Saison Voisin - Brasserie Des Géants

avalon07

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear texture. There was a half inch of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Excellent lacing.

S: An okay aroma of malt, a little citrus, and that saison funkiness.

T: Tasted of malt, citrus (grapefruit?), the aforementioned funkiness, and a slightly bready quality. A decent enough flavor, but doesn't break through to being great.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp, dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Not the worst saison I've tried, but it could have been better than it was. A drinkable beer, but kind of forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 22:49:24 | More by avalon07

thierrynantes

France

4/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Bières & Chopes, and tasted in 2012.

Appearance : amber color with beige foamy head (nice lacing).
Smell : fruity and citrus aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : hoppy with haezl notes and dryness in finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the Belgian style Saison.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 16:26:50 | More by thierrynantes

Aml42000

Washington

2.78/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Dark hazy gold with a fluffy white head.

S- Cinammon and ginger are out in front. Very unusual for a Saison.

T- Malty and a bit medicinal. Developed more herbal/biscuit notes as it warmed up. Bitter finish- not in the way I like.

M- Austere and full of minerals on the aftertaste. Full of hard edges and a bit challenging to enjoy.

O- A very strange Saison. Not one of the better ones I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 06:12:10 | More by Aml42000

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.13/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

33cl bottle into a Saison Voisin pint glass; ordered (against my suggestion) by my friend at Bier Circus.

A: Clear, bubbly amber body under 2" of very creamy tan foam that settles slowly and leaves lots of lace. Gorgeous.

S: Husky, grassy, bitter, stale malt. Unpleasant.

T: Follows the nose, sadly. Weak malt, ginger, and grassy bitterness. Slightly sweet but still very bitter finish. Not good.

M: Painfully prickly, overcarbonated medium body.

O: This was just bad.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 15:04:31 | More by woosterbill

danedelman

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a-coppery color with little head.

S-malt with a little bit of spiciness.

T-same as the smell. Disappointted as this style should have a touch of tartness to it and it has none. Lots of malt on this one.

M-medium body with decent carbonation. Drinkable but not my favorite. doesn't rate very high on my list and not worth the pricetag.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 22:52:15 | More by danedelman

Filosoof

Netherlands

4.45/5  rDev +34.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Drinking this beer I'm realizing that you always have to stay thinking yourself. If I would believe the other 131 reviewers this would be a quite bad beer. Or at best: nothing special.

But to my taste, this is just another very good saison. The looks are full and great, with a peachy colour and a big head. The smell is very subtle. The taste has something of mandarin, lots of spices, almond, funk and very good hops. The mouthtaste is full and almost perfect, with a lovely bitter (but not too hard) finish.

Overall: I trust myself: a lovely beer, certainly one to drink more often.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 18:38:38 | More by Filosoof

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

my bottle says 6%, not 5, but whatever. pours a hazy bronze color with a good belgian white head. smells like a farmhouse, funky and tart with a nice belgian yeaty finish. flavor is less sour than the nose, but really interesting palate. a grape juice/table wineish tannic thing. mouthfeel is okay, a little heavier than it should be, but with brilliant carbonation and that patented belgian yeast finish. not the best saison out there, not even close, but a useful brew. it has its place

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:41:04 | More by StonedTrippin

CharlieMurphy

New York

3.18/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Brownish amber. Yeasty white bread cake head.

S: Of medium viscosity, light sugar, a little sugar plum, a little fig, a tiny little grassy twang.

T: Lighter than the smell foreshadowed. Carbonation mutes things down - some old hops, yeasty grass. Much more narrow in dimension vs. the aroma.

M: Lighter side of medium - the bottle conditioned carbonation is lower as typical for the style and is accented on the end by old hops. The carbonation overpowers some other things despite being modest.

O: This is still thicker than your typical saison from belgium (ie. Fantome, Dupont) which is to my liking. vrrrr drinkable

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 04:07:58 | More by CharlieMurphy

ckollias

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 11.2oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Murky brown ale with a thick 2-finger white head that quickly dissipates into a wispy lace.

