Commercial Saison thread

hanuswalrus said:

Off Color - Le Predateur

I just saw this the other day but already had too much beer to begin with to pick up another 4 pack. Did some research on it and it sounds like it's basically Apex Predator using all French malts, French saison yeast and Nelson hops (I believe?) as opposed to Crystal and Sterling. I hear good things so I may have to grab it next time if it's still available. I'm sure you'd like it @sudbuddy considering how in love with Off Color you are.

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Ive seen this, but didnt know if they were gonna brew it again. So did this just come out? I hope some makes it to me...

It just hit the shelves last week I believe. But I did see a review on BA from 2014 so this is not the first time it's been brewed. Wish I could tell you if it's going to see out of state distro or not but I have no idea.

hanuswalrus said:

It just hit the shelves last week I believe. But I did see a review on BA from 2014 so this is not the first time it's been brewed. Wish I could tell you if it's going to see out of state distro or not but I have no idea.

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I found this today at the store! I got a 4pack and immediately freezerd one to try. I do like it, but I still prefer Apex Predator. I can definitely tell the WY3711's presence. I love that yeast, and its lemony zippy flavor. But it is kinda 1-dimensonal as far as saison yeasts go. Thats why I always blend it with another saison yeast in my blending thread

what im most curious about is they list the abv as the same. From what I remember from my highschool french, it looks like the same ingredients. Ive also read its jsut a yeast swap from Apex Predator. Im wondering if they got lazy and didnt change to %abv or what. Cause I would think 3711 would take it down a bit lower even compared to most saison yeasts

I would like to see other variations of apex predator. Dupont predator, wallonian predator, fantome predator, etc. Though I doubt they could use the brewery names...

Tired Hands - Saison Hands :
My relatives from Philly brought me a grwoler of this for a present. I'd been looking out for this, or anything else from the brewery, for a while. Definitely did not disappoint.

Nice and funky nose and aftertaste. Citrus and lemongrass in the middle. Maybe a bit of barnyard hay, Very dry finish . extremely well done. My raison snobbery has gotten to the point where 90% of commercial saisons I try I think to myself , if I had made this, I would be disappointed. Like I said, This one did not disappoint.

Also got to try their super saison , Whatever Nevermind. Guessing that's a nod to the great late Kurt Cobain. This one was intersting. Very very tart for a non wild saison. Maybe they used wlp585,which happens to be my current favorite strain. I really enjoyed it, but preferred saison hands

Glad you popped up with this. Funkwerks' Tropic King made its way into my fridge the other day. You should definitely track it down. Great hop flavor, great yeast character, and if I'm being honest, I need you to tell me what strain it is.

Is funkwerks the wicked weed side project? I tried their ipas and yeah I need to make it there. Got a buddy in Asheville. Hoping to make it there sometime and geek out over funky beers for a while 28th the brewers. Hopefully get some tasty tidbits of info

I think you're thinking of the Funkatorium. Funkwerks is out of Fort Collins, CO

1977Brewer said:

Glad you popped up with this. Funkwerks' Tropic King made its way into my fridge the other day. You should definitely track it down. Great hop flavor, great yeast character, and if I'm being honest, I need you to tell me what strain it is.

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It is 3711... the hops really make that beer IMO. Rakau and Opal work perfectly together in Tropic King. If you can track down the Peach Whiskey Barrel Tropic King, buy it immediately.

Mikerphone Brewing - Travelin' Man.. New-ish brewery out of Chicago. I recommend trying anything they make. I haven't been disappointed by any of their beers to this point.

A saison that's dry hopped with Australian Enigma hops. Pretty damn nice saison. I got a lot of clove notes from it. Great, soft mouthfeel. The dry hop came across very subtle but the aroma that did come through was very interesting. Definitely a hop that works well with saison yeast.

hanuswalrus said:

Mikerphone Brewing - Travelin' Man.. New-ish brewery out of Chicago. I recommend trying anything they make. I haven't been disappointed by any of their beers to this point.

A saison that's dry hopped with Australian Enigma hops. Pretty damn nice saison. I got a lot of clove notes from it. Great, soft mouthfeel. The dry hop came across very subtle but the aroma that did come through was very interesting. Definitely a hop that works well with saison yeast.

