Here’s a beer with many fathers: Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Session 47: Saison Various. Saison Various is just that, a blend of 4 various saisons designed by 4 different Harpoon brewers. Those brewers are Rich Doyle, Ryan Thompson, Ethan Elston, and Jamie Maxwell.

From the label:

In the spirit of collaboration, Jamie stayed true to the farmhouse tradition of brewing without spices while Ryan balanced East Kent Goldings hops with coriander and white peppercorn. Ethan’s American hops and a Trappist yeast strain complemented Rich’s citrusy hops profile, and the combined result is Saison Various: a refreshing blend of saisons, brewing sensibilities, and unique ingredients.

I’m always happy to see an entry in the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, as these are well-done beers at a great price. Sometimes, there are repeats in the series (a good thing in my opinion) though I doubt that will happen with a blended beer like Saison Various.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Session 47: Saison Various has an alcohol content of 6.1% by volume with 34 IBUs. I paid a bargain basement $5.99 for my bomber bottle.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Session 47 Saison Various pours to a bright orange amber color with a thick rocky head formation and a spicy yeasty nose. Taking a sip, the beer is very light malty up front with bright yeasty funk, pungent coriander and spicy peppercorn notes laced with light citrus notes and a dry spicy and yeasty finish.

Blended beers can be a tricky thing, because the various (pun intended) characteristics of each can sometimes get lost in the greater whole. That doesn’t really happen here, and I was able to discern components of each of the 4 parts. They all combine to make the whole greater than the sum of its copmponents, I think, and I found Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Session 47 Saison Various to be a tasty refreshing brew indeed.



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