S: Musty caramel and malt aroma. Hints of fruits and sweetness in the background.

T: Very sweet brew with a medicinal phenol flavor hitting at you at first. Each sip is very sweet and there are hints of fruits, banana cloves, yeast, and spices.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation

O: Decent beer – a little lacking in the flavor department – but overall worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 00:49:18 | More by ckollias

JamnesCameron

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tumbler. Pours a clear, light copper with a huge light tan head. Head drops slowly, leaving some nice lacing.

Aromas of musty, peppery yeast. Honeyed malt aromas.

Flavors of honeyed malt, peppery yeast, spicy phenols, no hop flavor.

Mouthfeel is light/medium with a mild bitterness, mild astringency, and good level of carbonation. Not as dry as most.

Overall a good saison. Not as peppery as most other authentic (belgian) saisons and the honeyed malt sweetness is a nice balancing touch.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 00:58:33 | More by JamnesCameron

ehammond1

California

2.73/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle (2010)

Port Bottle Shop
Carlsbad, CA

A murky and hazy dark brown and orange. Two finger off white head. Some spotted lacing down the glass.

This smells EXACTLY like Martinell's Apple Juice, which is fine...for apple juice, but not a saison. No complexity, no funk, no barnyard, no hops, no yeast...just apple juice.

This beer tastes of dirt (earth?), apples, some slight tang from the yeast, grains, and muddy hop bitterness. Nothing mixes particularly well together, though it isn't at all bad.

Medium to thick mouthfeel, a touch sharp and metallic, and not particularly drinkable, especially for a saison. I usually find myself gulping saisons and wondering how my glass ended up empty so quickly--this one is taking a while.

Not any better than average saison. I wouldn't recommend this, though it might pair well with salty food.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 02:24:03 | More by ehammond1

Aberration

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Good ol' Pint Glass.

A: Hazy amber coloration, fleeting head.

S: Smells faintly of apple to me. I'd call it apple+brown ale.

T: Tastes like it smells, apple infused ale. I had this standalone and with some pork ribs...and let me just say that it really went much better with food than it did alone. Great compliment to pork in my opinion.

M: A little bubbly, easy drinking ale. Nothing too special here

Overall: Wasn't thoroughly impressed by this offering, but it certainly wasn't bad. Great to pair food with, and maybe a good session beer, and even a lawnmower-esque beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 17:25:44 | More by Aberration

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.18/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I found a saison a few of my friends had not reviewed. Unfortunately, it was not one of the better examples of the style.

The appearance is orange with a thick, white head that displays lasting retention and leaves ample lacing in its wake.

The aroma is floral, zesty, and spicy with some bready malt scents.

The flavor is a little soapy. Huh. Not digging that. Additionally, the yeast presence I look forward to in a saison is rather lacking here. For a saison, the beer is sweeter than I accustomed to. If anything, I would expect funk and/or yeast in lieu of sweetness.

This was mediocre. I don't see myself having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 01:32:38 | More by Huhzubendah

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle courtesy of Geist. Served in a tulip.

Pours a golden-peach color with a very large white head and quite a bit of lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward some light malt with grain and bread. Other than that, there is a bit of clove and some moderate spice. The flavor has a really grainy texture with a bit of faint spice. Light body with average carbonation. Don't like the grainy character and lack of any saison yeast presence.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 21:42:45 | More by Thorpe429

rbd13

Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brown/copper color with a fluffy head. Plenty of yeast particles can be seen floating in the glass.
Smells of honey, light fruits, and clove.
There are flavors of pepper, light fruit(apple) and honey malt. Finishes with a mellow tartness.
has a medium body with heavy carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 13:04:01 | More by rbd13

brewdoc75

Minnesota

2.63/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a middle of the road amber color into my red wine glass. Cloudy and very carbonated. A strong, off-white head sits on top and lasts a while. A little, dirty lace along the sides.

