Field Blend - Cherry (2025)
Floodland Brewing in Seattle, Washington, United States 🇺🇸
Farmhouse - Saison Rotating|
Score
-
|
|
I had mentioned in late 2025 that the 2026 releases would include some real throwbacks to the first year, specifically the 2017 harvest beers which were released in 2018. This is one of those. Although we've done Field Blends using cherries since that 2017 blend, this is the one which comes the closest to it with its very low fruit rate. Equal amounts of Van cherries from Collins Family, Balatons from the old Weddle Farm in Okanogan, as well as Montmorencies from the same. To these we added some small amount of Cornelian cherries that Gregg and I foraged.
The bulk of the blend is two barrels of Senescence brewed in April 2024. As the refermentation progressed we added some younger Senscence and a single barrel of "Finnriver V" which was the 5th and last of the low gravity spelt saison we had been brewing when we had access to the Chimacum Valley raw spelt, brewed about 18 months prior.
When I decided to retire Waxwing it was in pursuit of new ways to use cherries in our beers. The 2024 Cherry Field Blend which followed was the first to combine sweet cherries with sour cherries as well as the foraged wild dogwood cherries (which taste cherry-ish but also like a cranberry mixed with a strawberry). This 2025 blend uses the exact same fruit, but at half the total fruiting rate of 2024. The amount of fruit per gallon used in making this is actually lower than the 2017 Cherry Field Blend, but the inclusion of Van brings more color and so it presents with a more vibrant red color.
I am now seeing this as, hopefully, a three-part series, with the 2026 harvest iteration being the same fruit in an even lower ratio to the beer. I love the balance of sweet and sour cherry varietals, the Balaton and Montmorency do their usual cherry candy and cinnamon thing, but the Van keeps that candy character in check and brings a lot of complexity and texture. I think the combination is more drinkable than any one in isolation, which makes this a cherry beer even for those who think they may not love cherry beers.
Bottling date: 08/06/2025
ABV: 6.82% ABV
Conditioned with: Organic cane sugar.
Cellar: Best before summer 2028.
The bulk of the blend is two barrels of Senescence brewed in April 2024. As the refermentation progressed we added some younger Senscence and a single barrel of "Finnriver V" which was the 5th and last of the low gravity spelt saison we had been brewing when we had access to the Chimacum Valley raw spelt, brewed about 18 months prior.
When I decided to retire Waxwing it was in pursuit of new ways to use cherries in our beers. The 2024 Cherry Field Blend which followed was the first to combine sweet cherries with sour cherries as well as the foraged wild dogwood cherries (which taste cherry-ish but also like a cranberry mixed with a strawberry). This 2025 blend uses the exact same fruit, but at half the total fruiting rate of 2024. The amount of fruit per gallon used in making this is actually lower than the 2017 Cherry Field Blend, but the inclusion of Van brings more color and so it presents with a more vibrant red color.
I am now seeing this as, hopefully, a three-part series, with the 2026 harvest iteration being the same fruit in an even lower ratio to the beer. I love the balance of sweet and sour cherry varietals, the Balaton and Montmorency do their usual cherry candy and cinnamon thing, but the Van keeps that candy character in check and brings a lot of complexity and texture. I think the combination is more drinkable than any one in isolation, which makes this a cherry beer even for those who think they may not love cherry beers.
Bottling date: 08/06/2025
ABV: 6.82% ABV
Conditioned with: Organic cane sugar.
Cellar: Best before summer 2028.
Sign up to add a tick or review