Natural Selections 6-Pack, Volume 2--Four Winds Saison

Four Winds Brewery is located in Delta, British Columbia. I recently had a 330mL bottle of their Saison. The label has some undeniable old world charm and the beer contains 6.5% alcohol. Notably, there is also a fiesty 30 IBUs. F.W.S. is an incredibly heady, deep gold saison. In fact, it's a bit more golden and less yellow than I anticipated. Happily carbonated and hazy, one must pour this beer prudently.

A yeasty aroma is waist deep in fruity notes, with tart orange on top and banana in a close second. The flavour is tart, yeasty, and has unusual hop depth for a saison. This curious hop action inhabits a dry finish and, combined with the yeastiness, gives this beer a funky feel. At first, I found it enjoyable, but by the halfway point of my pint it had begun to lose some appeal.

This saison has a big flavour and tastes decidedly more "Belgian" than many of the other Canadian saisons that are popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm recently. If you offered me a hopped up saison, I'd jump at it, but I'm not totally wild about the way that this one was hopped.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.