95 Rating – Smartmouth Brewing Co. – Alter Ego

Who came up with this beer's recipe?
The basis for this recipe came from a mix of historical research I did on Belgian farmhouse ales and several group tastings of test batches to find just the right yeast strain. It is very true historically to a non-sour version of a saison. We use German malt, German, French and Slovenian hops and Belgian yeast – all of which would have been available in 1800s Belgium.  

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
I love the versatility of this beer. It’s a great beer to pair with foods – anything from smoked sausage to seafood to stinky cheese – because it has a wide range of flavors but still manages to be refreshing without overpowering your palate.

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
It's a call to arms for everyone to embrace their inner alter ego. I left my job as a lawyer to embrace my inner brewer and each of our other partners and employees have followed their own passion for craft beer to be apart of Smartmouth. 

Is this your "desert island beer?"
Oh, that's really hard. It might just be since it goes so well with seafood and is great when the weather turns hot!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s effervescent, peppery, fruity, refreshing and dry.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
While the brewery was still under construction we brewed a whole bunch of batches in one of our driveways to get the recipes nailed down. We instituted a sort of March Madness of brewing where we’d take 20 gallons of wort and pitch four different saison yeasts into four different fermenters then have a blind tasting. The two winners would get pitted against two more yeasts and so forth until we had a winner. Those are still some of my favorite memories.