Sampling great beers never gets old, in fact it gets better and better. Whether it’s an IPA or a classic Belgian beer, it’s always a lot of fun…and when that beer has traveled coast-to-coast in just a few days (from its release date), it’s even better.
Elysian Brewing just announced the release of their new Saison Elysee, so it’s a really pleasant surprise to get to enjoy one on my favorite beer-sampling day of the week…Friday.
Saison Elysse was first brewed in 2003 as a draft-only beer at Elysian’s Capitol Hill brewpub, so I’m excited to see it return in bottles. This beer starts with five specialty malts (
Munich, Caravienne, Wheat, Caramunich, & Premium 2-Row) as well as German Northern Brewer & Czech Saaz hops. This unique saison is also brewed with a long-grain sugar called demerara AND if that’s not interesting enough, Saison Elysee is brewed with a touch of spicy Cumin. 
Before we jump into the tasting, I s
hould mention how cool the label on this beer is. The label is actually a photo of some really cool embroidery created over a fabric print that shows off the individual ingredients of the beer, including actual Cumin seeds.
Saison Elysee pours a slightly hazy (but really gorgeous) light orange/gold color; and if I had all day and an unlimited number of paragraphs, I’d still struggle to do justice to the unique aroma. The cumin spice is up front with some really interesting sweet and yeasty depth at the end. I thought I found some peppery notes and maybe even some pear…so take your time with the aroma on this beer when you get a chance to sample it.
The taste started for me with some subtle cumin and peppery spice flavors, followed by some light fruit and classic saison yeast flavors. The finish is slightly earthy with just a hint of ginger and tropical fruits. As the beer warmed, the complexity increased in both the aromas and flavors and an herbal quality started to sneak in (in a good way). All in all this is a really unique and complex Saison and I look forward to hearing what you taste when you try it.
Saison Elysee is the second specialty saison Elysian released in 2016 (following Saison Poivre) and it will be available for a limited time in 22oz bottles and on draft in select US markets (A
rizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. Seattleites can also find the beer at Elysian’s restaurant locations: Capitol Hill, Tangletown, Elysian Fields, and Elysian Bar).
Elysian Brewing Saison Elysee is a really special saison that defies the style just a bit, so be sure to get out there and try this beer for yourself
….and when you do
….be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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