Enlightenment Things Are Beautiful

A few weeks ago I shared the news that Idle Hands was closing their Everett Brewery due to the loss of the building as a result of the new casino construction. While Idle Hands is keeping their brand going by guest brewing at Night Shift, this also effects the Enlightenment Ales brand. Over a year ago Idle Hands and Enlightenment merged into a single brewery, keeping both labels but consolidating operations. While the Idle Hands crew is setting up their new brewery Ben from Enlightenment has decided to take a sabbatical to Europe and put the brand on hold temporarily. I’ve enjoyed every beer I’ve tried from Enlightenment, their small batches of Belgian inspired farmhouse ales are always flavorful, complex and balanced. I sincerely hope that the brand returns soon, and the beer sabbatical results in some interesting and delicious new creations. Fortunately for us, Enlightenment Ales had a number of beers in progress, many in the process of barrel aging, and they were all bottled and released ahead of the brewery closing. If I had a real beer cellar I would probably drop some serious cash and fill the cellar with a bunch of these saisons to sample in the months ahead, but my apartment isn’t very well suited for aging beers. I did pick up one of the new Enlightenment beers during my last stock up run, a wild saison named Things Are Beautiful. Enlightenment Ales Things Are Beautiful is a celebration of simple beauty, brewed with two varieties of pale malts, two classic hops and a house cultured mix of saison yeast and Brettanomyces. It is available while it lasts in 750 mL bottles.

Enlightenment Things Are Beautiful pours a hazy bright yellow with a substantial white head. The scent is complex, with some floral hops, funky Brett and a little acidity. The first impression is how light and easy to drink the beer is, but it is also deceivingly complex. The yeast culture adds a whole host of flavors, pepper, pear, barnyard, and a hint of sour lemon. This meshes well with the classic hop profile, notes of cut grass, earth and pine. The malt body rounds out the beer with touches of cracker, bread and a drop of honey. The beer is crisp and goes down smooth, perfect for the warm weather at 5.2% ABV. The finish is bone dry with some lingering yeast flavors. Enlightenment Things Are Beautiful showcases the greatest strength of this brewery, making complex farmhouse style ales where all of the diverse flavors somehow sing in perfect harmony. I loved this beer, I need to remember to pick some more up before it’s gone! Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.

Previous Enlightenment Reviews:

Enlightenment Biere Brut, Enlightenment Rite of Spring, Enlightenment Illumination Farmhouse IPA