Thank You, Mr. Maillard!

Dark Saison with Massachusetts Barley and Oats Once again we are blessed with the opportunity to brew a beer which features malt from our friends at Valley Malt! For the uninitiated, Valley Malt is a micro-maltings founded by Andrea and Christian Stanley in Hadley, MA. Their mission is to provide artisanal malted grains grown by local farmers. Their BSA program (Brewery Supported Agriculture) is the first of its kind and connects brewers directly with local farmers to grow specific varieties of grains - which after harvesting are custom malted by the Stanleys. We’re always excited to work with their malts, as they close the gap between locally brewed beer and beer that is truly local. [wpex more="Read more" less="Read less"] As brewers we believe that beer can express terroir in an equal manner as wine, provided that truly local ingredients are available. We were pleased that Andrea was able to join us for the brewday of this beer, which we determined would be an exploration into the Maillard Reaction - first described in 1912 by French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard. A nonenzymatic chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor, it is responsible for the darkened crust of breads, the sear on a steak, and the colors and flavors offered in beer via the malting and roasting process of barley and other grains. This expression of Local Notion is a deep amber saison fermented with our house Belgian yeast. Brewed with Valley Malt pale malt, malted oats, and raw oats, we incorporated a variety of lightly roasted and caramelized malts as well. An extended boil contributed additional caramelization accentuating the flavors of fresh cereal grain, toasted bread, and sweet malt balanced by the lightest touch of Spalt hops and subtle spiciness from our Belgian yeast. We hope you enjoy! Check out Valley Malt at www.ValleyMalt.com Tulip $5.50 Pitcher $20 Tower $34 [/wpex]

Original Gravity
1.053

Final Gravity
1.014

Alcohol by Volume
5.0%