Beer of the Week

The beer: Mimosa Saison

The brewery: Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri

Description (from the website): "This French oak cask-aged blood orange Mimosa Saison makes it easy to bring that carefree brunch energy anywhere. Bright blood orange meets the lively character of a Belgian-style saison, creating a bubbly, citrus-kissed celebration in a glass. Wherever you raise it—noon, midnight, or somewhere deliciously in-between—it’s brunch."

Would I buy it again? So, what we have here is a beer that I can tell is very well made and quite good, but just isn't quite for me. There's a lot of orange flavor, it's relatively light and easy to drink, but the citrus comes in a little strong. Unfortunately, I'm just not that much into citrus. So, I would pass in the future, but if you like the taste of orange and mimosa, this beer will be right up your alley.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The Rube

The brewery: Attaboy Beer, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Crazy excited to share our latest from the cellar, The Rube. This spelt saison has been aging for ten months in wine barrels before another two bottle & keg conditioning. And whoa nelly, we couldn’t be happier with the result. He has a nice lemony zip backed up with a touch of funk and hay. A real delight. Come give this country bumpkin a try."

Would I buy it again? I don't think I'd buy this again, since I don't really care for tart beers (or tart anything), but this beer did grow on me as I drank it. It's definitely got some white wine flavor to it as well, which does help. It's definitely not a bad beer, and if tart is more your style, I think you'll get a lot more out of it than I did. It's just not for me.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Santa! I Know Him!

The brewery: Evil Genius Beer Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "A complex Belgian-style ale that kisses Santa Claus. Our holiday saison is brewed with rose hips, chamomile, black currants, and dark candy syrup. Complex and intriguing, this is the one who broke dad’s leg lamp."

Would I buy it again? I don't think I've ever had a holiday/winter-themed saison before, since that particular style is more associated with spring. And you know what? If this beer is anything to go by, that's a mistake, because this particular saison is excellent. Cool and refreshing to drink, with the rose hips and chamomile playing gently with the syrup and beer undertones. I hope it's still around next time I go beer shopping, because I'm definitely buying more.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Classic Belgian-Style Saison

Brewed by: Blackberry Farm Brewery, Maryville, Tennessee

Description: "This Belgian-style Saison features European noble-type hops, authentic Belgian Saison yeast and the finest European two-row malt."

Would I buy it again?: Saisons are perfect for a nice spring day, and this was no exception. Not much to say, this beer is light but tasty, and I would definitely buy it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Vernal Elixir

Brewed by: Midnight Brewery, Rockville, Virginia

Description (from the bottle): "This saison is sure to quench your thirst for a light, refreshing brew. It's true-to-style character and strong dose of New Zealand dry hops and lemongrass import a lemon-lime fruitiness you're bound to enjoy. Cheers to the bright days of spring!"

Would I buy it again?: It's a bit too hoppy for my taste, but it's not bad. A nice refreshing beer for the start of warmer weather. I wouldn't say no if I find it again. I will say that my choice of beer glass was absolutely horrendous though. It took 10 minutes to get the full bottle into the glass. Lots and lots of foam with this one.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saisonztraminer

Brewed by: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York

Description (from the website): "Saisonztraminer begins as a delicate farmhouse saison. After the brew house, gewürztraminer grape juice is blended in and the mixture is cofermented using our house Belgian yeast. The result is a beer with all the peppery phenols and lively effervescence one would expect of the style, but with flavors of rose petals, lychee fruit and honeysuckle, as well as a vinous minerality that would be impossible to achieve without the cofermentation process."

Would I buy it again?: This is certainly one of the fanciest beers I've ever had, and I wish I had a more appropriate glass for it. But I'm fairly confident that the correct glass wouldn't make it taste that much better. Frankly it doesn't have much taste at all. At least, not nearly as much as I was expecting, considering it's basically got wine in it. It's actually a pretty light and drinkable beer, which would be fine if it cost $8 for a six pack. But I'm sure it doesn't, so I'm going to say that this really isn't worth the cost. I wouldn't get it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saison de Lis

Brewed by: Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, Missouri

Description (from the website): "A straw colored Belgian-style Saison brewed with chamomile flowers. It is fermented with a traditional saison yeast strain that imparts fruity and spicy notes that dovetail perfectly with the tea-like quality of the chamomile. Finishes dry, tart, and refreshing."

Would I buy it again?: I bought this beer quite a while ago, and at that point, I had no idea what chamomile tasted like. Well, in between then and now, I got a very sore throat and was drinking chamomile tea multiple times a day in a desperate search for relief. During that time, I learned that I really don't like chamomile that much. So a beer flavored with chamomile really didn't do much for me.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Space Monkey Raspberry Saison

Brewed by: Fegley's Brew Works, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "Space Monkey is formulated to rocket around your palate with a 21st century complexity in flavor and aroma. Hints of lemon and pepper orbit around a raspberry tartness to guarantee a successful flight. Brewed with 480 lbs of raspberries!"

Would I buy it again?: As much as it pains me to dislike a beer called Space Monkey, I'm afraid that this just isn't my kind of beer. I don't think it's necessarily the beer's fault, I think I'm just not a big fan of raspberries, and this beer has quite a noticeable raspberry flavor to it. Considering how it's made, that doesn't seem surprising.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Saison Farmhouse-style Ale

Brewed by: Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond, Virginia

Description (from the website): "Our Saison is a pale gold-colored farmhouse-style ale. We use a traditional yeast strain and Continental hops that in combination imbue an aroma with a mild spiciness tempered with fruit. The beer is medium-bodied, with a slight acidity. It is effervescent and dry, with an edge of bitterness that balances the fruitiness of the aroma. A yeast-derived refreshing, spicy ale."

Would I buy it again?: Probably not. It just didn't grab me. If I were to end up at their taproom, I'd reconsider, but I wouldn't buy a bottle of it at a store.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Sorachi Ale

Brewed by: Brooklyn Brewery, New York

Description (from the bottle): "Brooklyn Sorachi Ale is a bright saison built around the unique flavors of its namesake hop. The Sorachi Ale hop brings a zesty lemongrass aroma and complex citrus flavors, which we matched up with clean malts and playful Belgian yest. Golden, unfiltered, and cracklingly dry, Brooklyn Sorachi Ale glows in the glass and pairs wonderfully with seafood, fresh cheeses, and more. Go ahead, pour yourself some liquid sunshine."

Would I buy it again?: Probably not. Sorry Brooklyn, but I've had better saisons. This didn't do enough to really distinguish itself from the rest. Not bad, just forgettable.