Four Seasons Spring '17

This Spring Collaboration Ale by Mother Earth Brewing & The Bruery is being evaluated as a Fruit Beer (Category 29A) from the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.

This beer is marketed as a dry hopped saison brewed with kumquats, and it delivers with a solid representation of the base beer combined with a well-integrated character from the kumquats. It pours a light gold color with near brilliant clarity, and a creamy white head that lasts throughout. The aroma greets the drinker with a moderate black pepper phenol quickly followed by a light orange citrus character. A moderate and slight rich bready maltiness and crackers seasoned with black pepper emerge closely behind. The flavor follows aroma with a bump up in orange character and slight reduction in the black pepper, with a bready, crackery maltiness keeping pace. A moderate hop bitterness emerges mid-palate and lingers through light residual sweetness to help create a pleasant dryness in the finish.  This is a very pleasant beer with a fairly even balance between all of the components, with the kumquats kicking out an enjoyable citrus character. This beer may be promoted as a spring ale but can certainly be enjoyed year-round.