Subsidiaries
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at HopCat Ann Arbor. Deep brown pour with an off-white head. Aroma is caramelly, red apple, brown sugar, berry. Flavor has the caramel, berry, brown sugar, a touch of roastiness. Candied quality overall. Nice.
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Jan 2016
at 02:08
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 12/20/2015. Pours lightly hazy golden orange color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of tart lemon, lime, pineapple, green apple, pear, white grape, oak, pepper, wheat, cracker, biscuit, hay, straw, grass, musty funk, light leather/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, oak barrel, and pale malt notes; with good strength. Taste of tart lemon, lime, pineapple, green apple, pear, white grape, oak, pepper, wheat, cracker, biscuit, hay, straw, grass, musty funk, light leather/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate fruity/acidic tartness and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, pineapple, green apple, pear, white grape, oak, pepper, wheat, cracker, biscuit, hay, straw, grass, musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, oak barrel, and pale malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/acidic, and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish as expected of 4.5%. Overall this is a damn nice Berliner weiss style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, oak barrel, and pale malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink with the balanced acidity. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jan 2016
at 20:34
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Can. Lemon, coriander, wheat malt, and dry grass aroma. Lightly hazy pale yellow with large white head. Lightly sweet lemon biscuit malt and moderately bitter coriander and dry hay flavor. Nice body. A very nice wit on the drier side.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Jan 2016
at 19:49
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Can. Pours a clear coppery gold with a very thin head and light aromas of apples and pepper. I’m not sure I would have picked up on the pepper without the claims on the label, however. Flavor is a kind of Belgian-y Apple thing with peppercorn showing up super late on the palate. Like a minute later and very very quietly. As is, it’s a mediocre beer with the slightest hint of peppery intrigue.
Tried
from Can
on 24 Dec 2015
at 20:48
7/10
Tried
on 10 Dec 2015
at 19:45
3.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 1
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3
Canned 2/3/15, drunk 12/4/15.
Not opaque, dark brown-ebony body has a small tan head that is poorly retained.
Wow. That is really something. The nose is just 100% green bell pepper. Amazing....
The flavor is a lightly lactic mix of milk chocolate, old, sour coffee and peppery phenols with some light vanilla lingering on the end. Very mild caramel notes and the typical undermalted texture with fizzy carbonation and lots of wateriness.
Not opaque, dark brown-ebony body has a small tan head that is poorly retained.
Wow. That is really something. The nose is just 100% green bell pepper. Amazing....
The flavor is a lightly lactic mix of milk chocolate, old, sour coffee and peppery phenols with some light vanilla lingering on the end. Very mild caramel notes and the typical undermalted texture with fizzy carbonation and lots of wateriness.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Dec 2015
at 15:02
3.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 3.5
Canned 12/18/14, drunk 12/4/15.
Copper-golden body is clear, topped by a small white head with moderate to moderately low retention.
Metal, alcohol, sharp, perfumey esters and peppery phenols are what’s left a year later, now that the hops have faded.
Same in the mouth. Intensely sharp, alcoholic and heavily phenolic. Some sweetness, rather artificial, remains, with the same loose, artificial carbonation that all of their canned beers seem to have. A Belgian IPA should be pleasantly Belgian after the hops fade, with esters, phenols and malt character interestingly replacing the hops. Instead, a flabby texture, flaws and alcohol are what remains behind. Drainpour.
Copper-golden body is clear, topped by a small white head with moderate to moderately low retention.
Metal, alcohol, sharp, perfumey esters and peppery phenols are what’s left a year later, now that the hops have faded.
Same in the mouth. Intensely sharp, alcoholic and heavily phenolic. Some sweetness, rather artificial, remains, with the same loose, artificial carbonation that all of their canned beers seem to have. A Belgian IPA should be pleasantly Belgian after the hops fade, with esters, phenols and malt character interestingly replacing the hops. Instead, a flabby texture, flaws and alcohol are what remains behind. Drainpour.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Dec 2015
at 23:13
5.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Canned 1/27/15, drunk 12/4/15.
