Trinity Brewing of Colorado Spring, Colorado just introduced its first flagship beer with their new One Ear Naked Saison. Jason Yester, Trinity’s owner and master brewer, never thought he’d have a beer he could produce quickly at a reasonable price until he got some new yeast from a friend. The new yeast is a descendent of the famed Brasserie Dupont strain, although that’s all the information Jason is able to give out due to the agreement with the brewery who gave him the strain. The strain has been in use for over a decade and pitched batch to batch, changing immensely from its original state. He also uses 10% Fantome brettanomyces, which Jason says should start showing up about 6 months after bottling.

Jason calls it “A Naked Saison” because there are no spices, herbs, or fruits added. It’s just grain, yeast, hops, and water. Although, he does use a good mix of various grains: barley, oats, & rye.

Appearance: Pale gold, light haze, white head, good retention.

Aroma: Earthy, floral, spicy, citrus rind, peppery, fruity.

Taste: Orange rind, earthy, spicy, peppery finish.

Overall Impression: One Ear Saison is definitely in a newer class of American saisons that’s more “easy drinking” and balanced. This beers are intended to be beers you can have several of in a sitting without compromising on flavor. It has all the things you want in a good saison, including excellent effervescence, a nice hop bitterness and balance that contributes to a crisp medium length finish. One of the big mistakes a lot of American saisons and Belgian-style beers make is being under carbonated. One Ear Saison is certainly not that. The heavy 375ml bottles that Trinity uses allows Jason to carb these up to a creamy effervescence that really makes this beer extra drinkable. If you’re a fan of Off Color’s Apex Predator Saison, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with Trinity One Ear Saison.

Availability: In select markets where Trinity beers are sold.

6.5%

Disclosure: I manage the Trinity Brewing portfolio for their Oregon distributor.

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