8 Wired Saison Sauvin: Unless you are already a card-carrying fanatical beer geek, saisons often deliver pungent, sour flavors that are more intellectually intriguing than physically enjoyable.
This one, however, represents how the traditionally Belgian farmhouse ale can be well balanced with a bit of creativity with the style. The Kiwi crew down at 8 Wired in Blenhiem, New Zealand, decided to bump up the malt — thereby boosting alcohol while smoothing out the yeasty funk — and toss in some Nelson Sauvin hops, which deliver a crisp bite of bitterness before giving way to a well-rounded and ever quaffable brew. Call it a learner’s saison, if you’re a purist, but I think it’s finally a saison that everyone can love.
Available at Bin 2860 in Los Olivos. See bin2860.com and 8wired.co.nz.