Commercial Saison thread

[m00ps]

well Im glad im not the only one. Ill probably continue to feel compelled to buy every hill farmstead beer I see though...

 

[sudbuddy]

HA! I had the same experience with the bottle I bought of La Vermontoise. I brought it to a club meeting to share thinking it would be awesome. Everyone hated it. Waaayyyyy over carbonated and just lacked almost any kind of flavor at all. Very disappointed. Couple of the guys thought it may have been light struck.

Another sad, personal fact about this beer.. I bought it in Vermont thinking it wasn't available in the Midwest and came back to see plenty of it on the shelves at my local liquor store. I now understand why this beer isn't difficult to find.. Who knows, maybe we both got bad bottles.

Dang, same bottle and you beat me to it!

 

[hanuswalrus]

I don't blame you, everything I've had from them aside from that Vermontoise has been incredible. I felt that just about every beer I had on my Vermont trip, whether it was Hill Farmstead or any other popular VT brewery, was well worth the hype

 

[afro_lou]

Being a "Saison Nut," I'd hope Sante Adairius is on your list, but if it isn't, track some of that down!

 

[m00ps]

wow, I checked them out and it looks incredible. I doubt there's any floating around po-dunk Kentucky though...

 

[afro_lou]

They are! I've only had their Saison Bernice, Anais, and their collab with Evil Twin; Joey Fvcking Pepper. All amazing!
I'm sure someone would be willing to trade for some.

 

[m00ps]

Heres one I tried the other night:

Green Flash - Cellar 3 series NATURA MORTA WITH PLUM (the purple one).

This is an barrel ages session strength saison with plum puree. Its absurdly delicious. Very nice balance between the sourness, plum flavors, and saison yeast character. Im glad they didnt use a heavy hand with the plum, I was expecting something more like Lindmans. I didnt get much barrel character from it, but I dont think it really needed any...

 

[m00ps]

The Bruery / Terreux - TONNELLERIE RUE
This is a barrel fermented version of their Rye Saison, Saison Rue. I wasn't sure whether it would be just brett or full sour but it seems to fall somewhere in between. The rye spiciness is right at the forefront and melds with the saison yeast spice. The sour tinge at the end seems to stick with you for a while. This was very good, I need to track down more of their new rebranded sour series.

 

[hanuswalrus]

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.

 

[sudbuddy]

Yep, that sounds pretty great. Too bad my commercial beer budget for the next 2 months is $0 so I'll just have to brew it instead.

 

[m00ps]

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.

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...

 

[hanuswalrus]

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.

 

[m00ps]

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.

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...

 

[m00ps]

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

 

[1977Brewer]

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.

 

[m00ps]

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

 

[BGBC]

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

 

[henchman24]

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.

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.

 

[hanuswalrus]

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.

 

[m00ps]

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.

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...

 

[hanuswalrus]

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...

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.

 

[Gus_13]

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.

 

[m00ps]

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.

Please send me some. I will do anything you want

I have had the crooked stave and fantome though

 

[Homercidal]

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.

 

[Gus_13]

Please send me some. I will do anything you want

I have had the crooked stave and fantome though

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.

 

[m00ps]

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.

 

[m00ps]

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.

 

[BGBC]

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.

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

 

[m00ps]

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

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

 

[drainbamage]

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.