Saison de Pipaix

Brewed by Brasserie à Vapeur
Style: Saison
Leuze-Pipaix, Belgium

One of the most traditional examples of Saison, is brewed by the Brasserie A Vapeur of Pipaix, Belgium. Their Saison de Pipaix is based on a 1785 Saison recipe, and is one of the most refreshing, and delicious beers you will ever taste. Saison de Pipaix is brewed with pale and Munich malts, and is hopped with Hallertau hops. It is then spiced with ginger, pepper, sweet orange, coriander, and curacao orange peel. This beer is unpasteurized, and bottle condition, or sedimented with yeast, before the bottles are corked and capped. This bottle conditioning allows the beer to ferment for a second time in the bottle, and complex flavor changes will take place as the beer matures. The 750ml bottle($8) I am reviewing here, was brewed and bottled in 1985, and was cellared at the brewery for 17 years before released. This particular vintage is stellar in my opinion, with lots of big flavors and aromas, but with such a refreshing and delicious drink ability. Saison is one of the ultimate summer beers, and Saison de Pipaix, is one of the best in my opinion. Saison de Pipaix pours to a hazy bright orange/deep gold color, with a thick and rocky white head, and a very lively carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful. Lots of big orange peel aromas marry with spicy notes of coriander, pepper, and some sourness. The palate is tart and refreshing, with a nice base of pale malt flavor, some vinous notes, some flavors of orange, and spicy ginger. Saison de Pipaix finishes with more complex and tangy flavors, then ends with a very dry, sour finish that lingers on the tongue. I found this 1985 vintage to be exceptional, and believe the years of age have really allowed the flavors to develop. This beer is the ultimate aperitif beer, and would work well with a number of dishes. Its refreshing and tart flavors, give this beer tremendous cutting power, and it would be the perfect match to rich dishes such as roasted lamb, prime rib, or duck. I matched my 750ml bottle, with a crisp garden salad, grilled tuna steaks, and grilled mixed vegetables. It was a phenomenal matching.

Brilliant, magnifying clarity and pale copper in color with some bubbly doilies around the edges but not much else for the head. Alluring aroma of curacau, coriander, pepper, souring lemon rinds, apricots and orange skin. All-in-all, it’s got that desirable sour sense that’s sparking salivation. Flavor delivers and is exactly what I was in the mood for last night. Brisk, therapeutic souring annotations slide in and gracefully edge out the sweet ginger spice and lemon tartness. Dried tangerines and lucid, lucrative pear juice give it a sharp, yet sugary twanging component. Titillating pepper and a coriander scratch add a layer of complexity, principally when it comes to the mouth feel. Effervescence is mildly muted, but the finish is thirst educing, with an aftertaste of peppered, half-sugared orange-flavored Sour Patch Kids. Wonderful, classic rendition. Thanks for the bottle, CaptainCougar!

1995 Vintage. This beer had a light tart aroma and a golden color with a fully diminishing white head. Light apple flavor, nice tart aftertaste. Original rating: 7/3/7/1/14

2004 bottle at Smokeless Joe’s. Light orange, big bubbly head. Interesting musty barnyard aroma, with hints of ginger and some hops and sweetness - really nice. Interesting wine like musty taste - both sweet and sour. Pretty nice, interesting weird sour taste.

[Vintage 1995 - sampled 2005] An unclear orange beer with a small beige head. The aroma contains notes of cork, wood, alcohol, and peach, while the flavor on a slightly acidic background has notes of wood, peach apricot, and spices.

[Vintage 2004 - sampled 2005] A slightly hazy orange beer with a huge off white head. The aroma is extremely strong and sweet with strong spicy notes of lemon grass. The flavor is very sweet and very spicy again with lemon grass and anise, but also some fruity notes going towards lime. [6/3/6/3/12]

I find the 1 year old a bit too sharp in the edges and citric in flavor, while the 10 year old seems a bit over the edge. I’d like to sample this 3-5 years old.

1995. New from B.United. I have to wonder why they are still distributing a beer like this. This beer has pretty much turned itself into something that somewhat resembles Gueuze-lambic. It’s mildly tart and very one dimensional with the only discernable spice being the pepper. I found it very metallic and it also gave me a killer headache.

2000 bottle. Great fruity aroma - apples, pears, green grapes, black pepper, straw, must, pale malt. Golden-amber color, clear, big off-white head. Slightly grainy maltiness, spicy - black pepper and clove, some bitterness in the finish. Medium body, high carbonation, very dry finish. The 5 years of age allowed the the flavors from all the crazy ingredients mellow and meld in this one. I don’t know what it would taste like fresh, but with age it is really nice.

Clear orange-gold colour, OK head. Has the lemony aroma and nice yeasty bitterness of a gueuze (De Cam particularly.) Lemon pepper, nice apple cores à la Thorogoods and the aroma of picking tennis balls off the roof after hitting them up there in backyard cricket (though I’m not so sure I’d identify it as such if I didn’t know there was lichen in it.) Fresh, juicy, appley malt, mint leaves, ginger and the tartness leads nicely into the bitterness. Some pepper in the finish and a kind of chilli cider character. The spices are beautifully integrated, though I can’t help but think I identified certain flavours because I know they’re used in it. Really good stuff - I could drink it all night - but it didn’t blow me away like when I had it in Kortrijk.