First Saison -- Recalibrating my Mouth

So in preparation for the summer brewing season, I obtained some bottles of Saison beer from my local store to get familiar with the style. I need to use that heat-tolerant yeast, so I want to know what I'm shooting for.

My first experience with an Allagash Saison? I found it very pale, dry to the point of sourness, with some of the traits of a wheat beer. Normally this sort of thing is not to my taste, which trend toward the big in every respect... My idea of the Ideal Beer is a Bigfoot Barleywine.

So I had a question: How representative is the Allagash product? Is there such a thing as a "typical" saison, and if there is, how close is Allagash getting?

(I've also got an Ommegang Hennipin and a Tank 7 on deck, to try later.)

Thanks in advance...

I havent had it, but that description sounds about right. Its pale. Often with some wheat, and very very dry, with a bunch of farm-like and spicy yeast flavors. Its all about the yeast.

The archetype of a saison is probably Saison Dupont. If you can get that (its fairly common to find, comes in a champagne bottle) thats what most people are going for/inspired by/ is the source of many of the saison yeast strains available.

Here is what the bjcp thinks...http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style16.php#1c

These beers are all over the place. Hard to pin down.

I'm happy that the style is broad enough to admit some leeway, as I believe I'll shoot for something somewhat different from the Allagash product.

Which is no disrespect to Allagash. Their Saison is no doubt a fine beer... just not to my taste.

I'll second Saison Dupont being a proper example.

You will be impressed with the Tank 7

Think Big!

I'm a fan of the Tank 7 as well, it's a great beer imo.

Tank 7 is great, just about the only Saison I've tried that I would try again. I need to think about going Belgian in the summer too, but I'll see if S-05 will pull through with a swamp cooler first. Not a huge Saison fan.

Tank 7 is very good (a tad sweet) so I prefer the Hennepin. Both are excellent examples. Ithica Ground Break Saison is another very good saison.

That sounds spot for a saison....if you didn't like that, don't brew one. Several Belgian styles can be made by starting the yeast off a little cooler and letting them free rise to rather high temps. A wet t-shirt and a fan can be a godsend in summer. Almost every saison yeast is supposed to attenuate to almost nothing...its their characteristic

Have never had a saison that I thought was all that great, to be honest.....guess it's just "not my style"

MileHighBrewer said:

A wet t-shirt and a fan can be a godsend in summer.

Click to expand...

Amen to that, but this thread is about beer, sir.

I like the Belgian. Series of beers from epic. Especially their green apple saison. I am typically a major hop head but that is a killer beer.

The10mmKid said:

You will be impressed with the Tank 7

Think Big!

Click to expand...

I sampled the Tank 7 just today, and you're right... I was impressed.

It was still very pale and dry, but with a delicious fruitiness and just a hint of booze. I enjoyed it... and I kept the last quarter-inch of the bottle to pitch in a yeast starter.

Keep us updated on your Tank 7 bottle harvesting. Never looked into theirs as they just came into our State this March 1st.

I am however pursuing harvesting Ommegang's yeast. It will interesting to compare to the Belgian strains available from the pro labs.

'da Kid

There's a number of camps in Saison. As has been said, it's a wide open side with a lot of possiblities.

My preference is very simple, clean, highly attenuated and bone dry and yeast driven, ie Saison Dupont. Basically Pils Malt and noble hops, and the yeast does all the work. It's one of the few 50 point beers in my opinion, but be sure you get it in BROWN glass, otherwise it'll just taste like Heineken.

There's also the spiced version. Like the first, but spiced.

Then there's the complicated grain bill ones. With Spelt, or rye, or other grains. Again, traditional, and I've had some good ones.

Then there's the really mixed strain ones (like Fantome) with Brett and sometimes bugs that can get downright sour. Lots of fun, but may not be what you want to brew if you're not ready to do sour beers yet.

Or you could get a blend of all of them. Like I said, wide open.

And then there's the fuller sweeter ones, where some American brewed ones fall, along with Saison Silly, which while being listed as a classic example, should not be in there in my opinion. If it's not dry dry dry, it's not a Saison.