Canis Rouge Blood Orange Sahti

Granite Falls’ Canis Rouge is being evaluated as a Sahti (2015 BJCP Category 27) with an addition of fruit. Although it could also be evaluated as a speciality fruit beer (2015 BJCP Category 29C) based on the fact that it’s a historical style which contains an intriguing process for the production of the beer.

Canis Rouge opens with moderately intense juniper and restrained blood orange carried up to the nose by stinging carbonation. A reserved amount of caramel is both present and persistant. However, the expected banana and clove aromas from bread yeast fermentation of a typical Sahti are absent. But like a dunkles weissbier, this sahti is hazy, deep amber in color, and pours with a substantial, creamy head.

A complex flavor profile is what you’ll find in this beer. Dominating juniper that comes across as piney, resiny, and herbaceous is supported by sticky-sweet caramel. There’s plenty of acidity as well and when combined with a lingering pithy character from the blood oranges the beer ends up finishing sufficiently dry. Fermentation character leaves one wanting for more.

While Canis Rouge doesn’t hit the banana and clove attributes that help to define the Sahti style it none-the- less is a quality offering for a darker wheat with plenty of character and quaffability to boot.