December 15th, 2015
Day 15: Smuttlabs Chestnut Saison by Chris Drapeau
@SmuttynoseBeer @Chris_Drapeau
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fifth annual beer advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.
During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer enthusiasts. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.
Smuttlabs Chestnut Saison
Blogger: Chris Drapeau
Website: http://www.christopherdrapeau.com
Twitter / Instagram / Untappd : T: @Chris_Drapeau IS: @christopherdrapeau U: @christopherdrapeau
Beer: Chestnut Saison
Brewery: Smuttlabs – Smuttynose , Hampton NH
Website: http://smuttynose.com/beers/smuttlabs/
Twitter: @SmuttynoseBeer
Commercial Description: Farmhouse ale brewed with chestnuts and spices
Beer Details:
-Style: Saison
-ABV: 8.6%
-Ingredients: Spices and Chestnuts
Why I selected the Smuttlabs Chestnut Saison:
I chose this beer kind of randomly for this occasion, but also to keep up with the Smuttlabs releases. This branch of Smuttynose has had my full attention for awhile, especially with this year’s line up of new releases and favorites from years prior. I love saisons all year of course, but around the holidays, the spice forward and sweet ones peak my interest the most. This beer did not fail to display what i look for in a holiday saison or the quality of the Smuttlabs series!
The blend of spices blends so nicely with the rather deep and boozy finish, and the warming sensation is perfect for the season! Cheers!
I would recommend pairing this as you would most saisons with seafoods and meats, but for me not being a meat eater, I would pair this with a variety of different salads containing fruits and nuts. However, if I was to make a meat suggestion I could see this beer being the perfect companion to a roasted pork tenderloin with apple sauce.
About Chris Drapeau
Hello! My name is Chris and I am an international and independent touring and recording guitarist. Formerly of Thy Will Be Done, I’m currently playing in the legendary Japanese band Aggressive Dogs, as well as doing solo instrumental music. My travels over the years have put me face to face with some amazing craft beer and just furthered my love for the culture, the process, the breweries, and the people. Cheers!!
About Smuttlabs:
Smuttlabs is the product of the evolution of Smuttynose Brewing’s Short Batch Series.
Our brewing staff has many ideas that can’t be done on a large scale; this is where Smuttlabs comes into play. From barrel-aging and beer souring to culinary collaborations and special projects that just don’t fit anywhere else, if a project is out of the ordinary, unique or time consuming, you can bet it’ll bear the Smuttlabs name.
In 2007, we began these experimental brewings, under the Short Batch Series name. As we’ve increased production and volumes of these eccentric beers, we’ve rechristened them “Smuttlabs,” to reflect the creative experimentation found in each batch.
Smuttlabs releases seek to bridge the gap between “rare” and “hard to find.” Brewing on these terms, success can take different forms. Some releases may have semi-regular production and others may never see a mash tun again. There will constantly be Smuttlabs beers in all phases of production from conception, to brewing and fermentation to aging and packaging.
For more information, please visit https://smuttynose.com/beers/smuttlabs/.