The overall saison style is something I can get behind. There is typically a good amount of wheat, hay, and pepper that can be discerned. We received Hieroglyphic from Raleigh, North Carolina’s Gizmo BrewWorks a little bit ago and finally had a second to test it out. Hieroglyphic is the first barrel-aged imperial saison we’ve reviewed; the brew needs a few seconds in a glass to properly breathe. When one takes their first quaff of Hieroglyphic, there is a good amount of bubble gum and citrus elements that come forth immediately. There is a small amount of sharpness that comes through, contributed by the time spent in the barrels. There is a crispness to this beer that ensures individuals will finish the bottle with as much gusto as they began the beer.
Gizmo’s Hieroglyphic is an 8.0% ABV affair, meaning that one 22 ounce bottle should be enough to begin a night spectacularly. The boosted ABV (when compared to a normal saison) ensures that the flavor profile of Hieroglyphic is constant from the beginning to the end of a bottle. Saisons have a tendency to lose some of their sharper elements and become muddled into something that is overly sweet, while Hieroglyphic continues to expand into something delectable each second it sits out and creeps closer to room temperature.
For more information about the entirety of the year-round and seasonal offerings that Gizmo BrewWorks offers, visit their main domain. The brewery’s social media profiles are a great source of information concerning their latest new products and events. Hieroglyphic is one of the best Belgian-inspired beers we’ve received for review so far in 2016, and the desire to change up things and come forth with something that is incredibly different from standard fare is a major strong mark for Gizmo.
Hieroglyphic (Barrel Aged Imperial Saison) / Gizmo BrewWorks / 8.0% ABV / http://www.gizmobrewworks.com / https://www.facebook.com/GizmoBrewWorks/ / https://twitter.com/gizmobrewworks