(Missoula, MT) – Big Sky Brewing Company is loading trucks with its latest Limited Release, Brush Tail Farmhouse Saison. The Missoula Montana based brewery experimented with the Saison style in its local tasting room for many years before deciding to release the product to its larger market.
Brewmaster, Matt Long, stated, “These beers, also known as Farmhouse Ales, were typically brewed in parts of Belgium and France in the wintertime for the seasonal farm workers to drink in the summer. We thought it would provide a great transition between our Powder Hound Winter Ale and our Summer Honey Summer Ale.”
Brush tail is described by Long as, “Light and refreshing, with much of the Saison’s character coming from the yeast. “ To brew this style, Big Sky Brewing Company chose two traditional Saison yeast strains, and added a 3rd strain from Belgium to achieve a unique character that defines this particular offering.
The brewers also chose not to filter the beer in order to retain some of the complex yeast flavors. A malty nose segues into a complex palate of black pepper, anise, and tropical fruit. The smooth, dry finish brings this beer back to its Saisons origins.
It comes as no surprise that the Montana brewer, known for both world class beers and the reintroduction of wildlife to the West, has chosen another iconic Montana native to represent this new beer: The red fox. Co-founder Bjorn Nabozney stated: “My mom still hand paints all of the art we use in our packaging. She originally painted this piece years ago, but we never found a beer we thought did it justice, until now.”
The latest release from Big Sky Brewing Company comes at an opportune time. The brewery, who donated nearly $100,000 to the local community in 2012, has committed $1 of every case sold within Missoula County lines (in the month of February), to repair a local whitewater park: Brennan’s Wave.
