Appearance

Parallel 49/Last Best It Came From the Mash Tun! follows the general packaging theme of the other beers in the series. It’s a fun mixture of 50’s/60’s inspired horror imagery and font. This particular release has the Swamp Thing on the front of the white tall can. The beer itself pours pale yellow with a white foamy head.

Aroma

You definitely get the saison yeasty funk off the aromas, but there’s also a bright citrus, which reminds me of lemon zest here.

Flavor

I found the flavors to be enjoyable with initial sweet creaminess followed by the saison funkiness. That saison character is quite subdued compared to other beers in this style. I do find that the saison aspect picks up in strength as the beer warms up.

Balance

Initially, the balance between the sweetness, citrus and saison character is good but as the beer warms up, the saison takes over and pushes the citrus and sweetness to the side.

Finish

The finish is good with the bright citrus then giving way to saison. As the beer warms up, that funk has a medium length finish between sips. I don’t find it overwhelming on the palate at all.

Overall

Parallel 49/Last Best It Came From the Mash Tun! was the last beer I poured in the assorted pack. I enjoyed this particular release, it struck a nice balance between being a saison and adding other interesting aspects of citrus and sweetness outside of the style. Overall, I quite enjoyed the brewery collaboration sampler pack, and I’ll be picking up any future sampler packs that get released.

John McTavish

SCORE

6.50

Cost/Point

$0.41

Scoring System

Personal Beer Review: Parallel 49/Last Best It Came From the Mash Tun!