The Bruery Saison Rue

**Aroma:** “Dark caramel sweetness with just a subtle hint of vanilla and toffee. Leather, stone fruits, and oak. Light alcohol. Cherry esters with little bit of apricot and hops aroma.” **Flavor:** “Smooth malt, offering a pleasant blend of caramel and cocoa, maybe a hint of roast. Some vanilla and coconut and subtle oak character. Alcohol is unequivocally present, with some warming peppery notes, but easy drinking. Bitterness is pleasant and balances the rich malts nicely. Finishes dry with a slight touch of barrel tannins.” **Overall:** “A very nice blend of barleywine and barrel character. The base beer is well crafted. Lots of malt complexity, excellent balance, and nice warming character make it a perfect sipper to replace your cognac or brandy nightcap. Will only improve with a little age.”

__Aroma:__ “All the berries: blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and cherry, with some floral notes and underripe fruit esters. Hint of lemon, wet hay, and herbs. Light *Brett* funk and slight sourness. Very delicate aroma.” __Flavor:__ “Rich, tart berry esters, especially lots of blackberry and raspberry. The raspberry has a cooked quality and is rich, tart, and slightly short of ripe. The sweetness from the malt and the fruits supports the sourness—it’s like a Pop-Tart with a hint of lemon. The *Brett* character is stronger here, with notes of leather and woodiness, along with the funk. Bright floral notes shine through, along with more of the complex esters.” __Overall:__ “The interesting berry characters worked well with the underlying earthy funk. The fruitiness, sweetness, and acidity work well in balance, making the beer very drinkable. Overall, the effect is inviting and drinkable, making the beer an excellent beer to cleanse the palate with at the end of a meal.”

**Aroma:** “Cherry, fig, and raspberry tart aromas dominate. Grape notes with a touch of sourness and low malt sweetness. As it warms, grape notes recede and sourness comes forward.” **Flavor:** “Flavors of cherry, blackberry, fig, and biscuity malt with a clean lactic sour. The light sourness is well balanced by the round, full-bodied malt character. Lingering sweetness and a dry finish. Some spicy phenolics. Moderate tartness up front that’s mildly fruity. High carbonation with a medium body. Linger is dry with fruity notes and is medium lasting. Acidity is moderately high and balanced by the residual malt character.” **Overall:** “Very crisp and refreshing. High fruitiness mixed with high carbonation and a touch of acetic sourness and touch of herbal. The fruity sweetness is complex and well-balanced with a slight acetic sourness. A classic example of the style. Very tasty and smooth. Not super complex, but very nice.”