A Salute to Saisons! (2022)

Enjoying this spooky treat...

Review here (4.38).

 

It surprised me to bump into a lot of packs of this at a random NY (Long Island) beer store called Monarch. Bottles weren’t dated so I just bought a single. I enjoyed it.

 

FWIW I purchased a four-pack of Apex Predator many months ago. I was not a big fan of this beer but I had one recently and I enjoyed it more, presumably because the hop aroma/flavor from the dry hopping has faded.

Do you prefer to drink Apex Predator fresh?

Cheers!

 

You may be a little more sensitive to a saison's hop presence than I, as I do not find a heavy hop presence in fresh Apex Predator. The Revolution/afterthought collaboration was the first experience on that end.

I'm also good on my end with Tank 7, another solid moderately priced saison available here.

Perhaps I'll do a side by side to note any differences in the Spring (saving a recent can to compare). My initial rating for Apex Predator featured a can without a canned date, but they have been dating cans of this beer recently. You have already inspired me to do a side by side of Celebration IPA vs. Anchor Christmas Ale to note similarities and differences.

 

I conducted a side-by-side tasting of Surly Furious IPA and Celebration three years ago and discussed it in a NBS thread:



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-771.628093/#post-6715819

I will be interested in hearing about your side-by-side tasting.

Cheers!

 

This year has been thin on Saisons for me. Fortunately, I now have a nice batch to dig into before the weather takes a nose dive.

Grizacca - Oxbow



Foggy pail yellow/straw, more pail than the picture shows, with a greenish tint. While the fog lifts, it never goes clear. Over two minutes the thin white head quickly transforms from fizzy to fine and creamy, on the way to a vail.only a tracery of lace is deposited on an Offero oversized wine glass.

Light grain and lemongrass open, with coriander quickly following. A mild floral quality mixes with an equal part funkiness that is simultaneously elevating and earthy. All of the aroma is delicate with slightly more than wisps of differentiation.

The flavor has far more hops than expected, with the associated bitterness. Tartness is light. Lemon pit his accompanying white bread. Watercress is more apparent than lemongrass, with mild pepper. The finish is eternal, clean, and mild.

Crisp and dry, with lots of mineral nuances. The body is light with the texture of taffeta. Alcohol is hinted at, while carbonation is fine and spritzy.

This is a delicate beer, in all characteristics. It drinks like a cross between Pilzner and Saison. I had been looking forward to trying Oxbow for a while and these first few beers are certainly living up to my hopes. Today is a beautiful, mild Autumn afternoon, after lots of yard work and this beer is alright!

 

Every time I see that glass, I marvel at your coordination for not spilling after every sip ;-)

Was guessing from the name that this is a grisette, and I see it is indeed (brewed with Azacca hops and spelt), although I generally think of this style as having an even lower ABV and being more amber (from a long boil) than pale?

Cheers!

 

Drinking from this glass is easier than it looks. Not that I want to diminish your opinion of my dexterity.

Yeah, it is definitely Grisette inspired, though the Americanization is less appealing in this style than an IPA or Pizner. Still, it’s a real nice beer, would have been better if the mower/blower symphonic background had been absent. Not that I can complain to much, just being outside this late in the year.

 

Loretta - Oxbow



Pours pail straw (SRM 2-3) with a shallow and short lived off white head. A webbing of lace turns to a collection of islands with a surprisingly resilient beer film clinging to the Offero wine glass. The haze glows for the duration as a fine silty sediment collects at the base.

The aroma opens with a light funk of horse blanket, perforated by coriander. There is a mild band-aid smell, ending with a very light lemon pith.

White bread is quickly followed by strong mineral flavors. Celery works its way out of the background. Bitterness is mild, tartness is faint, and sweetness is absent. This is earthy with a strong finish dominated by wheat and mineral flavors.

Very dry, actually dusty feeling, with a light body and the texture of denim. There is absolutely no hint of alcohol while carbonation is moderate with a fizzyness.

