Nadia Kali

This is a fun and well-made fruit beer; I’m just not certain that hibiscus and saison play well together. Having said that, I’d have been happy to drink a full pint of this, particularly on a warm day!

The beer pours an attractive, rust-colored hue with a wispy, bright white head. The aroma reflects the typical Saison fruity complexity (orange, apricot, cherry) but with additional spice notes of clove and white pepper. It’s hard to put a finger on the hibiscus with that much background action, and, in fact, the only thing that jumps out is an interesting beet-like note (which I imagine is what’s left when the other hibiscus flavors are co-opted by the yeast and any spice additions).

The flavor is sweet and fruity with a moderate peppery spice note to balance, along with a crackery malt background. The citrus flavors are pretty intense, to the point that this almost seems like one of those “fruit juice added” beers. The finish is semi-dry, which is consistent with traditional examples (but could definitely benefit from a drier finish).

It’s an interesting take on a popular style, and it gets enough things right to be a good summer beer.