One of the last remaining bottles I picked up on my San Diego sojourn back in August (story here) was Lost Abbey’s Saison Blanc, one of their annual seasonals. I left that beer for a while for a reason, to be revealed below. Lost Abbey is located just north of San Diego in San Marcos (in Stone’s former brewery space) and is known for its Belgian-inspired beer and extensive oak-aging program.

I finally decided to crack it open recently, in a convulsion of needing to achieve completion. You see, I left Saison Blanc for a few months, despite it only being 5.5%, because I knew that it has Brettanomyces added at packaging, meaning those funky, earthy Brett flavours will build over time and I wanted to give them some space to do their magic. I know I could have waited a couple of years, but I felt I wanted to try the beer when it still had some balance in the flavours.

It pours a deeply hazy light straw and offers a loose white head with large, cascading bubbles. Its appearance is quite effervescent. In the aroma I detect a noted fruitiness, dominated by peach and apricot with some pineapple accent. This fruit is balanced with light pepper and touches of grassy hop in the background. There is a consistent under-current of an earthy aroma, but not over-stated.

The taste begins with soft wheat malt and a fruity accent. I find stone fruit and generic tropicalness. The fruit doesn’t stand on its own long before it is quickly accompanied by some raw earthiness and a musty barn character. At the same time peppery yeast spiciness begins to build mid-palate. The musty, peppery combination creates an intriguing complexity to the beer as it sharpens and rounds at the same time. Because the malt is so delicate, these two more unusual flavours can dance around your palate uninhibited. I also find, almost randomly, that I pick up a grape/apple cider sweetness.

The finish is dry with a building musty, dusty flavour. The linger is a bit sweaty and sharp. The Brett announces its presence, without question, but doesn’t overtake the beer’s other qualities. The result is a saison that seems more complex and deeper than most. It offers a fuller mouthfeel while remaining dry.

The intriguing balance might be the result of my instinctive timing on this beer or of the masterful skill of Lost Abbey’s brewers (I put my money on the latter). They have crafted a truly unique beer here. The Brett means it will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it offers a singularly original drinking experience.