Introduction

It may very well be worth your time to put on running shoes and haul your carcass to the Stillwell Beer Bar in downtown Halifax. Part brewery, part gastro pub, Stillwell means to bring craft beer to its patrons with taste, class and elegance. But while they’re looking good they’re prepared to get rowdy — a split level bar for dining up top and the shifty work happens in the basement. A dozen of their best creations adorn the wall of taps and they’re happy to pour until the wee-hours. Their in-house beers are now shipping across Canada and Glou is complex, mouth pleasing experience.

Glou is oak aged saison that gets the royal treatment of New York muscat grape skins to leaven the flavour and then bottle conditioned. The result is spicy and contains a yeasty snap, with earthy, leathery baseline to keep it balanced, along with a sweet kick from the grape parentage. Serve at 6°C and can cellar for a few years.

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How it looks

Pours the colour of blood orange flesh with light carbonation and a head of foam that comes out of the bottle ready for a fight but quickly calms down.

How it smells

The scent of this beer is split down the middle — half the classic smells of the saison: sizzling yeast, leather and barnyard tones, and a touch of funk. The other half is a sweet, almost intoxicating perfume of fine grapes.

How it tastes

The opening of this beer’s flavour is surprisingly sweet grape juice, almost overwhelmingly sweet. But that flavour is quickly shoved aside so the saison can join the party. The funk, sour and yeasty quality announces itself with authority but also eases off the palate with haste. The sweet tones ride throughout and the lingering flavour is the sweetness of the grapes and a combination of bitter pomace and yeast.

Recommended food pairing

Sweet and funky needs tasty and balanced: break out the rolling pin and pour your heart into a loaf of fresh sourdough and spinach-artichoke dip.