The base beer is our mixed culture fermentation saison (our saison maison, if you will). Our mixed culture contains two or three (depending on who is counting) strains of commercial saison yeast, along with various wild and commercial yeast and bacteria (we have isolated brettanomycs strains from our barrels, we have grown up wild yeast collected from local fruit, we have blended in dregs from bottles of mixed fermentation beers that we have enjoyed, and we have added commerically available brettanomyces strains, 3 lactobacillus strains, and also pediococcus). This beer undergoes a long secondary fermentation / conditioning phase as the wild yeast and bacteria start to make themselves felt once the initial fermentation with the saison strains has run its course.
This initially evolves into something fresh, tart, lively, citric. It has a dry dry finish, a spritz of lively carbonation, the distinctive spiciness of the saison yeast, and lemon, touch of grass and herbs, cleansing hint of a sour tang. Wheat helps with these flavours. Gentle German hops play a small supporting role. As the beer ages, the brettanomyces add their layers to formula, more spices and fruits, and leather and horse blanket.
This beer has gone into a stainless tank on fresh, whole Damsons from Bentinck Farm, Kent, for 5 months, at about 300g of fruit per litre. We can make but one batch a year of this, as that’s how often the fruit gets harvested. First up is fruit – aroma of the damsons- warm cherry pie and autumnal spices. It smells intensely of the fruit, but with also the cherry stone playing a large role giving Christmassy spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Fruit hits first upon tasting, but the damsons accentuate the acidity already inherent in the beer, and you’re pulled away from the fruit, becoming an altogether different experience. This is accentuated further with the astringency picked up off the tannins from the skins. Then all is dusted on top with those spices from the stone – flavour folowing through on what was in the nose. All the while enveloping with the halo and the aura of the fruit. Aromatically intensely fruit. It tastes of fruit. But leave any thoughts of sweetness behind. The sour puckers. The tannins dry. The fruit comforts.