Sampled: Dec. 9, 2011
New Belgium surprised the Grand Cru staff with Prickly Passion Saison, a late-season
farmhouse ale spiked with prickly pear and passion fruit juices.
The name hearkens to
a male house cat’s (ahem) anatomical features for mating. But it is soon forgotten as the flavor takes over. New Belgium pours an effective New
World saison with some Old World yeast to help it along.
Lots of perfume erupts
from Prickly Passion. The zesty, estery French saison yeast amplifies the pear
juice and passion fruit on the nose. Guarded by a creamy lace, its effervescent
livens up the burnt orange body. The orange notes have enough rough edges to
avoid saison complacency. With every pass, it remains mysterious.
On the
finish, a crisp saison spice twists into the creaminess Herbs and black pepper headline,
with peaches, lemongrass and the prickly pears receiving extended cameos.
I
could have used a little bottle conditioning to really rough up Prickly
Passion, but that would not fit most Lips of Faith beers. Not a traditional
saison, Prickly Passion breaks a fair amount of new ground. Saison fans should find
it a welcoming brew, as should anyone beholden to the livewire yeasts of France
and Belgium.
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