Spicy, rustic, not to dry, easy on the banana and clove

I sit sipping a hefty glass of Avery White Rascal by the San Diego bay, it's not quite noon but it is where I hail from and I'm contemplating my next brew. I'm looking for a spicy rustic brew that crosses somewhere between a bier de garde, tripel, and whit... I think.

I'm not a fan of the banana clove flavors that accompany a lot of whits and wheats but I like the tartness and earthy spiciness. I've been considering brewing a saison, but they are often a touch too dry for my palette (depending on the interpretation). I'd like to maintain a bit of sweetness but not too much, and get as much yeast spice without getting a lot of banana and clove.

I've got some ideas on what to do to accomplish this, but I'd like some comments. Any tips or suggestions from my brewing compatriots?

I think you could try some WLP 550 or WLP 530, they tend to be spicy without the banana, just ferment on the lower to mid range of the temps. These are fairly robust yeast, but not like a lot of saison strains, and some crystal malt should help you with the sweet touch. I think rye malt would also help boost the impression of a spiciness to the beer. If you want to go more rustic, you can just use a blend of different base malts. I know Jolly Pumpkin does that quite a bit, using a blend of different base malts to mimic a grain profile from prior to modern malting techniques, getting a more rustic beer. I have brewed some where I just take the left overs from prior batches, and toss them together. 2 pounds of pilsner left over here, 1.5 pounds of marris otter there, etc. A good way to clean out the grain that is getting a bit old. Toss in some wheat malt and rye, and you will be even more "rustic". You can boost the spicy notes by using German hops. These type of beers are always fun, good luck!

I had been thinking of adding some rye. Thanks for all the good ideas.