Red Sky at Night: Beer #2 in the 12 Beers of X-mas series

Clipper City Brewing in Baltimore makes a line of beers called “Heavy Seas.” Red Sky is a Saison for season, if you will. A surprising 8% ABV is liable to catch you off guard considering how smooth this tastes. Strangely, their web site says it is available only from May to August, but mine came in a variety pack I just bought the other day.

Saison is traditionally known as a “country farm house” ale brewed in Wallonia, the french-speaking part of Belgium and also, I believe, in areas of northern France itself. This one is brewed with Pils, Carapils and wheat malts, and a quantity of candi sugar. I’m unsure though if the candi sugar is the cause of noticable sweetness, or if the candi sugar easily ferments completely into alcohol, but in any case, there is a residual sugar throughout, but not cloyingly so.

I thought the “heart of darkness” glass from Magic Hat made an appropiate serving vessel for a beer line whose theme is dangerous voyages, and also made a good foil for yesterday’s Santa Claus glass.

That snack food visible in the photo is a homemade organic phyllodough triangle stuffed with smoked salmon scraps (great deal at Whole Foods, way cheaper than whole salmon but just as tasty) and feta cheese. A rich hors d’oeuvres that matches well with the saison.