Home Brew of the Year 2020 is a hell of a name to put on a can, but if nobody else is claiming it, why not? This is a saison, designed by home brewer Niall Clinton, which impressed Western Herd enough for them to scale it up into a commercial batch. The competition has been running for several years and usually the winners don't make it far from the brewery, so we have The Pivot to thank for a small-pack version being available this time round.If you're interested in the technicals, Magnum and Bramling Cross are the hops and 5.9% the ABV. What I can tell you is that it really tastes like saison. There's that shouldn't-work-but-does mix of grain husk, white pepper and ripe apricot, set on a rounded and slightly greasy ester-soaked texture with a busy prickle of fizz. Dry, yet fruity, yet spicy, in short.
I tend to find strong saisons cloying while low-ABV ones can seem sharp and harsh: this steers a middle course away from both. For anyone judging to style, I can see how it got high marks, but it's an overall enjoyable and complex drinking experience too. Well done to everyone involved.