Review: Low Life House Saison

First off, if you happen to be in Vancouver on September August 10th, check out Farmhouse Fest! I've been promising myself to go for years but due to time, money and life, I won't be able to go. So go for me!

Classic old school Belgian-style Saisons are easily one of my favourite styles of beer but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be that way for most people. Last year I was trying my best to find *any* Saison within a short driving distance. Well, I got an answer near immediately! One of the brewers (Chris) at Winnipeg's Low Life Barrel House told me to look out for their House Saison. Well, that was exactly what I'm looking for but unfortunately it was only available in Winnipeg.

Anywho, sometimes when you want something bad enough you have to do something yourself to get it in your hands. I talked to one of the product advisors at my local LC and asked about doing a special purchase of the beer, I was willing to cough up a whole flat (or two four) of it in order to make it happen. Well, from my request alone, not only did they bring the beer in, but also brought in a few others including their foeder aged Lagers. At $3.00 per 355mL (at time of this post.. I'm sure the price will go up if you're reading this in 2027.. hi future!), which is pretty affordable, especially for a style that's hard to find to begin with.. I've been splurging a lot of my paycheques on this beer already.

Appearance: Pours a very hazy copper-orange for body, a light amount of carbonation in the body itself, while the head is heavy, thick and frothy with an off-white hue to it, soapy even. The head does, believe it or not, go down eventually, but just ever so subtly. 

Aroma: Lemon zest up front, a slight bit of barnyard funk to give it a slight woodiness and saddle. There's a hint of grapefruit that pops out from the hops, a slight peppery spice at the very end. 

Taste: The citrus comes out first and foremost in this beer - a good deal of lemon, followed by grapefruit and even a hint of melon. I certainly get a Belgian yeast taste that brings me back to a beer sampling picnic in a random Montreal park several years ago. The carbonation of the beer tickles my mouth a tad, while the beer is dry but not by much. Surprisingly hopped with a floral/alfalfa (and grapefruit) presence to it. Slight woodiness to it at the end and a very very very faint tartness as well. Lastly, a slight tingling aftertaste from the Belgian yeast and hops used.. lots of tingling.

Overall Thoughts: I've seen this beer grow quite a bit since I was first recommended it. When I first had it I discovered it on Untappd as "Very dry, which I like but pretty light on flavour.. slight citrus but too too light for me. Hint of straw." Now: it's well balanced and not as dry as it used to be. This is pretty much what I want for a patio beer all spring and summer long. One funny thing for me: Chris and Brian over at Low Life both worked on two of the earliest Saisons I ever enjoyed back in 2011/2012. Chris with La Saison de la Ceinture Fléchée at Half Pints, and Brian with Saison d'Etre at Alley Kat. 5.2% ABV

Edit: I originally wrote this back in May but my SD card completely crashed on me, losing thousands of photos from 2020-now, including photos for this review. 

PS: I wouldn't mind chilling in a small Belgian farmhouse like the one in the picture.