Saison de Pipaix

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

[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.

(Bottle 75 cl) Reddish amber, no head - and not really any carbonation either. actually this beer is completely flat. With it’s pronounced tartness this appears more akin to Gueuze which is a bit odd for a Saison. Wooden, fusty notes. Very quenching - but a strange bird indeed, 260997

Bottled. Clear reddish amber with small head. Vinous aroma with plenty of red grapes. Fresh and light bodied with some citric acidity. Lightly spicy but cellary notes takes over towards the finish. Bears vague signs of defective cork - I must try to locate this beer again...

Bottle 75cl. @ home.
Clear medium amber orange color with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is light to moderate malty, light to moderate yeasty, spicy, moderate pepper. Flavor is moderate sweet and light light acidic with a average to long duration, and a peppery finish. Body is light to medium, texture is watery, carbonation is soft. (290608)

Bottled. Orange, slightly hazy, colour with mediumsized off-white creamy head, nice lace. Aroma is slightly fruity but mainly bigtime earth, mould and barnyard. A bunch of spices also. Flavour is pleasant spicing, earthyness, wood, some sourness and at the same time sweet fruity. Nice balance and really full palated.

When mid-90s vintages were pouring in the early 00s, they were magical. Since then, I have had a lot of trouble finding a Pipaix that truly knocked me out. The last sample I had had a golden body and very low carbonation. No head. Big herbal aroma hinting at apple skin bitterness. Spice, apple, light malt. Very herbal. It’s a quirky beer, but it hasn’t been itself the past few years.

Corked bottle, about 4 years old
Beautiful (cloudy) orange-amber color; big head. Very good; maybe too dry and a bit thin at the end because of the age, but well spicy, both the aroma and taste (coriander and most of all white pepper).

(1996 bottle, sampled 6/7/03): Murky orange body with small off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, orange liqueur, pear, yeast, faint licorice and raisin. Taste is vinegar, light sweetness, orange, yeast, pepper. Nice dry finish. Medium body and fairly carbonated (despite being 7 years old).