From one of my most-drunk beers to one of my favourites, what a treat! Burning Sky’s Petite Saison is another of my go-tos, and would be a serious rival to Pale Fire’s crown if was available in pubs as much as I strongly feel it should be.
Burning Sky are one of the most exciting breweries around in terms of mixed fermentation, making everything from a house saison blended with lambic to Belgian pales aged on apricots and wild black beer with elderberries, but I think with all the excitement over their big bottles, it can be easy to forget how good their more 'everyday' beers are. Petite Saison is an absolute masterclass in subtlety and balance so put down the 750ml for a second and grab a can instead.
It's is a mixed ferm saison, which can sometimes lead to thoughts of potential farmyard aromas and intense sourness, but I think Petite Saison might just be the most approachable mixed ferm saison ever. Tart but not sour, it’s gently lemony—think lemon barley water and sherbet—with hints of lime cordial as well as herbal and floral notes.
It's this complexity, thanks to the mixed fermentation and barrel-ageing, that I think makes it so special, while dry-hopping at the end makes it super refreshing; a winning truly combination. An excuse for the word quaffable if ever there was one, this beer will take you right back to the summery weather we seem to have already lost with just a sip.
Poppy Simon
