Below are tasting notes from the first five gallons of Four Saisons in Annapolis, a Belgian farmhouse style ale using ingredients from each of the four seasons, and that were grown or gathered in Annapolis.

I have to say that I’m really happy with the appearance. The beer is mostly clear, golden, and has a thick white head that sticks all over the sides of the glass as you drink the beer down.

The aroma is way more floral than I expected. There is a good deal of herbal aroma that I assume is from the heather, along with strong scent of flowers and spices. All the aromas come together to smell like something similar to perfume or potpourri. I really was not expecting this but I like it.

The flavor is just as floral as the aroma. It’s herbal, fruity, and citrusy with orange, pear, grapefruit, banana, pine, pungent herbs, and more of those flowers. There may actually be too many flavors going on here, but I definitely enjoy this beer.

I wanted something dry, citrusy, and refreshing, and this beer has those qualities and several more. The Four Saisons finishes so dry that I’m really interested in how the second half of the batch will turn out since it’s sitting on brettanomyces yeast. The brett should dry it out even further and the strain I used is well known for mango and pineapple flavors. I can’t wait to give that version a try!