Reviewed: Sante Adarius Saison Bernice
From the brewer: Exquisite in form, Saison Bernice is the centerpiece of our brewery and the purest expression of both our brewing philosophy and our house culture. Lovingly made from the finest ingredients available, Bernice is beautifully tart with a soft and inviting mouthfeel. Long, slow aging in stainless tanks coaxes out flavors and aromatics of ripe citrus and just-picked stonefruit. Simple but graceful, Bernice is the beer we’d pour you ourselves if given the chance.
Sante Adarius Rustic Ales – Saison Bernice – 750 mL bottle, unknown vintage, served in a 10 oz stemmed tasting glass. 6.5% abv.
The hay-day of American wild ale production has come and gone; once a bankable category lost its place on store shelves and in the hearts of craft beer producers. While some players just shifted focus away from their barrel warehouse, others had to rewrite entire business plans. Thankfully, breweries like Sante Adarius of Capitola CA are still turning out fantastic wild ale blends, such as Saison Bernice.
Appearance: High clarity and burnt orange color. A rocky white head keeps for a minute in the glass before dissipating.
Aroma: Peach gummy rings, strawberry Sunburst candy, slight diesel. Wisps of oak.
Flavor: Medium acidity with a touch of acetic acid bite, quite pleasant. The flavor follows the aroma well, with a bit more lemon Starburst than strawberry (what can I say, I ate a lot of them as a kid). I also get hints of Earl Grey tea and stonefruit, which are common flavor pieces in wild ales. Medium minus on the carbonation, which I prefer. More carbonation would combine with the oak tannin, leading to a harsh swallow.
Overall: I do not remember precisely when I got this bottle, but I purchased it pre-pandemic from the brewery direct. Wild ales can be a bit of a time capsule; locked up behind glass and metal, they can evolve from their original place. What is fascinating about Bernice is its viability for multiple years. The blend and execution after bottle conditioning, maintaining a balanced acidity and bright fruit flavors, really shows off the skill set of Sante Adarius brewers.
