Grapefruit Saison - Pipeworks Brewing Company

    Grapefruit Saison is a Saison brewed with grapefruit by Pipeworks Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois. This particular beer has only been produced once, so it may be difficult to find at this point.

    Grapefruit Saison pours a hazy gold color with an ample, foamy white head. The foam leaves some slight lacing as the beer is enjoyed.

    This fruit Saison's aroma is where it's at. Huge, juicy grapefruit scents make my mouth water in anticipation of tasting the brew. Other citrus scents are present as well, though nothing as striking as the grapefruit aroma. In addition to the fruit scents, the beer features a good bit of Saison yeast scents such as clove and other spices.

    The beer is medium bodied and sports a medium level of carbonation which gives it a nice mouthfeel while effervescing the brew's wonderful fruit aromas. The Saison finishes dry on the palette. Grapefruit Saison comes in at an alcohol content of 7% ABV.

Who said good beers don't grow on trees?

    I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed in the level of grapefruit flavor in the beer. After the wonderful aroma, I would have expected much more than the subtle hint of grapefruit juice. The grapefruit flavor is still nice and goes well with the slight sweet, bready flavors of the Saison. The yeast also lends a bit of spice to the ale as well as some fruitiness that complements the ale's citrus flavors nicely.

    Pipework's Grapefruit Saison definitely has a lot of good Saison flavors in it, I just find myself wishing that grapefruit had been more the star of the show. Without the grapefruit flavors coming out more fully, this brew seems to me to be simply a decent Saison with a little bit of disappointment mixed in.

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Apex Predator - Off Color Brewing

    Apex Predator is a Saison (AKA Farmhouse Ale) brewed by Off Color Brewing in Chicago, Illinois. In the past few months of living in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, I've become quite proud to call Off Color a local brewery. To me, Off Color seems to be just two guys who love making beer, and make it however the heck they feel like at the time. What results is usually a dang fine brew!

    Off Color's Saison is a hazy, pale orange with a thick, off-white head of foam. Much of this foam slides down the glass as the cup empties, though it leaves a nice bit of lacing on the sides of the glass.

    The Saison smells of the spicy Belgian yeast used in brewing it. Additionally, there is a slight bit of a bubblegum scent to the ale, a result of the brewing processes and yeast. Hops lend a slight grassy scent to the ale, as well as some interesting juicy, tropical fruit scents.

    Apex Predator is light to medium bodied, but is enhanced by the high level of carbonation. This carbonation is likely the reason that so many scents were perceptible, since the bubbles were propelling them out of the beer. An alcohol content of 6.5% ABV keeps things at what I would call an average level of booziness for a craft ale.

Don't trust his stories, especially when he's drinking. He's always lion.

    The Saison tastes very much like it smells with the exception that those juicy tropical flavors are much less pronounced, though definitely still there. The main event here is definitely the Belgian yeast. White pepper, cloves, and yes, even bubblegum flavors are all present, and somehow work quite well together. Even with all the different flavors, the beer still manages to be thirst quenching, which definitely a plus in a Saison.

    Many wise people have stated that history repeats itself. It's been a common theme throughout time that once a civilization reaches its Apex it quickly declines into nothingness. Take the lion. Top of his game, king of the jungle. Before long he's too lazy to get up and hunt and makes the women do his work for him. Next thing you know, he develops a drinking habit. Lazy, half-drunk, and slow in the afternoon sun, the lion sits just waiting for the younger, stronger generation to take his place. Just remember, it takes a lot of work to reach your apex, but if you relax and let your guard down, even at the top, you could soon find yourself at the bottom once more, or, you know, in a zoo.

    Apex Predator is a great take on the Saison. Time and time again, Off Color seems to take a classic beer style, put a slight spin on it, and make it great. I can't wait to try more!

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Sofie - Goose Island Beer Co.

    Sofie is a Saison (also known as a Farm House Ale) created by Goose Island Beer Co. which is located in Chicago, Illinois. I recently had the beer on tap at a local bar and loved it, so when I saw this bottle on a random trip to the liquor store I had to pick it up.

    The Saison pours a pale yellow color with a bubbly froth on top. There is a definite effervescence in the beer, the bubbles give the beer an appearance similar to champagne.

    Belgian yeast is prominent in the ale's scent as is the aroma of citrus peel. The smell is extremely bright and interesting with a tiny bit of spice backing the lemony aroma.

   Sofie is light bodied with a huge level of carbonation. Long after pouring, bubbles continue to dance around inside of the glass. The ale is very crisp and pleasantly tart. With an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV, Sofie has little in the way of alcohol flavor nor warmth.

Bubbly and sweet, I've never wanted to date a beer so much before!

     Goose Island's Saison has many light flavors which work together to create an invigorating bouquet. Fruit flavors such as lemon and pear mingle with the fruity tasting Belgian yeast to create an interesting sweetness. There is very little bitterness in the ale, and what bitterness there is comes off as the tartness of citrus fruits. As the ale warms up, flavors of wheat and a flavor almost like that of wine begin to come through.

    When I first tasted this beer I remarked to my friends that I thought it tasted like a pretty girl. No, I wasn't admitting to cannibalism. I was merely trying to express what the Saison's aroma and flavor conjured in my mind. The citrusy effervescence and wonderful aroma bring to mind the flowery perfume of a beautiful girl in the springtime. Perhaps this mental image was shared by the beer masters at Goose Island Beer Co., explaining why the ale received a girl's name.

    I was incredibly surprised that I liked this beer as I do not normally care for the flavor that Belgian yeasts lend to beers. I took a chance in trying the ale and I am extremely glad that I did. The crisp flavors and high level of carbonation really make this Saison seem like a true champagne of beers.

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