This is another Grisette by Oxbow, more earthy Grizacca was yesterday. It is a pleasant beer to enjoy as a starter. Today is quite, thankfully, and I can hear the leaves popping off the tree. I’m not really a fan of spelt, and think that may be holding these beers back. Still, knowing that, these are the first spelt beers worthy of drinking again.

BTW… We are airing out some of the many old Halloween costumes my wife made. Sad to see them go, happy to know they will live again with some lucky little girls. Some of them are nice enough to actually be worn as dresses.

 

Good morning!

Review here (3.83)

 

From Maine With Love #17 - Allagash



It is labeled as a “Dry-Hopped Saison Ale.” Personally, I don’t think dry-hopping works favorably in a Saison. It adds bitterness and astringency that shouldn’t be present, and overpowers the subtleties that are a hallmark of this style. It comes across more like how a session Belgian IPA might be expected to present. After adjusting expectations, this is a pleasant beer for a mild and sunny, late October afternoon.

 

Had an excellent French style saison - The Great P.O.G. Slammer - at our very local KinderHill Brewing in Bryan, TX. Deliciously fruity with a dangerous 7.9 ABV. Yes, I enjoyed a couple pints of this beer last night!

 

Since you said hallmark and "shouldn't be present," it's worth noting that for a period in history (supposedly), saisons could have a good amount of hop bitterness by design and Saison Dupont was a dry-hopped beer at first... but yeah, personal preference is another thing entirely. For me, Dupont's is still a beer with a good amount of hop bitterness w/o the dry-hopping.

 

I think most saison people would agree saisons should be bitter and/or tart. Sometimes both even works

 

Well, I stand corrected. This said, my impression of Saison has always been that the bitterness is a lesser component of the flavor and overall experience, than the other attributes.

Two of the three guides I use generally align with my opinion. BJCP significantly deviates on this point. Which is a surprise and an excellent reminder that one’s opinions can (often) cloud one’s recollections.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. My preference is unchanged, however I will adjust my expectations.

From BeerAdvocate’s style guide, there is no mention of bitterness, “Beers in this category are gold to light amber in color. Often bottle-conditioned, with some yeast character and high carbonation. Belgian-style Saison may have Brettanomyces or lactic character, and fruity, horsey, goaty and/or leather-like aromas and flavors. Specialty ingredients, including spices, may contribute a unique and signature character. Commonly called “farmhouse ales” and originating as summertime beers in Belgium, these are not just warm-weather treats. US craft brewers brew them year-round and have taken to adding a variety of additional ingredients.”
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/129/

From Brewer’s Association, “Classic French & Belgian-Style
Saison - Perceived bitterness: Medium-low to medium, but not assertive. Herbal, woody or other attributes typical of European-type hops are common.”
Or
“Specialty Saison - Perceived bitterness: Medium to medium-high”
https://cdn.brewersassociation.org/...84047/2022_BA_Beer_Style_Guidelines_Final.pdf

From Beer Judge Certification Program, “25B. Saison - Overall Impression: A family of refreshing, highly attenuated, hoppy, and fairly bitter Belgian ales with a very dry finish and high carbonation. Characterized by a fruity, spicy, sometimes phenolic fermentation profile, and the use of cereal grains and sometimes spices for complexity. …”. This guide goes on to mention bitterness a few more times. https://cdn.brewersassociation.org/...84047/2022_BA_Beer_Style_Guidelines_Final.pdf

 

For me, Saison Dupont and Saison De Pipaix are my preferences for the two sides of that coin.

Not aiming to correct. Just adding another perspective to widen the frame. Cheers. I tend to gravitate to bitter saisons, so that influences my picture. Speaking of bitterness levels in saison, the one I had last night from Another Moon had great bitterness. I didn't take a pic for the thread, so the empty bottle below will have to do:

 

From the BJCP style guidelines:

“IBUs: 20 – 35”

I suppose it is relative but an IBU of 35 is not especially bitter. I homebrew Pilsners with >35 IBUs.

Cheers!