S: Earthy, dank, fairly malty. Some caramel, which seems odd for the style. Light spiciness. A touch of citrus. Really not terribly aromatic.

T: First, a harsh bitterness is noted. This is followed by strong caramel malts. Not something I would expect to find in my saisons. The hops provide some spiciness and a little skunky flavor. The beer really lacks the typical saison yeast character. Minimal phenols and esters are noted. Really not very exciting mixed with some harsh bitterness and too much caramel for the style.

M: Dry and light bodied, like it should be. Based on its taste and slightly smooth mouthfeel, I presume there are some caramel malts in here. This doesn't fit well for the mouthfeel. Finishes dry, but a little hop stickiness.

O: Really not a great beer. I wouldn't call it undrinkable or bad, but average to below average. They definitely added some caramel malts to this beer. It doesn't really fit well for the style and really throws me off on this beer. I won't be having this again, but wouldn't scare others away from at least trying this. If I were in Belgium and could have a fresher version, perhaps I would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 01:36:35 | More by brewdoc75

NorCalYeti

California

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

taste- belgian candy sugar, earthiness

color- deep honey amber

clarity- clear

smell- honey, graham cracker, bready, underwhelming

body- medium-length soft bitter finish, waxy mouthfeel on the top of the mouth, spicy, prickly medium bite at the front of the tongue

appearance- poured with a one finger off-white head that disipates quickly. some active carbonation, no lace retention

overall impression- average...not my sytle for a saison

notes and comments- served in a trappist glass. label on the bottle says light on the tongue and refreshingly fruity and bitter. i didn't experience those characteristics that much

beer spy- the trappist, oakland ca, 3/13/11, $8.00, 12oz

glassware: chalice

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 23:50:04 | More by NorCalYeti

Jwaks

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This is not what I was expecting from a saison. I believe the category has been 'narrowly defined' by a few well known saisons and this demonstrates it is a much broader style than I thought.

Appearance - translucent golden body showing orange hues below a few fingers off-white head that's longlasting with beautiful lacing

Aroma - granny smith apple, honey, earthy spice, pale and light caramel malts backed by citrus zest, alcohol, hops and some peppery spice

Taste - follows the nose but is underwhelming considering the aroma; a bit flat some semi-tart apple, earty spice, honey, caramel or molasses, pale malts, and a long lasting woody floral hop bitterness. The granny smith apple tartness, and peppery earthy spice comes back on the finish melding nicely with the hop bitterness.

mouthfeel - faily full for a saison with a nice drying finish and lingering bitterness

drinkability - a bit difficult to down a lot of it because it's not terribly enjoyable and because of the full mouthfeel and honey/caramel flavor

Not what I would normally drink if I want a saison, but it is a good education on the old world saison and what it may mean.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 00:03:05 | More by Jwaks

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Mike for the bottle.

Pours a murky, muddy, orange brown body with a light tan head.

Aromas of caramel covered apple and toffee with nutty, fruity undertones.

The palate is nutty, malty, and fruity. The spicy, peppery, hoppy, and acidic flavors that are commonly found in Saison are strangely absent.

Medium body, less carbonation than is typically found in the style.

This was a nice, simple, pleasant enough beer. But for a beer that features the word Saison so prominently on the label, the characteristics that define the Saison style seem to be completely lacking. I would describe it as a Belgian amber ale, not that that is an actual style. Its been a while since I have tried De Koninck, but I think that would be a good comparison. Not bad, but a little boring.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 02:33:17 | More by BradLikesBrew

chaz01

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle from the Beer of the Month Club, poured into a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Hazy brownish red color with an excessive thick head occupying more than half the glass. Off-white colored head recedes slowly leaving some heavy lacing on the glassware.

S: Floral aroma with some grassy notes along with some spices reminding me of Christmas.

