Today I will be reviewing New Glarus’ Unplugged Imperial Saison. There is no official category for this style, so what I will do is just look at the Saison style and imagine everything as being bigger and bolder. So what is a Saison you ask? Saison is the French word for season, but in relation to beer Saison is a seasonal ale that was brewed in the cooler months for summer consumption. In the days before we were able to control our fermentation temps with refrigeration or other cooling methods, most brewing was done in the fall, winter, and spring months because the summers were just too hot and produced some off flavors that were not so pleasant, as well as fusel alcohols which can give some people a headache. Also, back in the days of old, most households brewed their own beer, especially in the rural areas, and this beer was brewed by the women of the household for the summer months, and it was usually brewed to a slightly higher alcohol percentage to withstand the long storing process to withstand the entire summer months. You can expect a Saison to be fruity, higher in alcohol (5%-7% on average, but this is an Imperial so expet it to be above 7%), finish dry, high carbonation, and have a pronounced spicy hop character. With all that said, lets get started with this review.

First, I make it no secret that I am a huge fan of New Glarus. There have been a few beers I don’t care for personally, but they hit the style. Yet others are not within style, but I just love how they taste regardless. If I could describe this beer in three words it would be Wow, Wow, and Wow. It is very tart with a clean sourness that makes this beer incredibly thirst quenching. The color is a rich gold color and fairly clear with just a slight haze. It is highly carbonated and poured a beautiful rich head, and the best part is the head remains throughout the entire pint. The aroma is sweet and fruity (lemon and tart peaches), but with not as much hops as I would expect. The malt profile is sweet and grainy. The whole perception is very much like champagne.
The flavor is where this beer really shines. The tart sourness hits you right away and is very pleasant. There is a citrus flavor that melds well with the tart sourness which creates the impression of lemons in the beer. I really really love this one and think it’s going to be a huge hit. There is also a very very mild pepper spice the beer, but that comes in the right before the finish, and it’s just a flash. It does finish quite dry which adds to the thirst quenching quality of the beer. It also finishes quite clean without any real lingering aftertaste, just a bit of lingering tartness. The alcohol is reported at being about 8.7% but the beer masks it quite well so be careful.
I give this beer a big A+ and give it a high recommendation. However don’t go out and buy any quite yet, I want to stock up on this bad boy because it is a limited release. So please wait until Wednesday before going out an loading up on this beer . The Unplugged is sold only in 4 packs, and to some it may seem a bit expensive, but in honesty you get what you pay for.