Check out our July issue for info on the history of saison, as well as 5 reviews that aren’t included in this post.
Although saison is a Belgian style, many of the best examples being made today are coming from American craft brewers who have taken to the style with great enthusiasm. The free-flowing framework of saison is very similar to the brewing philosophies of many American brewers, and the style seems to be finding new energy at their hands.
One of the most popular and widely available is Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. A dry, spicy, and relatively clean example of the style, it is pretty easy to find and a good starting point if you are just getting acquainted with the style. Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City Missouri makes an outstanding strong saison titled simply, “Saison-Brett ” as a nod to the use of the wild yeast strain Brettanomyces during finishing; this gives the beer a dusty, funky, and lightly tart profile that is somewhat reminiscent of Fantome. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales from Dexter, Michigan is perhaps the American brewery that most strongly reflects the Belgian farmhouse tradition. All of their beers are produced with open fermentation and see time in oak barrels where they pick up a distinctive mix of wild yeast and bacteria character that gives them a powerful signature. Bam Biere is one of their flagships and is an incredibly flavorful and refreshing saison that falls into the traditional range at only 4.5%ABV. The mix of woody and wild elements is subject to variation, and sourness develops with some time in the bottle, giving the beer a puckering and refreshing finish.
Being a California native, I have to give some credit to a few local brewers who are pumping out excellent saisons. The Lost Abbey down in North County San Diego has in recent years gained a reputation as one of the strongest American saison producers. Their standard saison, which was featured on the cover of our July issue, Red Barn Ale, is a particularly peppery take on the style. Carnivale, a spring seasonal, is brewed with a mix of American hops and bottled with brettanomyces, giving it a fruity, funky profile. They even produce a strong, dark saison called 10 Commandments that stretches the definitions of the style, but still brings the true attitude of a farmhouse ale with a mix of citrus peel and rosemary spicing in addition to wild yeast. Placentia’s The Bruery brews two saisons worth seeking out: the copper colored and spicy Saison Rue, and the lighter and refreshing Saison de Lente. One of my absolute favorite saisons is Publication brewed by Russian River up in Santa Rosa. The aroma is one of the most beautiful mixes of fruity yeast, hops, and funky brett character that you will ever meet. It is only available on tap at the brewery and the bars in the Publican’s National Committee, but is well worth seeking out.
Featured on page 1 of our July issue was another great saison – Hired Hand from Iron Fist. This beer, hailing from the 9 month-old brewery in Vista, comes in an emerald-green 750 ml champagne bottle. And now that Iron Fist is distributed by Stone, it should be found pretty easily around town. You also can’t miss their tap handles – which are literally fists meant to look like iron. Cool, right?
Well as for the beer, it pours a light, hazy gold with a small off-white head. Notes of orange, apple and combine with a bit of earthiness and spice, all with a medium body and spot-on carbonation. At 6.5% ABV, this beer falls right in the range of more traditional saisons, although many breweries these days are making higher-alcohol versions.
For reviews of even more saisons, check out San Diego Beer Blog, where WC Staff Writer Jeff Hammett reviews tons of ’em in a segment called “Farmhouse Friday”. Included are reviews for Pretty Things Jack D’Or, Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, Manzanita Saison, Goose Island Pepe Negro, Jolly Pumpkin Baudelaire Beer iO Saison, Lightning Brewery Electrostatic Ale (more of a bière de garde than a saison) and Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere. Cheers!