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I've never heard of that brewery. You think theyll grow to distribute farther?
I just used some enigma hops in an IPA, would have never thought to use them in a saison...

m00ps said:

I've never heard of that brewery. You think theyll grow to distribute farther?
I just used some enigma hops in an IPA, would have never thought to use them in a saison...

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They're very small at this point, but they are in the process of expanding and opening their own brewery/tap room. They currently contract brew at Une Annee. The owner/brewmaster has brewed at places like Pipeworks, Spiteful, 18th Street and Slapshot previously. He knows how to make good beer, and they were just named "One of the Best New Breweries" on Beer Advocate.

Right now, they're only in a handful of bottle shops in and around Chicago and are self-distributing. Who knows if they're looking to distribute out of state at this point. Time will tell. Definitely one to look out for, though.

I drink Saison more than any other style. Whether it's homebrew or commercial examples. I'm quite obsessed with it actually.

Some of my favorite commercial Saisons are:

Jester King Das Wunderkind! (my all time favorite)
Hill Farmstead Arthur
Hill Farmstead Anna
Haw River Rusted Plow
Crooked Stave Vieille
Fantome Saison
BFM XV /225
Saint Somewhere Saison Athene


Those are the ones I could think of that I didn't see on your list. I try to have at least one of them in the fridge at all times.

Gus_13 said:

I drink Saison more than any other style. Whether it's homebrew or commercial examples. I'm quite obsessed with it actually.

Some of my favorite commercial Saisons are:

Jester King Das Wunderkind! (my all time favorite)
Hill Farmstead Arthur
Hill Farmstead Anna
Haw River Rusted Plow
Crooked Stave Vieille
Fantome Saison
BFM XV /225
Saint Somewhere Saison Athene


Those are the ones I could think of that I didn't see on your list. I try to have at least one of them in the fridge at all times.

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Please send me some. I will do anything you want

I have had the crooked stave and fantome though

You know what pisses me off? I'm not even a "big" fan of Saisons. This list is suddenly making me want to try a whole bunch of them!

I pick up one once in a while as something different and it's fine, but it would be really cool to get a bunch of these and have a "Saison Tasting" club event, and see how they all compare.

New Holland has a "Monkey King" saison that used to be called "Golden Cap", but they changed the name. I think there was some problem with naming rights.

m00ps said:

Please send me some. I will do anything you want

I have had the crooked stave and fantome though

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I'll have to see if my guy can get me some more HF stuff. My stock of JK is getting low until I'm back out there in June. I know I have a couple Civil Disobedience and Dorothy on the way from HF.

Random updates:

Apex Predator - Off Colored Brewing
The newest batch(es) of this are astounding. I noticed that they now have their own designed bottlecaps and whatever they did with the latest batch (or maybe just fresh) is great. Everything I love about this beer is brought more forward

Sofie - Goose Island
Similarly, the newest 2016 Sofie is great. There was something I didn't enjoy as much about around half the 2015 bottles I had. I'm guessing they do a couple big batches per year and just maybe one was a bit weird. Guess thats the whole nature of making blended barrel aged beers like this. But the 2016 has such a great vanilla finish. I currently have a 2012,2013,2014,2015, and 2016 waiting to do a vertical tasting sometime when I have another saison freak over

All My Tomorrows - Great Raft Brewing
Got a bomber of this while I was in New Orleans and it really surprised me. Labled as a "hoppy saison" and definitely tastes like one. Topical and herbal hop character up front and then it gets very spicy (guessing they used rye) in the finish. But the end is nice and smooth. Very nicely done

Farmhouse IPA - Schlafly
Schlafly is one of those breweries that I've enjoyed most of the stuff they've made, but its all kinda been meh. But this release floored me. Ive gone through more than 2 cases of it and Im hoping itll be a regular rotating seasonal release. Its got a herbal, earthy hop flavor. Nothing over the top, but its nicely balanced with whatever yeast they used for this. The yeast esters in the finish that I like so much. I get some citrus, pear, and I guess bready malt flavors that just make it so drinkable. All the bottles I've gotten have a date of 2/8/16. When they were fresh the hop character was definitely more in the forefront but Im still loving it after the yeast takes over more

I've had a lot of lackluster commercial saison lately too but dont really feel like listing them all.

