Final Countdown

Origin: Rooie Dop (Utrecht, the Netherlands)

Style: Saison

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: Not listed

Description: To the honest, when I first saw the name of today’s beer, I was worried. The words “Final Countdown” evoke the image of ’80s Swedish hair band Europe singing a nonsensical song about going to Venus. So where is this winter saison going to take me? And am I going to be able to take this brewery seriously?

The story of Rooie Dop’s inception is a familiar one in the industry – a few passionate craft beer drinkers decide to concoct their own brew. Sometimes interesting and experimental, but the beers are always aimed to be flavorful and awesome. And here’s where the story gets interesting: They don’t have their own brewery , so where do they make the beer? Not in their basement or at the local U-Brew, but Brouwerij de Molen, an internationally recognized Dutch brewery that’s known to make big, bold, experimental beers! Pretty impressive, I must say. It’d be kinda like a few home brewers in Santa Rosa gypsy-brewing at Russian River Brewing. And in the two years since Rooie Dop started brewing, they’ve already collaborated with a handful of breweries around the globe, most notably Hair of the Dog, Cascade and Gigantic of Beer City USA (a.k.a. Portland, Oregon). These collaborations are all positive signs. Perhaps I can take them seriously after all…?

Much like the Weïti from a few days ago, Final Countdown pours hazy golden hues with a big foamy off-white head. The aroma is bread-yeasty, a little peppery, with a hint of orange rind. In the back of my mind I wondered, Is it going to taste similar to the witbier?

Nope.

Hello, smoke! Where did you come from? How come I didn’t detect you at all in the aroma? The smoked malts & rye used are a bit bolder than I’d expected. but perhaps the smoke is the very thing that winterizes this saison. There’s this pithy bitterness that lingers on the back of my palate as well. Initially, I’m missing that barnyard funkiness I find familiar with the saison yeast I prefer. But as the beer warms, the smokiness disappears, allowing the funk to come out to remind me that it’s indeed a saison.

I love saison for its versatility, pairing wonderfully with sweet & savoury dishes. Meat dishes are always great, but why not try baked brie wrapped in phyllo, served with your favourite jam/preserves, or a cheddar-crusted apple pie? It’s challenging to come up with an alternative beer that’s similar to the Final Countdown, but for fans of a lightly-smoked beer, give R&B‘s SPCAle Rauchweissen a go. And Four Winds Brewing makes a delicious saison that has the right balance of spice, floral and wheat notes.

This Final Countdown didn’t take me to Venus, but it does make me want to try Rooie Dop’s other offerings (I heard the Barrel-Aged Double Oatmeal Stout is supposed to be really good). I could only hope that one day, they’d come to collaborate with a B.C. brewery. – C.T.