Rustic Sunday by Birds Fly South Ale Project is another iteration of the brewery’s lineup of Farmhouse Ales, but this time augmented with rye. This fits within the 2015 BJCP Cat. 34B Mixed-Style beer, being a Cat 25B Saison base with rye added. It is a very well-done product.

There is a moderate level of rye graininess along with a touch of Bretty horse blanket, the earthy and leathery character of funky Belgian Saison yeast, white grape wine notes and quite a bit of metallic bite in the nose from sourness. There is a lot of complexity here! The brew is a turbid light golden color with fair head retention.

The flavor has a lot going on and mirrors the aroma quite well. Belgian yeast flavors along with spiciness from rye, a citrus character and a mild barnyard flavor profile from Brett is evident. Wine flavors are also noted in the flavor complexity, with all of these characters lingering through to the finish for a lasting, enjoyable memory. The body is quite thin, delivering a refreshing dry and crisp quality to the beer. The carbonation is quite high as expected in a saison, and the finish is also quite dry, which is appropriate for the style.

Rustic Sunday is a complex and very enjoyable brew. The saison character of the base beer is evident, and the layers of flavor on top of this work very well. Definitely a keeper!