Jack D'Or - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
I've had this twice now. I was super excited to try it the first time since it seems to be very highly regarded but it just wasn't my cup of tea. The flavor up front is nice but the finish was sweet and plastic-y to me. I thought maybe I jsut got a bad bottle and recently saw another and gave it another shot and had the same reaction. SWMBO liked it alot though so she got the whole bomber.

Helios - Victory
I remember having this years ago back when the label had that sun with the face on it. I really enjoyed it then, but this was before I became the saison freak I am now. I remember reading (i think on the mad fermentationist) that this beer used to contain brettanomyces. I was reading the label on the new one and was surprised to see it mentioned. Well, from drinking it, I can assuredly say there is not brett in this beer. It is definitely just a clean saison. Its good, dont get me wrong. Nice smooth crackery peppery flavor, finishes a tiny bit sweet. But I dont get a single hint of flavors that brett would bring to the table. Plus, it definitely would finish a lot drier if brett was in teh mix

I'm starting to feel like my taste in saisons is definitely shifting with a bias towards what my ideal one would be. Lately, aside from commercial ones, I've also made a bunch which I didn't enjoy too much but others have liked a lot.

m00ps said:

Jack D'Or - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
I've had this twice now. I was super excited to try it the first time since it seems to be very highly regarded but it just wasn't my cup of tea. The flavor up front is nice but the finish was sweet and plastic-y to me. I thought maybe I jsut got a bad bottle and recently saw another and gave it another shot and had the same reaction. SWMBO liked it alot though so she got the whole bomber.

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You'll have to break the news that Pretty Things closed, so that might be the last bottle she gets.

BGBC said:

You'll have to break the news that Pretty Things closed, so that might be the last bottle she gets.

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Really? Wow. I guess with x number of breweries opening every day some gotta close. I won't miss that one though. Blech

I had a 3 Floyds Rabbid Rabbit on Sunday. Compared to most of their beers, it had a very restrained character...not a hop bomb, not boozy, not even hugely fruity. There was some perfumy floral and lemongrass aroma and flavor, it made for a pleasant springtime beer.

drainbamage said:

I had a 3 Floyds Rabbid Rabbit on Sunday. Compared to most of their beers, it had a very restrained character...not a hop bomb, not boozy, not even hugely fruity. There was some perfumy floral and lemongrass aroma and flavor, it made for a pleasant springtime beer.

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I've eyed that one a number of times at the store. But every time I look it up its got lackluster reviews. But you got me thinking, I bet that just cause the FFF fans that are used to their hop bombs / super imperial stouts are trying it and just go WTF?

Ill give it a shot next time I see it

Timely bump, as I am planning to brew all saisons this summer and looking for inspiration. I have a batch now that is fermenting with a starter cultured from Omm. Hennepin and I am working on dregs from Saison du Buff. I am only just starting to get into commercial examples. A couple to add to this list:

Stone Saison (Stone) - I have seen this in the store but haven't tried it. Read through the thread and didn't see it mentioned. Anyone?

Captain Stardust (Yellow Springs Brewery) - New brewery that is just starting to get commercial distribution in Ohio. This one is very dry with a nice yeasty lemon/sourdough tang to it.

Senor Saison (Coronado) - A pretty straightforward saison except that it has some jalapeno in it. Thankfully the jalapeno is understated and doesn't come through until the other flavors have dissipated.

I have Two Boots (Abita) and Apex Predtor (Off Color) in my fridge. Can't wait to try these guys.

Aristotelian said:

Stone Saison (Stone) - I have seen this in the store but haven't tried it. Read through the thread and didn't see it mentioned. Anyone?

I have Two Boots (Abita) and Apex Predtor (Off Color) in my fridge. Can't wait to try these guys.

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I've had stone's saison a number of times and it is very remniscent of saison du buff. Im guessing they use the same yeast since neither dogfish head or victory is really known for saisons. Although it may be the original yeast used in helios. Hard to tell under all those herbs and spices

Anyway, I like it, but SWMBO loves it. It is much more balanced and nuanced that saison du buff which is an herbal bomb of rosemary and sage to my tastes. I mean I enjoy drinking both of them now and then, but id pick Stone Saison over their collab Saison du Buff any day

Hyper Predator is coming soon. Sounds interesting.

