Saisons are one of the two beers I have generally avoided since getting into the craft beer world. Lagers, I have cast out of my sphere of beer drinkitude due to the fact that their reputation has been forever tainted by countless Big Four dishwater excretions. A more personal reason is behind the saison’s pariah status in my beer parish, however, as I once drank one that gave me such a terrible case of heartburn I could hardly walk. Since then I’ve been wary of saisons, lambics, basically any beer that comes with a cork, to the point of it becoming an allergy.
This Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison came in a Northern Prefectures set courtesy of my esteemed colleague Mr Bright (you’ll get your money). I think it was the last bottle I drank of the set – sitting there, inviting, daring me to try it. On the day I took the plunge I think I got some Pavlovian acid reflux before I even picked up the opener.
Sigh. Belch. Zantac within arms’ reach? Okay, here we go.
Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison Aroma and Taste
Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison has a medium amount of head on this one, and a cloudy pour that clears up after a minute. If you don’t know about saisons, there’s a significant amount of sediment in the bottle which should be avoided. Store the bottle upright or if it’s been horizontal, stand it up for an hour before drinking to let it settle, and don’t drink the bottom half-inch of the bottle.
The nose on the Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison is fruity, I’m getting banana, melon, and some spices in there. The taste is light, refreshing and interesting! There’s a lot going on here. It’s fruity too, like the nose. I feel as if I’ve been missing out on a whole aspect of flavour in beer by avoiding saisons. I might have to have one every now and again to recalibrate my taste buds after drinking too many “Hop Motherfucker” IPAs and quadruple-thick imperial stouts.
Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison One-Line Review
I’m wary of saisons, and I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison. Try it! If you’re susceptible to heartburn like me, though, I wouldn’t recommend drinking more than a couple of these in a sitting.
Where to Buy Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison
Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison can be bought online at Sakaya Okadaya here, or at Goodbeer.jp here
Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison Second Opinion
I tried Shiga Kogen Indian Summer Saison myself on tap at Craftheads and I found it to be like a typical saison. If you like them, then you’ll be happy with this effort. I thought it was a good introduction to saisons and it is not going to be too potent for newcomers.
