From the bottle:
Le Merle is an elegant ale, pale in color, inspired by the rich brewing traditions of the Flanders region. Abundant hops and a Belgian yeast strain contribute the exotic aromas of tropical fruit.
From my notes:
Clear, straw color with a thing, fine, bright, white head. Medium carbonation. Floral, tropical fruit and yeast on the nose, mild hop taste immediately on the tongue that settles into bread, pepper, and lemon. Clean, dry finish.
Saisons were traditionally brewed by the drinker over the winter and then opened and drank through the spring and summer. When you drink a a good saison you should be able to smell fruit and yeast on the nose and have that reflected in the taste backed up with spice, tart, and some mild to medium bitterness. They are usually dry. Saisons are versatile for pairing with foods. They go well with spicy foods, and do great with BBQ, pair with bold flavorful food that matches the complexity of a Saison has more delicate food’s flavor may be overwhelmed by the beer.
Rating (out of five):
Isn’t ‘drunk’ the past participle of ‘drink’? Not sure: “were brewed” implies ‘were opened”, and then ‘were drunk’. I think. When in doubt, I change to something else, i.e. ‘opened and enjoyed’, or whatever. It used to be ‘drunk’ when I was a kid, but in time usage has changed the list of past participles to include two possibilities for many verbs, i.e. hanged and hung.
I like the word ‘saisons’ as new vocab. in my beer-drinking experience, which is thin.
Saison is a nice sounding word.