Aristotelian said:

Captain Stardust (Yellow Springs Brewery) - New brewery that is just starting to get commercial distribution in Ohio. This one is very dry with a nice yeasty lemon/sourdough tang to it.

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I'll have to look for Captain Stardust. Yellow Spring's Night I didn't enjoy as a dark saison. Any saison flavor that could have been there was completely covered up by the dark malt. I was expecting saison spice and only got roasty coffee.

Just cracked my first Apex Predator. Wow, this is an incredible beer. This may be the first legit "world class" beer I have had by an American brewery. This really blows away any American saison I have had.

Aristotelian said:

Just cracked my first Apex Predator. Wow, this is an incredible beer. This may be the first legit "world class" beer I have had by an American brewery. This really blows away any American saison I have had.

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Cheers dude. Drinking one right now. Same as every day after work...

But yeah I've heard it rumored they use 566 in it, but I do it taste it at all. Every time I've used it, the finish isn't this crisp. Even cool vs hot fermentation. I have done some saisons with the grain bill listed on the label though

m00ps said:

Cheers dude. Drinking one right now. Same as every day after work...

But yeah I've heard it rumored they use 566 in it, but I do it taste it at all. Every time I've used it, the first isn't this crisp. Even cool vs hot fermentation. I have done some saisons with the grain bill listed on the label though

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Well I am going to try to build up a starter from the dregs and see how it goes. I will have to get hold of some Crystal hops before the end of the summer.

Colette - Great Divide
Finally ran into some great divide during a trip. I thought this was fantastic. Great creamy mouthfeel and hint of vanilla in the finish but not too sweet. +7% abv is completely hidden

Le Sexxxy Saison - Catawba Brewing
I liked this. Pretty middle of the road between fruit and spice. A bit of sweet bubblegum in the finish but it didnt prevent me from enjoying it. Could have been a bit more crisp. Label says they used 5(!) yeasts in it. Maybe thats why its not too interesting

Le Merle - North Coast Brewing
I didn;t care for this. It didn't really taste like a proper saison to me. More of a belgian blond with an aggressive yeast profile which doesnt suit it. Had way too much clove, banana, and bubblegum and finished too sweet. SWMBOs finishing the rest of these since she liked it alright.

Coq De La Marche - Against The Grain
This was alright for me. Just nothing really interesting enough to get me to come back. I'll happily drink the rest of the 4-pack I got, but I doubt I'd seek it out again

White Blackbird - Wild Heaven Craft Beers
This was very interesting. Its made with pink peppercorns and I could definitely pick out the berry & spice that they impart. I have a saison going now with pink peppercorns which is about ready to bottle after trying this

By the way, there is a Facebook group for the appreciation of Saison and Biere de Garde. I think somebody posted this in HBT on one of the other threads, but here it is for folks interested in this thread.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1517563441866109/

Telekenesis - Grimm
Haven't seen this one on the list and it deserves mentioning. I'm not positive about availability nationwide, but its from NY and I can get it fairly easily in Boston. I love tart and funky farmhouse ales and this one has a perfect amount of lemon, tropical fruit and the awesome dry minerally-ness (is that a word). It's got a dry chardonnay character and perfect in the summer time, and as we get into warm weather now, I'm craving one. Also try Rainbow Dome by them which is technically a Wild Ale.

troglodytes said:

Telekenesis - Grimm
Haven't seen this one on the list and it deserves mentioning. I'm not positive about availability nationwide, but its from NY and I can get it fairly easily in Boston. I love tart and funky farmhouse ales and this one has a perfect amount of lemon, tropical fruit and the awesome dry minerally-ness (is that a word). It's got a dry chardonnay character and perfect in the summer time, and as we get into warm weather now, I'm craving one. Also try Rainbow Dome by them which is technically a Wild Ale.

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Cool stuff. I've had a few of theirs before but havent seen any in a while. I actually do have one called Purple Prose in my closet. May have to try it now

From Portland, I really like Bridgetown's Stumptown Cherry Tart Saison, and Ex Novo'z Jacked Up Tart. Good stuff