As we more fully embrace the characteristics of each fruit that we source, we have somewhat reimagined our fruited Farmstead® ales. To more prominently represent those fruits and the variation of each harvest season, we let the fruit guide us in selecting from our range of barrel-aged Farmstead® ales—sometimes this will be a single base beer, other times it may be a blend of different barrels—all with the goal of best expressing the fruit’s unique aspects.

For this entry, we paired a blend of our Farmstead® ales—all of which rested in oak for more than a year—with Balaton® cherries from nearby Burtt’s Orchard in Cabot, Vt. This harmonized blend rested in the bottle for over a year, achieving its balance of complex acidity and seasonal fruit representation.