Clear amber-auburn body is topped by a small, light beige head that recedes to a ring.
Candy corn, raspberry/cherry/apple esters and a hint of buttery caramel. Very light tropical notes lingering; obviously the bulk of the hop aromatics have long since passed. Otherwise, no alcohol and pretty simplistic. Very little yeast character in Vivant’s beers.
Crystal malts provide iced tea while there is some yeast interplay creating a raspberry and cherry note. Caramel and butter toffee, rather dry, with a hard texture, moderate carbonation (fizzy, loose) and a touch of pineapple and sweet lime lingering.
Not taking points off for lack of hoppiness, which I certainly wouldn’t expect it to have at 10 months old (the hop character here is actually the best part of the beer). Rather, it has a very hard, nearly husky texture with no malt depth. The "Belgian character" is pretty lacking (though what’s there is admittedly not offensive). Carbonation is loose, fizzy, artificial feeling.
Clear amber-auburn body is topped by a small, light beige head that recedes to a ring.
Candy corn, raspberry/cherry/apple esters and a hint of buttery caramel. Very light tropical notes lingering; obviously the bulk of the hop aromatics have long since passed. Otherwise, no alcohol and pretty simplistic. Very little yeast character in Vivant’s beers.
Crystal malts provide iced tea while there is some yeast interplay creating a raspberry and cherry note. Caramel and butter toffee, rather dry, with a hard texture, moderate carbonation (fizzy, loose) and a touch of pineapple and sweet lime lingering.
Not taking points off for lack of hoppiness, which I certainly wouldn’t expect it to have at 10 months old (the hop character here is actually the best part of the beer). Rather, it has a very hard, nearly husky texture with no malt depth. The "Belgian character" is pretty lacking (though what’s there is admittedly not offensive). Carbonation is loose, fizzy, artificial feeling.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Dec 2015
at 20:52
5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Canned 1/22/15, drunk 12/4/15.
Large white head steadily recedes to cover atop a blonde, clear body.
Dough, light dustiness, hints of corn and cereal grains don’t really announce much of a saison-like nose. There’s light lactic character, hints of bubble gum and mild fruits (apples, strawberries). But mostly just dough and grains....
Hard, rather lifeless feel to the beer, with prickly carbonation and tons of huskiness and graininess, leading to a thin, watery finish with light fruitiness and a hint of acidity. Very little malt depth, loose carbonation and just vaguely Belgian.
On one hand I thought about not reviewing the beers I got in this sampler 9-pack, but they were refrigerated and even if they weren’t refrigerated, I’ve had Saison Dupont’s that have sat on the shelf warm for years that were absolutely delicious. So I don’t see any reason why the beers were in such poor condition after 10-12 months in the fridge.
Large white head steadily recedes to cover atop a blonde, clear body.
Dough, light dustiness, hints of corn and cereal grains don’t really announce much of a saison-like nose. There’s light lactic character, hints of bubble gum and mild fruits (apples, strawberries). But mostly just dough and grains....
Hard, rather lifeless feel to the beer, with prickly carbonation and tons of huskiness and graininess, leading to a thin, watery finish with light fruitiness and a hint of acidity. Very little malt depth, loose carbonation and just vaguely Belgian.
On one hand I thought about not reviewing the beers I got in this sampler 9-pack, but they were refrigerated and even if they weren’t refrigerated, I’ve had Saison Dupont’s that have sat on the shelf warm for years that were absolutely delicious. So I don’t see any reason why the beers were in such poor condition after 10-12 months in the fridge.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Dec 2015
at 19:06
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Refrigerated 16 oz. aluminum can poured into a weizenbock glass. Hazy deep golden with medium white head which dissipates fairly quickly. Aroma is light citrus, light body, medium/light carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is light citrus and coriander. Descent wit.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Dec 2015
at 20:30