |
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Location: Belgium |
Brewed with fig juice, this beer seems to have the most going on out of the four. Pear, apple, ripe stone fruit and citrus. Definitely more sweetness in comparison to the other beers but not overwhelmingly so. Finishes with a tart, yeasty flavor. |
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Beer style: Farmhouse Ale/ Saison w/ fig juice |
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Hops: N/A |
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Serving Temp: 38-55F
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