Lucid Brewing - Silo

Lucid's Silo is brewed in the style of a Belgian saison, a traditional farmhouse style that we love year-round, but especially during the warmer months of the year. Saison is a very yeast-driven style, and Silo is no exception – you'll definitely want to pour this one into a glass as this bottle-conditioned beer sports a fairly heavy yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Our samples generated a huge, voluminous head of rocky, white foam, so pour it carefully and leave the sediment behind. On the nose, this golden-hued brew offers up big, spicy Belgian yeast notes with a moderately phenolic herbal overtone and just a hint of farmhouse-style funk. Look for the hops to amplify the spice and add some earthiness to the mix, as well. We also got some nice hints of stone fruit and mild citrus amidst the pale malt undertones. On the palate, the straightforward malt profile provides plenty of stage for the big, peppery, herbal spiciness to flourish with those earthy and somewhat grassy hops. Expect the peppery notes and mild-to-moderate hop bitterness to keep this saison refreshingly dry from start to finish. Traditionally enjoyed by farmworkers after a hard day's work, saison (and its French sibling, bière de garde) was once in danger of fading into obscurity. Now it's one of the more popular styles of craft beer among Belgian-influenced brewers here in America – although generally only in 750-ml bottles. It's nice to see a good 12-oz version! Pair this brew with spicy food – it's more than up to the task. Salut!

Lucid Brewing was founded by Jon Messier and Eric Biermann (when you've got a name like that...) in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka, MN. Highly experienced home brewers with over a decade of experience, both men had brought home medals from various state fairs and beer competitions. But, while brewing may have been their passion, it remained just a hobby as they toiled their lives away under the repetition of corporate jobs filled with meetings, deadlines, long hours, and more meetings. Eventually, though, while enjoying one of the precious moments of clarity that we all can relate to late in the evening and away from the rat race, the need for a permanent break from the routine was realized. It was time for the duo to go pro, and their brewery's name would reflect that moment of clear thinking.

After about a year of planning and preparations, Jon and Eric, with the support of their very understanding wives, left their jobs in June of 2011 and began building their brewery. In addition to their main brewing system, a successful KickStarter campaign raised over $10,000 that the duo put toward equipment specifically for other home brewers to use and train with, turning Lucid into "a place where pro and amateur brewers can openly interact and collaborate on limited release batches of beer."

During construction of the brewery, their first beer – a light, thirst-quenching ale called "Air" – was brewed during that summer as a refreshment for the workers. By October, brewing operations were underway in earnest, with the first kegs rolling out to their draft accounts in Jon's personal car. What a difference three years of hard work can make; since their opening in 2011, Lucid has gone from three draft accounts to several hundred, and refrigerated trucks are the go-to delivery vehicles. The brewery offers three year-round brews in addition to at least seven seasonal and limited production beers. For more info, visit them at www.lucidbrewing.com.