Saison brewed with Rosemary, rosehips, and honey. Aged on crushed pink peppercorns

Like its namesake flower, our Rose is both delicate and thorny. Floral honey, rosehips, and rosemary mingle with fruity pink peppercorns to create a refreshing earthiness. Bold rye malts and a spirited yeast strain enhance the beer’s prickly spice. Hazy and golden, Rose sips with a rich, savory charm.

Batch #1

Alc. 7.7% by Vol.

Released in July 2012, Batch #1 was kegged in its entirety and debuted at Drink Craft Beer’s ”Summerfest.” Then it hit our Taproom for growler fills and samples, and also a few bars around Boston. We loved how it tasted (and, luckily, our customers did too) so we decided to keep on makin’ it. A couple issues we did have with #1:

• We didn’t crush the pink peppercorns, so that peppery, tangy flavor was far too subtle 
• We left the peppercorns on the beer about a week too long (2 weeks total) – this didn’t compensate for the problem above and add flavor. Instead it just added some unwanted bitterness and gave the beer a slightly strange funk

So, we changed that up for Batch #2…

Batch #2

Bottled on: 8/20/12; Alc. 7.6% by Vol.

We launched bottles on 9/15/12 in our Taproom and at Pemberton Farm‘s “Pemberfest.” With the pink peppercorns crushed and aged on the beer for just a week, this beer came out exactly as planned. It has a floral nose of rosemary and pepper, and sips with a powerful, savory flavor. It has a touch of farmhouse funk in the finish, which we really enjoy. 

Batch #3

Bottled on: 9/27/12; Alc. 8.3% by Vol.

This beer has a lot of variables – it takes about 2 months to ferment, it uses a lot of ingredients, and it’s got a finicky yeast strain. However, three batches in and it’s tasting surprisingly consistent (higher ABV here aside). The rosemary is just as present as the previous batch, though one difference might be the stronger presence of pink peppercorns that better balance the rosemary aroma and flavor than in previous batches. It’s a great pairing with lamb, mushroom, or seasoned fall vegetables. Herbal, floral, and very robust. 

Batch #4

Bottled on: 10/23/12; Alc. 8.4% by Vol.

This batch has more piney, floral notes than previous batches, and fermented slightly dryer than any Rose batch yet. Otherwise very consistent.  

Batch #5

Bottled on: 11/20/12; Alc. 8.8% by Vol.

We let this one sit on the pink peppercorns a few days longer than previous batches, and the result seems to be a more fruity, peppery aroma and flavor. It plays well with the saison style, and seems to balance the rosemary flavor nicely. Not a huge change, but a nice subtle one. Otherwise very similar to Batch #4 – quite dry and floral.

Batch #6

Bottled on: 12/13/12; Alc. 8.9% by Vol.

Very similar to Batch #5 – full of fruit and peppercorn, and a touch of sour as we added some lactobacillus (the souring culture in our Somer Weisse). Getting very consistent on the final gravity – finishing low and dry every time. 

Batch #7

Bottled on: 1/8/13; Alc. 8.5% by Vol.

Similar to previous batch, and even more sour, since we used the “infected” yeast strain from #6 (with a souring culture to give it a tangy profile).

Batch #10

Bottled on: 4/1/13; Alc. 8.4% by Vol.

Batches #8 and #9 both got barreled, so #10 was the next to get bottled, and last of the season. Even more sour than the previous couple batches, and full of peppercorn fruitiness. Maybe our favorite yet.