There's No Way Of Knowing
Sawdust City Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Mar 28 2025 and listed at 6.2%. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy brassy-gold colour, fitted with a two finger crown of puffy, foamy white head that collapses within three or four minutes. A thin cap is left behind, encircled by a creamy collar that deposits swaths of lace after each sip from the glass; looks good to me. Spring-like aroma of floral, grassy hops, lemony citrus, peppery spice and herbal tea, with a backdrop of yeast and wheat.

It tastes fine, but it's not as expressive as some examples of this style. Orchard fruits such as sweet red apple & apricot come through early on, along with bready, wheaty malts and grassy, floral hops. It becomes more yeasty, spicy and herbal on the back end, with lemon verbena, white pepper and lemon peel preceding a yeasty aftertaste that trends off-dry. Medium in body, with aggressive carbonation that lasts throughout the session, resulting in a somewhat frothy mouthfeel that actually works OK in conjunction with the spiciness. Fair drinkability, but one tallboy is enough on any given night.

Final Grade: 3.83, a B+. There's no way of knowing which beers will surprise you - at least, not until you crack 'em open and find out for yourself. Sawdust City's There's No Way of Knowing wasn't very surprising: as far as saisons go, this one takes the safe route, with no sign of funk, bug or barrel to be found. That doesn't make this a poor saison, or even a below average one, but it definitely doesn't make for a very memorable brew. It does have a nice spiciness about it, but at times I felt like I was drinking a witbier, or maybe a really good American wheat. Needless to say, that's not what I want out of this style - but it still made for a pleasant quaff, and I think it's worth cracking open again.

July 18 2025

Canned 6 months ago.
Poured tons of foam. Had to wait for it to die down a bit then pour the rest. Standard beer color.
Smells of malt and almost like a wheat beer.
Taste is malty, hoppy and a little boozy. Almost like a lager with a hint of wheat beer added.

I know people seem to like this beer, but it's just not my cup of tea.
I wouldn't get again personally, but keep buying it for yourself if you like it.

Listed at 6.2% ABV and served cold into a tulip. LCBO purchase and canned March 28, 2025.

Appearance - Lightly hazy rich golden beer with multiple fingers of foamy white head and sparse lacing. Good retention.

Smell - Floral and bright with some bready yeastiness, a kiss of apple skins and subtle grape undertones.

Taste - Low bitterness, with some sweet sugary bread like qualities, some lemon zest and pepper on the back end and apple skins throughout with pear inclinations.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, great carbonation , semi-dry finish and just well rounded and enjoyable through and through.

Overall - Very solid Saison that hits the spot and with the changing seasons towards summer, this scratches an itch of a beer that is lighter on its feet, yet robust with flavor.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. My third beer from the Gravenhurst, Ontario brewery, and first for 2025.

The beer pours with a large head, which takes a long time to dissipate. The colour is straw coloured, with a slight haze. The can claims "can conditioned", so this makes sense. The taste has strong citrous notes, with a mild bitterness. Overall a good light taste, with no strong lingering after tastes, makes for a good summer beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's No Way Of Knowing is brewed for that time of year when "the snow slowly recedes, the days grow longer and we once again head outside to feel the warmth of a vibrant new season" - that much is obvious just from looking at it. This inherently icy complexion actually exudes golden, sunny radiance. It fits the billing perfectly.

There's everything in the aroma one could expect and hope for in a Saison: ripe, branch-bending fruits, zestful, fresh-cracked spices, pungent herbals, and sun-blanched straw and raw cereal grains. It has everything I love about the style and isn't the least bit shy in showing it all off. It's a proper bouquet.

And it's one that heralds an equally gratifying and comprehensive taste; flavours of peppercorn, grains of paradise, lemon seed, orange peel, sage, peach pit, apple skin and white bread are all shoveled onto the palate, loosened by a drop or two of easy-to-ignore ethanol. The aftertaste is part pithy, slightly spicy and deeply herbaceous.

Though a reasonable 6.2% alcohol, the profile hints at something stronger - even while it drinks like something far lighter. That's what makes Saisons a bit of an anomaly: they're bold, strong beers that somehow drink easily and informally. Sure enough, this 473ml can pretty much disappears in the blink of an eye.

There's No Way Of Knowing actually proves with all certainty that "can conditioned" Saison is every bit as good as traditional bottled-conditioned versions. This is a knock-your-socks-off example of the style that isn't just in line with Sawdust City's usual high standards but may just be the best Saison ever made by an Ontario brewer.