Lawnmower Arm Saison — Great Lakes Brewery

I think I had Lawnmower Arm Saison before.  I’m not really sure, but it sounded familiar.  But when I was at the Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke this week, and I saw it, as a barrel-aged, on sour cherries, incarnation, I had to give some a whirl.  Saisons often have influence from wild bacterias, like lactobacillus or brettanomyces, barrel-aging them can add to this (especially if the barrel in question is infected with it).  Similarly, aging a beer on fresh fruit can introduce all manners of microorganisms. Actually, it’s a bit of a crap-shoot, I’m sure.  Not to spoil the fun, but Mike rolled a 7 on this one.

Lawnmower Arm Saison — Great Lakes Brewery

Lawnmower Arm Saison — Great Lakes Brewery

From a Project X 650ml bomber, Lawnmower Arm Saison pours a hazy cherry red.  Nearly no head, even with a pretty turbulent pour.  Aroma is just amazing.  Oak, cherries, cinnamon, some piney hops, black tea, big yeasty esters.  Oh my! Taste is immediately sour cherries, then spices from the yeast and a heap of oak barrel, just the quickest hint of sweetness on the front of the tongue.  This is huge! Spices from the yeast and possibly some rye are present throughout the sip.  There is a leafiness, akin to raspberry leaf tea, sort of green and herbal, which I’m guessing is the hops.  There is also a touch of mustiness, not quite as horse blanket-y as some aged saisons, but still definitely not clean.  The finish is very tart with some spices lingering.  Over all the beer is quite dry, but like the Canneberg, it’s well concealed by the tartness of the fruit, but in this case, it’s very sour.  Just amazing.  Part of me wants to ReCap this and have some later, and the other part just wants to drink it all now.  The immediate gratification side is winning.  Wow, this is a hell of a beer, and one worth seeking out.  If you’re not in the GTA, I’m sorry, maybe consider driving here… This is just lovely.

Cheers to Mike and the Great Lakes crew! There’s a reason you guys won Best Canadian Brewery of the Year!

Buy Lawnmower Arm Saison

I assume it’s only available at the brewery retail store in Etobicoke.  If there is any in kegs, it’s probably being held for a special event.  Hot damn, it’s good!

Drink It With

This is a tough one, actually.  There is a lot going on, I’m going to go right to a cheese, and say a pretty funky cheddar.  Like a very farmhouse dank one.  It might seem unusual, but I think the really funky pong from the cheese will draw out a little more of the beer’s funk, and also subdue some of the tartness.  If you’re insistent on having this with a meal, try it with a nice piece of roast beef.  Ideally with a red-wine reduction.  Depending on the wine in question, the pairing *might* be able to keep up with this monster beer.

About The Breweries

Great Lakes Brewery LogoIndependently owned by the Bulut family, we produce our beer as it was done hundreds of years ago by using an open fire, copper brew house built in Germany in the early 1900’s.

Our small-batch brewing process allows us to carefully blend only the finest all natural ingredients to produce our award-winning beers. Our water, hops, malts and yeast are selected from local producers and those afar on the basis of but one criteria; quality.

http://www.greatlakesbeer.com/
Not to spoil the fun, but Mike rolled a 7 on this one.

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