Review: Stevens Point Whole Hog Raspberry Saison
Fruit + beer often = trouble.
Stevens Point’s latest entry into its Whole Hog line is a raspberry-flavored saison — a rustic, seasonal ale designed to be refreshing and reinvigorating after a long day of work. The spectre of a jammy, over-sweetened beer is worrisome, but Stevens has done right in this recipe.
On first sip, you may not taste the raspberry at all. The ale has a creamy, rich body, a moderate amount of malt, and a little bitter hoppiness atop all that. The raspberries come on for the second act, but they’re understated and easy. For a beer designed to be served during harvest time, the balance between bitter hops and sweet berries is just about perfect. The finish is on the herbal side, with juniper and lavender notes in there if you go hunting.
Fun stuff. At 7.2% alcohol by volume, probably not for drinking by the six-pack (or, in this case, the four-pack), but perfect for toting on that last picnic of the season.
7.2% abv.
A- / $8 per four-pack / pointbeer.com
Stevens Point Whole Hog Raspberry Saison
$8
I don’t really understand what “At 7.2% alcohol by volume, probably not for drinking . . .” means. Not something you’d have several of over the course of an evening? Not something you’d finish on your own?
Trob – you have caught me in a half-completed thought, distracted by myriad goings-on around me when I should have focused on the task at hand. Have repaired the offense!