Poppyland Beer

Crab Apple Saison

Fruit beer 5.2%
Bottle conditioned, in 375 ml bottles.
Release date 28.2.2013.

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Design

This tiny batch of beer is based on a brew I did for 'On the Edge' in 2012. But this batch sat on crushed crab apples for a couple of weeks before it was racked off and bottled. In the past I might have used other varieties of wild apples, but the summer of 2012 was such a poor one that, of the trees I have collected from before, not a single one had any apples at all. Except, that is, for the crab apple. Being a 'land-race' variety, this apple is adapted to cope with virtually any conditions that Nature throws at it around here. Hence, it produced a crop in 2012 - but only on one side of the tree. I guess something must have upset it, perhaps while setting blossom. Anyway, it yielded up some wonderful esters and acids for your delectation, not to mention wild yeasts and bacteria (yes! but don't worry), which I have captured and melded into this saison. There are just 3 dozen bottles of these available, in 375 ml half champagne bottles. They are available from the Cromer Farm and Health Shop, or the brewery, while stocks last.

Tasting notes

Tart and wild apple flavoured, this drinks like a really fancy barrel-aged beer developed with the aid of with Brettanomyces. It would be really refreshing on a summer's day but I fear this batch won't last that long.

This beer is produced without the use of any finings, filtering or pasteurisation, so not a molecule of flavour has been robbed from the ingredients and you get all those delicate little nuances, just for your personal pleasure. Nice.

Bring your bottle back to the brewery and you will get a 50p discount off your next purchase.

Martin Warren, The Poppyland Brewer
13.2.2013