effervescent refractions

As I delve deeper into Belgium’s voluminous array of beers brewed by tradition and traditions formed from beer, I have begun to realize that this culture is far more expansive than I had imagined. Genre and style are almost meaningless in the face of what seems to be a continuous gradient of flavors, colors and methods. A taxonomist’s nightmare. Thus when I was confronted with Dupont’s defining product, I felt far from alien to this style I had little experience with - the Saison. In appearance it was actually mundane: a clouded auric wheat body freckled of countless small particles. Above, the white head was thin but left a surprisingly adhesive lace. The nose was of striking simplicity, reminding of apple, clay, banana, peach, sweet toffee and caramel. Not a bad aroma, but with a dominating ester profile and the tint of light malts. Although this was to be my first official “Belgian Saison”, I was not in unknown territory. The palate was what stunned me the most, and as I took a first sip, I nearly recoiled at the potent carbonation. At the tip of the tongue all flavor is extinguished by this explosive sensation, however as the liquid moves to the center of the mouth a distinct apple flavor is noticeable. Gradually I became accustomed to the feeling and began to discern peach and apricot, some spices and Gruyère. Appealing to the taste actually, but again the carbonation felt overdone. In the smoky bar of Amsterdam, it was difficult to drink. In retrospect, I was probably in a far from ideal situation to enjoy the experience. I will give it another try some day, if I stop in Belgium’s countryside during the summer, where I feel the drink may be more appropriate.