Jester King Brewery - 2015 Autumnal Dichotomous

The hand and leaf do not live separate from the bodies from which they extend. We divide them by word, rope, and scythe but have found earth. The mind does not exist beyond the body it commands. We divide by thought, cord, and blade but again find earth. This land does not exist unattached to the next, nor this season to the next. Divided again by belief, chain, and spade. All is body of earth toiling in body of earth. All things sown, all returning earth.

Cinnamon, Satsuma mandarins, and aromatic malts combine to create a comforting warmth balanced by a refreshing dryness. Naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria impart a sense of place to this unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned beer.–Jester King 2015 Autumnal Dichotomous label notes

Our second stop in Jester King’s ambitious portfolio is the 2015 Autumnal Dichotomous, a farmhouse ale that incorporates Satsuma mandarins and cinnamon. This definitely seems to benefit from being a touch warmer than we preferred Le Petit Prince, as more rounded red- and stone-fruit notes come through with a bit of patience. For the sizeable jump up in ABV, the mouthfeel here stays true to the successful approach of the Prince: crisp, super lean in its fermentation, and with now-quite-familiar mineral and peppery bitterness from its yeast.

Here, the core fruitiness runs things. Everything stays beautifully framed within the structure of toast and pepper, but it’s the pulpy roundness and subtle pith of those Satsuma mandarins that offers up the key thrill of this beer, building that fruity presence out without ever feeling as if things were becoming anything close to sweet overall. There’s rich earthiness present, a very subtle spicing element from the cinnamon addition, and massive depth further beyond.

The hops in Jester King’s 2015 Autumnal Dichotomous: Zythos.

The bottle-conditioning and higher ABV here suggest this is better suited for cellaring time than the Prince, but we expect that Satsuma character to be pretty volatile and amongst the first things to depart. Enjoy at least one bottle early. (And be sure to let this one warm up.)