Backlash Brewing Convergence [Beer Reviews]
Boston has been seeing a lot of new breweries lately. Also, we've seen quite a few new saisons being brewed. Combine these two trends, and you've got Backlash Brewing's newest beer, Convergence, the second beer they've released and a so-called "Super Saison" because of its higher alcohol than regular saisons.
I remember talking to Helder (owner of Backlash Brewing) about how the head on his first beer, Groundswell, didn't come out as big and pillowy as he would've liked it to...well Convergence does not have that problem! While it doesn't quite have the gigantic head we'd expect from an authentic Belgian ale, we didn't expect it to. That said, it's got a serious 2-3 finger white, fluffy head that doesn't want to die. Well done on that! Sitting on top of the surprisingly light, golden beer with just a slight haze, this is the spitting image of what a delicious brew should look like...I wish we didn't have to take pictures, because I just want to drink it!
As far as smell, what is a saison supposed to smell like? A little spicy and yeasty? A good hint of grain? Dry? Yes to all of those, and that's exactly what Convergence smells like! At 7.5% abv we're happily surprised to find no alcohol in the nose, either. If the image made us want to drink this, the smell is making us want to gulp it!
With higher alcohol saisons (think anything over about 5% abv, it's a workers beer after all), the first thing we worry about is the beer tasting sweet and thick. Perish that thought with Convergence! It's fairly dry and pleasantly light on the palate. The wonderful yeasty goodness that we look for in saisons is here in spades with a carbonation of micro-bubbles that coat the inside of your mouth like a carbonation carpet. As you think on this one a bit more, you'll find a bit of fruit in the taste as well as pepper from the yeast. Honestly, and this is high praise, you can taste a bit of Belgium in this beer. It's one of the better U.S. takes on the saison style and we're happy to have tried it. Massachusetts has been a major hot bed of saisons lately, and this hangs with the best of them. It’s a great alternative to the lower alcohol Notch Session Saison, especially with the colder nights of New England winters coming. Grab some now, before it’s off shelves!
