From Toronto, Godspeed Brewery’s Smoked Saison is a low-alcohol member of their “Pitch & Pray Series”. At just 4.2% alcohol, the beer has a sessionable weight; however, a pungent woodsy and yeasty aroma suggests that this little ale won’t be all that sessionable.
Godspeed’s
Smoked Saison comes in 355mL tins. It is a crystal clear brew with a
short-lived halo of white head and a pretty fair amount of carbonation.
It has a lively but brittle mouthfeel that accompanies a flavour built
around Belgian-style yeast. I’m not sure when and how the beer was
introduced to smoke—it definitely has a faint tang of carbon, but it is
mild and only really evident in the nose and at the finish.
I
should confess a sin—this beer sat forgotten in my fridge for far
longer than it should have. I think maybe the spare and small silver can
made it easy to overlook. However it happened, the beer wasn’t as fresh
as it ought to have been when I finally cracked it. It’s a testament to
the brew that I still found it to be engaging and enjoyable a few
months past its brew date. The beer is thin, but it manages some
finespun dignity with its subtle smokey twist.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
