Anchorage Love Buzz Saison

The Brewers:
Company: Anchorage Brewing Company
Location: 717 West 3rd Ave., Anchorage, Alaska
Website: http://www.anchorage brewingcompany.com

The Beer:
Style: Saison (with some real Farmhouse influence)
ABV: 8%
IBU: 40
Brewed with (get ready): rose hips, peppercorns, fresh orange peels, Citra hops, Brettanomyces yeast, all aged in French Pinot Noir barrels
Served: 750mL corked bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 12 oz. Belgian tulip glass

Pours a foggy, deep golden/orange color with a thick, white head.  As is typical for the style, the head hung around forever, and left some nice lace patterns.  

Aroma of citra hops, roses and some typical Brett "barnyard."  Some sort of sour fruit character comes through, most likely the contribution from the pinot noir barrels.  

Starts with the expected saison buzz from the high carbonation.  The Brett presence is immediately obvious through the funky, moderate sourness on the back of the palate.  Citra hops are present in the middle and finish by the sweet citrus aroma, also amplified by the orange peels (duh, right?).  Finish is very dry, the standard for saisons, and the aroma of the rose hips really comes through.  Funkiness of the Brett carries through to the finish, and is complimented excellently by the rose hips.  Body is low, but some wheat is detectable.  I'm sure the Pinot Noir barrels contribute to the tart nature of this beer, and the oak of the barrels is likely to contribute to the dry character of the beer, but I really wasn't able to put my finger on anything specific.  

Overall:
This.  Beer.  Is.  Fantastic.  Definitely made it to the top ten.  On the first try.  The sour/funky flavor of this beer is the perfect intensity, and the rose hips and Citra hops lend the perfect amount of sweet aroma to balance the rest of the beer.  I can't say I pick up the Pinot barrels specifically, which is a problem I find with beers that are very complex, but I won't say the barrels detract from the beer.  I usually scoff at people who talk about "summer beers" (beers appropriate for warm weather), but this beer really does belong in July/August, and is by far one of the most intriguing and refreshing beers I've had in ages.  If you're a fan of traditional Belgian Farmhouse ales, and even lambics/geuzes/sours this beer belongs in your hand.  I'm picking up a few bottles tomorrow and keeping them off to the side until the weather gets nicer.