House Lion
Off Color Brewing

 

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, pale orange color with a mild head.
Aroma: Strong aroma of ripe pineapple and tropical melon. Citrus and peach too. Has the floral lemongrass background of the Apex predator underneath.
Taste: Strong lemon and grassy flavors. Less tropical and pineapple than in the aroma. Pineapple and peach is there, nonetheless. A fruity funk from the brett lingers. Almost ripened apple. Pale honey malt. Strong yeast pepper and mild hop bitterness completely dries the palate.
Feel: Finishes crisp and completely dry. Leaves a strong yeast pepper on the palate. No lingering flavor as expected in a saison.

Compared to the standard house saison (Apex Predator). More tropical flavored. Melon and ripe pineapple from the Brett C. Lemon is still present. However, less tart citrus and vinous grape. Similar bodied and maybe more slightly dry. Identical funk.

Overall: This is an delicious twist on their Apex Predator. A more tropical version due to the Brett C providing a pineapple flavor and the hops providing the peach stonefruit. Leans slightly more toward an IPA with the tropical profile as we've seen with many creative saisons as of late. Yet, so well rounded and complex. Flavor profile is impressive for the ABV. This one does not dissapoint.

 

 

 

 

I am very much in favor of making table beers (saisons) whose alcohol, hops or brett don't steal the show and, instead, let the food please the palate. House Lion does all this... and a bit more. Had from their magnum bottle, but I'm eager to get this at their taproom.

I'm not Looking at a great saison; modest foam and murky body. Yet it does produce nice protein swirls and lily pads. House Lion's aromas improve its score with some modest brett and mild tree fruit (let's call it apple) and, then, some nice complexity that goes beyond mere barley; using flaked wheat and oats and spelt. While consistent and balanced, I am more aware of this complexity in the Tastes and nothing interferes (usually, too much hops runs interference.) Bubbles are right for me, cleaning the palate for more food (remember, that's what saisons do.)

I am a big fan of Off Color. (I've Had more of their beers than any other micro; in fact, had more OCB than some Big Crafters like Sam Adams, Brooklyn and New Belgium.) I like how Off Color is not afraid to add to the Belgian tradition. And while they don't always get every batch right, they have improved their chances by having a separate facility for their foeders. Get the yeast consistently right and OCB's will due the Belgians consistently proud.

12/19/19 Bought a 4-pack of 11 ounce bottles from Off-Color's brew-shop. This batch 18 months later is different, perhaps the yeast is different and the flavors more muddled. But, that matters little for this table beer. There are a few more differences from this release 18 months later; but they are minor. This remains a versatile accompaniment to many foods. I had one of the four with four different cuisines (or medleys) and House Lion works with them all. Given that Untappd continues to pour out ratings, this 4 pack is probably another release and I hope to find another four before they go away.

 

a tasty and unique low alcohol saison, interesting with a mix of saison yeasts and brett, and quite complex for a little beer, not as dry as i am used to when brett enters the mix, but a pleasant length to this and some nice grain layers too. orangish and hazy from the tap with a small white head, lots of lacing though. the hops are cool here, peach and mango notes, unfamiliar a little bit, not bitter at all but uniquely fruity, accentuated nicely by the brett in this one. some good farmhouse funky yeastiness here, not acidity at all, mild peppery spice to it, and a lot of sturdy wheat giving it body, weighty for such a low alcohol brew. light juniper and peach to finish, white wine and hay, some residual sweetness from the malt, which usually i dont love in this style but makes good sense here and keeps this one going. more carbonation would be good, but overall i thought this was really nice, drinkable but also really satisfying. i love the beers these guys are coming out with, and it was awesome to get to drink these at their taproom!