T: Orange citrusy and bready with some more spice notes such as cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Reminds me of a fresh-baked orange-cinnamon bread.

M: Medium bodied with lots of carbonation. I enjoyed this beer more after letting it sit to release some of the carbonation.

D: Very complex and somewhat spicy beer. Not something I'd want to drink a lot of but the spices reminded me of a holiday beer, although it doesn't mention that on the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 01:39:09 | More by chaz01

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer pours a beautiful rust colored beer with a big tight head leaving plenty of lace. Aroma is very malty somewhat fruity and salty with some horehound. This smells a bit like an Oktoberfest which is a little odd. Well, it smells like the most rustic Oktoberfest ever I guess. The flavor is a bit on the sweet side with some caramel initially but this seems to have faded about halfway through the glass and a champagne dryness presents its self, making it a little mind boggling that the initial impression was of sweetness. After that sweetness or caramel or whatever I didn't like at first fades a lot of the earthy hoppiness comes and balances the beer out fairly nicely. The maltiness of this beer is very present and it's pretty damned clean which is no complaint. There is a bitterness at the back on the throat on this thing that kind of teases you into wishing it were more bitter throughout, but it's nice nonetheless. There is a bit of pear fruitiness and that horehound in the aroma delivers in the flavor eventually as well which is very good. I wonder what sort of hops are in this? I've used a lot of strisselspalt as of late and they seem to impart the same sort of earthy funky bitterness that has. I've really never tasted a saison like this one. Man the longer I drink this the more I love it.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 17:43:37 | More by BieresDesMoines

metter98

New York

3.1/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is cloudy dark amber in color. It poured with a finger high white head and has a light amount of carbonation; yeast particles are visible floating in suspension.
S: There are light aromas of apples and spices in the nose.
T: Flavors of apples and bitterness dominate the overall taste, which is rather malty; there are also notes of caramel and spices.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of dryness in the finish.
D: The taste is rather unusual but it wasn't that easy to drink so I'm not sure if I would try this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 04:12:47 | More by metter98

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Atypically dark, caramel-like. Fast and lively carbonation. Interesting seafoam head. Nice thick lacings.

Fruity aroma, somewhere between tangerine and grapefruit. A bit of fresh hop zing too.

Just a touch of nice, light, fruity malt and biscuit right up front but it's quickly overwhelmed by some astringent bitterness helped along with generous carbonation. Some dry continental hopping at the backend.

Nothing quite so bizarre as a quenching beer that you'd rather not have more of. Early flavours show promise, but it falls apart with some thoroughly un-saison like characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 19:53:23 | More by CanuckRover

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A Belgian Saison sitting patiently in my fridge for about a year. Brewed in the medieval castle of Irchonwelz. Though the BA Site lists this brew at 5%ABV it reads on the bottle 6%.

Poured into a Saison Dupont glass. A huge, fierce, crackling white head forms with hundreds of craters opening up and condensing into the foam. Orange/tawny brown in color. Excellent retention and bubbly lace.

Aroma is sweet, bready, yeasty. Appetizing. Light hay and barnyard elements.

Mild tartness with a lot of hop flavor. Super clean and drying. With the sting of viscousity is a soft fruity flavor. Bitterness is still there after all this time. Pale malt body. Poured some of the yeasty sediment in halfway, adding a more complex touch to the beer.

Mouthfeel is light bodied, very dry finish and generally makes me want to take another sip rapidly.

A very enjoyable beer that I wish was more widely available. Got this through the mail from a Belgian beer site in 2009.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 06:04:51 | More by Stinkypuss

rebel1771

Florida

2.93/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a copper color with a coarse head that fades quickly.

S: Sour aroma with apple, citrus, and raisin notes.

T: The fruit from the smell does not come through at all. Strange dry malt flavor dominates and leaves no room for anything else.

D: This brew looked and smelled good but is way off the mark on taste. Where taste is concerned this beer doesn't even come close to resembling a saison.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 22:19:28 | More by rebel1771