What a day it’s been! After a rainy week filled with threats of hail and tornadoes (it’s lateApril/early May after all), the weekend shaped up to be a nice one, and so I had a busy agenda this fine Saturday, folks. Temperatures in the mid-seventies were perfect for a run, then some roto-tilling out in the garden getting ready to plant, then a 2.6 mile walk to my local Taco Mac for a reward: a glass of Victory Swing Session Saison.

Victory Swing seemed just the perfect beer to refresh and restore after my vigorous day and pleasant walk in the warm afternoon sun. Swing is Victory’s spring seasonal, and it’s a fairly light bodied, spicy brew that offers the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment. Victory has the following to say about the beer on their website:

Swing. It’s a lively jazz rhythm, a vigorous sway or even a serendipitous change of view. It’s also the welcome jolt of joy you’ll experience upon your first sip of this session saison. Swing into refreshment this season!

I’ve been a fan now of Victory since, well, there was a Victory and I’m always happy to see their beers on tap at Taco Mac. Rare is the time there are no Victory beers somewhere in my home. Swing Session Saison refers to the fact that the beer is a little lower in strength than the classic Saison style calls for. Saison is French for season, and these farmhouse ales were generally seasoned with age for a short time, brewed in one season to enjoy in the next.

Ingredients from the Victory website:

Malt: German malt and grains (Rye, oats and wheat).

Hops: Hopped with German and American hops. Spiced with peppercorns, orange peel and fresh lemon zest. Belgian saison yeasts.

Victory Swing Session Saison has an alcohol content of 4.5% by volume. I paid $5.75 for a full mug pour at Taco Mac, it runs $8.99 a six here in Atlanta in the bottle.

My mug of Victory Swing Session Saison arrived a cloudy yellow color tinged with orange with a medium sized fluffy head and lots of wonderful spicy citrus and yeast in the nose. Taking a sip I got a firm crisp maltiness up front with notes of spicy rye, them some drying peppercorn heat, juicy fruit, and bitter zesty citrus peel leading into a grassy, long bitter finish. Did I mention a bit of exotic Belgian yeastiness popping up too? You’ll get it.

As I said, this is a delightful beer, another victory for Victory, folks. Victory Swing Session Saison is a spicy treat, but hurry and grab some while you still can. It won’t be long before it’s out of season, and you’ll have to wait until next year to try it.  

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