Zaison
Brewery Vivant

ZaisonZaison
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From:
Brewery Vivant
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Saison
Ranked #644
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
83
Ranked #23,577
Avg:
3.68 | pDev: 14.67%
Reviews:
59
Ratings:
232
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
Jul 26, 2011
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  23
Imperial Saison brewed with black peppercorns & orange peel
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.9 by Sparty1965 from Michigan

Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 3.89 by Roguer from Connecticut

Sep 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.34 by Jacob_Schneider616 from Michigan

Mar 06, 2022
Photo of MaltsOfGlory
Reviewed by MaltsOfGlory from Oregon

3.62/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
16oz can

Pours a finger of white head into my snifter. Retention is poor and the head fizzes away within a minute. Initial lacing looks ok. Body is a cloudy yellowish orange. Looks pretty meh so far.

Some sulfur on the nose, significant citrus, wheat. Not much in the way of fruity esters or spice. Smells more like a Witbier than a Saison. I don’t hate this but I certainly don’t love it; the citrus is nice.

Flavor is definitely better, there is a lot going on here. Big citrus hits up front, wheat, faint sulfur, finishes with a touch of spicy esters. Alcohol is very present, but not offensive and there isn’t any burn.

Mouthfeel is huge. Carbonation is very high. The body starts off light but quickly fills the palate with a heavy presence. Not extremely sweet, but the sugars do hit pretty hard in the finish and are hard to ignore entirely. Bitterness is decent, combined with the alcohol there is a significant bite. A little in your face, but I dig it, very cool mouthfeel.

Drinkability isn’t wonderful, it’s definitely a semi-slow drinker, but it’s still an enjoyable beer.

Appearance turned out poor, zero lacing to accompany the nonexistent head.

Overall this is a nice beer, I’ll always appreciate an attempt to make an imperial Saison. That said, this doesn’t have all the great qualities a killer Saison would have. Perhaps those qualities were never here in the first place, or perhaps they are slightly dwarfed by the adjunct spices, who knows.
Dec 12, 2021
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Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can PACKAGED ON 08/02/21 (5 weeks ago) poured into a becher glass at fridge temp 9.5% ABV. The beer pours hazy peach colored amber with off white head. The head recedes to a pencil thin ring with no residual head or lacing. The aroma is mild with orange peel, light black pepper and a little spicy yeasty note. The taste is semisweet pale malt with the orange peel and black pepper showing up immediately. Further sipping brings out a touch of clovey yeast and mild bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. The ABV is well hidden. Overall, very good imperial saison. I like the sweet and spicy interplay.
Sep 13, 2021
 
Rated: 3.71 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Sep 07, 2021
 
Rated: 3 by rare_bird from Michigan

Dec 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by BigRipCity from Alaska

Jun 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3.83 by JeffSK from Wisconsin

Dec 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Coho11 from Ohio

Nov 04, 2017
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Reviewed by Danmullens1 from Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16oz. can into a New Belgium glass. Nice looking golden orange beer with quickly retreating white head. Smell is glorious. Stone fruit, some peppery spice, funk, booze, and maybe a touch of orange peel. This would be great with brunch. Taste follows suit. This is a very drinkable Saison for the ABV. I would definitely have this again.
Sep 24, 2017
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 6/14/2017. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy medium golden/yellow color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, white grape, citrus peel, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, light funk, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, spices, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, white grape, citrus peel, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, light funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness, light citrus peel bitterness, and slight tart/tangy wheat/yeast on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, white grape, citrus peel, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, light funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, spices, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth and creamy/bready/grainy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with a mildly increasing warmth of 9.3% after the finish. Overall this is a delicious imperial saison. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, spices, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the big ABV. Great rustic feeling yeast character complexity, with balanced spices and malt sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and great style example.
Sep 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.74 by West_Chester_Ale_Tester from Ohio

Sep 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by briantullis1 from Illinois

Aug 19, 2017
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Reviewed by gopens44 from Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Not getting orange or peppercorn, but I do enjoy this as a straight up Saison which is a tad hotter than the run of the mill of the style. Even with that, it's no stingingly hot beer either. I'd rate it higher if it lived up to the label, but it doesn't.
Aug 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Aug 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.6 by MI_beerdrinker from Texas

Oct 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.91 by Jackalope1977 from Michigan

Aug 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by loganburgh from Michigan

Aug 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by km02600 from Michigan

Jul 16, 2016
Zaison from Brewery Vivant
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 232 ratings