Tonight, I’m enjoying the Funky Saison “Fickle Mistress” from Peter, the genius home-brewer, at Simply Beer. This Saison-style beer is another excellent addition to Peter’s lineup who, by the way, will have a brewpub of his own at the rate he’s going. At 8.1% ABV this drifts towards the higher end in the sessionable ABV range but the flavor profile puts it right in line.

Packed in a 750ml bottle with the traditional Simply Beer label and writing, this Saison pours a clear, golden-copper color into my 10oz pilsner glass. Coupled with a wild and bubbly carbonated body is a sudsy, white head to complete the appearance profile.

The initial nose is absolutely outstanding. Sweet candied sugar, candy apple shell, sour cherry and granny smith apple dominant up-front. The blast is sweet and sugary but it’s balanced perfectly by the slightly bitter hop character present at the end. As the beer warms, the nose started to smell like lacquer thinner but it didn’t detract from the pleasant aroma one bit.

The mouthful, although not necessarily disappointingly, doesn’t follow suit to the nose. By my description of the nose, I imagined a very tart, sweet and sour mouthful but it’s to the contrary. It’s full of a substantial malt character that’s characterized by some sour mango and pineapple. There was a slight bite from the hops to smooth and separate the flavors on my palate. The body on this was medium, well carbonated and had a noticeable, though muted, alcohol kick in the finish.

This has to be one of my favorites from Peter to date. Amazingly refreshing, delicious and sessionable. I must warn you that this will catch up with you quite quickly. The 8.1% ABV is masked a bit too well, so it may be dangerous for some! If you’re looking for a beer to enjoy on the warm Spring or Summer days, look no further. One of the best Saison-style beers I’ve had.

Overall: 9.1/10