Scorched Earth Berry Fool (Replicale 2015)

Each year the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild sponsors the ReplicAle Project, a unique event in which brewers are asked to brew the same beer style – this year a saison – using the same malt bill (this recipe is 87% Pilsner, 10% Flaked Rye, and 3% Aromatic) and yeast, but use their artisanal skills to develop a unique creation using different hops, spicing, fruit, vegetables, …well, whatever you can imagine. We chose to keep things simple for this recipe and feature McHenry County’s raspberry harvest, using a blend of Heritage red raspberries and Jewel black raspberries from Heider’s Berry Farm in Woodstock. A dash of grains of paradise and French Aramis hops were also added to the brew. True to our Belgian style beers, we fermented the saison in our open fermenter, reaching temperatures in excess of 85⁰F – pushing the flavour envelope. This combination of raw materials and fermentation produced a circus of aromas and flavors, including tart raspberry, tropical fruit, light citrus, pepper and clove all under one big tent.