Mother's Brewing Company Blood Orange Saison
What the brewers say
“With all the fruity esters and spice from our Belgian saison yeast, the mild sweetness from crystal malts, and the mildly sweet, spicy, and citrusy kick of fresh blood oranges, this beer strikes a perfect balance between full flavor and drinkability.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Citrus with a deeper character. Orange, orange zest, orange juice. There’s an underlying red fruit/raspberry/ strawberry thing going on. Is the aroma supported by some fruity hops additions? Blood orange, lemon, and grapefruit and some slight hops notes.”
Flavor: “Great blood-orange flesh and zest notes throughout, but the base beer is a flash of carbonation that quickly fades to almost nothing on your palate. Finishes thin and slightly bitter with a carbonic bite. The lingering bitterness is not unpleasant. There’s a marmalade character to the flavor.”
Overall: “The orange is present but not overpowering. The zest and juice character that comes through is likeable, but it needs more residual sweetness to support the orange presence. A bit of pithy bitterness from the zest borders on too much. Nice beer overall.”
