St. Feuillien Saison

I was having a conversation with one of my regulars about the delicious world of Belgian beers when he told me about Lucky Baldwin's Belgian Beer Festival. Once he said that they had over 80 different Belgian brews on tap, I was sold--I simply had to go. Lucky Baldwin's is a British pub in Pasadena that has hosted an annual Belgian Beer Festival for the past decade. This beer festival was a bit different than others I have attended previously in that it was hosted by a bar and specialized around Belgian brews. They had a fine selection that would make any beer lover's mouth water and did an excellent job of showcasing Belgium's finest exports. If I had the time and a designated driver, I would have loved to try all 80, but I decided to start the night off with something I knew and loved, but can never get ahold of: St. Feuillien's Saison.

St. Feuillien Saison

Appearance: Cloudy, hay-colored and unfiltered with an orange hue with light white head that left decent lacing on the glass

Aroma: Very subtle, light, yeasty and inviting with notes of fruit (apple and citrus) and honey

Taste: Crisp, sweet delicious and refreshing. Well balanced with sweet yeasty malts at the beginning, hints of apple with a little zip of citrus hops to round it out

I thought this beer was an excellent candidate for my review of Lucky Baldwin's Belgian Beer Festival because the saison style originated in the French-speaking region of Wallonia, Belgium. {"Saison" is the French word for season, because this style of beer was originally brewed in the winter, to refresh farmers during the sweltering summer harvests. (Information taken from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/saison)} I first tried St. Feuillien's Saison at the Big 100 Beer Tasting in November, fell in love with it, and have not been able to find it anywhere out here, so the fact that Lucky Baldwin's had it on tap speaks volumes about the quality of their beer selection. The saison style was designed to be enjoyed during the summer months, but this approachable brew could easily be enjoyed year-round (if you can find it!). I highly recommend pairing this with lighter cuisine like a cheese and fruit plate--the flavors are especially complimented by Bosch pears and Manchego cheese. I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys Belgian beers, the saison style or anyone with adventurous palate to try St. Feuillien's Saison. Cheers!

Alaskan Brewing Company's Winter Ale

It was pure chance that introduced me to this beer. I was in search of the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale for a winter beer tasting, and could not find it amid the glorious selection at one of my favorite liquor stores. A woman next to me was looking for this "absolutely incredible" beer--the Alaskan Winter Ale. To make a long story short, I ended up finding her Alaskan Winter Ale at the same time she found my 6 pack of the Celebration Ale, so we decided we simply had to share the wealth and traded a few beers out of each 6 pack. I was intrigued at first sip, and the Alaskan Winter Ale quickly became one of my favorite winter brews.

Alaskan Brewing Company's Winter Ale

The Alaskan Winter Ale is a seasonal English Olde Ale that's brewed with real spruce tips, hailing from Juneau, Alaska. According to the Alaskan Brewing Company's website, brewing beer with spruce tips is an old Alaskan tradition. Captain Cook added spruce tips to his beer during his adventures through the Northwest Passage, not only to add a unique flavor, but also to prevent scurvy. (source: http://www.alaskanbeer.com/winter-ale.html)

Appearance: Deep copper/amber hue with two fingers of thick white head that disappeared after a few sips and left good amounts of lace on the glass

Aroma: Fresh and inviting with a malty sweetness that gives way to hints of hops

Taste: Incredibly smooth and refreshing--it has a well balanced, malty start with a citrusy hoppy bite in the middle, rounded out by a sweet, smooth and almost minty finish

Alcohol: 6.4%

Seeing as how I traded beers with a total stranger at a liquor store, I had no idea what to expect when approaching this beer, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a heavier dose of hops from a winter ale, but in this case I feel like the crisp, refreshing feeling you get from a sip coincides nicely with the brisk winter atmosphere. It's like opening the door of a stuffy apartment and taking in that first breath of fresh, clean and cold mountain air. The most remarkable thing about this ale is definitely the fact that it is brewed with spruce tips. I joke that they brew it with Alaskan snow because it is so invigorating, and I wasn't that far off. Their website boasts that they use water from the Juneau Ice Field, so when you drink this, you are truly getting a taste of Alaska. So the next time you are hiking the Alaskan mountainscape or just sipping your way through the holidays like the rest of us, try the Alaskan Winter Ale. I recommend this beer as a welcome respite from the dark, heavy and hoppy winter ales because it has just enough hops to take the chill off your bones, but is crisp and sweet enough to remind you that spring is around the corner.