Just got back from Shelton bros. craft festival in St Petersburg poured my self a double simcoe clone and began to wonder what I had just taken part of. Honestly I didn't imagine the saison craze had gotten this intense. Every brewery represented it seems had at least one saison barrel aged in something, if not two, if not all of there samples they offered. Of course I'm exaggerating a tad but still it's bewildering to think that the craft industry has become such a fad oriented business. I realize through reading and other things that brewing has always been this way someone comes up with something excellent and different then all else follow until the next trend comes along. I guess after just answering my own question my real question is with all the knowledge, info on brewing, history, etc... Can't we leave well enough alone. Some breweries have the knack for the saison, some ipa's, some stouts, some this some that and so on. What happened to perfecting a select beer style making it your own. It just seemed over the entire weekend that everyone had the same idea that was just not executed very well at all.
Is the Saison craze out of hand?
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Well we have been riding the ipa and dipa wave for awhile now. But I guess you don't hear anyone call it a "craze". I like the shift towards saison and sour beers that is happening. (Mostly because I am not a huge ipa/dipa fan) But you are right it is faddish and it too will pass. I just can't wait till the industry starts to get crazy about trappiste styles and real good Hefeweizen then I will be in my heaven!
Completely agreed about the ipa trend. I do appreciate a nice sour, I would dare to say I appreciate all beer styles I may not particularly care for some but I can appreciate the process after learning how to brew myself. It seemed more that every hipster in suspenders pouring the all local ingredient sour that wasn't as good as a micro ipa you could get at your local grocery store would dare tell you because you didn't like it "you don't know beer".
alane1
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I'm just waiting for all the hipsters to switch to WINE so I can enjoy a pint in peace and quiet.
KVANTAN
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I went to an event last night too and it seemed like half the beers there were sours. They were all pretty bad. I did a saison kit as my 3rd extract home brew and it was better than anything else i had last night. Granted there was a lot of bad beers, and only a few good ones. I actually had some really bad amber ales and lagers too. I think a lot of start up breweries are using specialty grains for 30%+ of their grain bills. I had sickeningly sweet over hopped beers that had nice elements just with too much happening.
I also had a really great pumpkin ale finally!
I also had a really great pumpkin ale finally!
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I can't wait for the Kolsch kraze
Definately not real happy with a lot of the sours out there but I do like most of the Gose's. Have only had one saison I did not enjoy and it was a hibiscus saison form Elk Brewery. I know a saison is supposed to be dry but this was beyond dry. But it is exciting I can try something besides the latest 90 IBU face peeler that the brew house came out with.
It might also be somewhat seasonal. I bet if you do another festival in a month or so you will be wondering about the Octoberfest "Craze".... Then in the winter you will be wondering about the spiced beer "craze"...
drainbamage
Keep HBT weird.
Yeah, what's up with all these saisons? It's getting to the point where only 60% of the taps are IPAs.
Turrible... :cross:
Turrible... :cross:
With craft beer barely at double digit share, a tiny slice of the pie now could amount to a huge volume in 5 years. Everyone wants to be the innovator in a newly appreciated category. If it's quality, that's good, but I see more and more mediocre beer- it seems the quest to be first is greater than the quest to be best.
DoctorDuvel
Well-Known Member
There's still no saison that beats Saison Dupont, of course in my opinion. All others seem to be reaching for that kind of excellence, some come closer than others. That said, I recently had Stone's saison and it's definitely something I wouldn't mind having regularly.
Agree with this
I would just like to say that I did not bother to read this thread but I was just at a beer festival talking to a new all farmhouse brewery and I liked talking to them better than hearing the award ceremony for the homebrew competition.
I dont belive it is out of hand. The saison style is very wide and appeals to wine and beer drinkers alike. It was nearly extinct until 10 years ago. People are passionate about it. More than most styles. You dont see many breweries entirely devote themselves to a single style and that means something. At least half of what I make now are saisons or stemmed from them and if you dont like it, then go back to bitching about IPAs
I dont belive it is out of hand. The saison style is very wide and appeals to wine and beer drinkers alike. It was nearly extinct until 10 years ago. People are passionate about it. More than most styles. You dont see many breweries entirely devote themselves to a single style and that means something. At least half of what I make now are saisons or stemmed from them and if you dont like it, then go back to bitching about IPAs
DoctorDuvel
Well-Known Member
m00ps, you happen to work at Northern Brewer? 
I'd hardly call it a "craze". Most breweries have at least one saison / farmhouse ale because they appeal to the rustic side of brewing. The spicy and fruity notes in a saison are unconventional and novel to the average palate without being overbearing. It's a small wonder that it's taken this long for the saison to grow in popularity.
I'll quaff a pint of saison over an IPA any day.
I'll quaff a pint of saison over an IPA any day.
xandersaml
Well-Known Member
Meh
I want all kinds of beers being brewed. If it's something I don't care for, I move on. I say brew on saison! And everything else.
I want all kinds of beers being brewed. If it's something I don't care for, I move on. I say brew on saison! And everything else.
milldoggy
Well-Known Member
2x for good hefes.
I totally disagree I believe most if not all great breweries focus on a particular style, master it, then move on to something different of course brewing other beer while doing this. I don't mind saison at all I had some pretty phenomenal ones while at the festival. What I don't like is the stigma associated with the style. That very present up nosed turn to people who do not like or understand the beer. It was some what amusing to see all the tart faces walking about. Faces that looked as if they just sucked on a lemon. There were many styles of beer not represented at all. Which is why I made the post in the first place. If I had walked in to the festival and all arrays of beer were represented and some great farmhouse and saisons were represented also, like Jester King for instance then there would have been no observation made. It's hard to get your average beer drinker into craft when the trendy industry acts as if it's to good for the average beer drinker.
have you ever tried St. Feuillien Saison?
Grannyknot
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As many "crazes" as people complain about these days, you'd think there'd still be enough variety since there is apparently a saison craze, an ipa craze, a sour craze, & a barrel aged stout craze going on all at the same time.
heckofagator
Well-Known Member
I don't have anything to say about the Saison, but I'm only a couple miles from that event and didn't hear a thing about it. Dang...
Maybe my wording is inappropriate "craze" seems to have struck a nerve. I was more trying to point out the trendy nature of the craft industry that I was seeing all weekend. One Brewer has some pretty good success reviving the saison, then 10 others breed from that. It was the mediocrity that has me asking the question. It's weird that now most new breweries are now carrying the logo of "artisan ales" or something similar and most of the people representing these are skinny jean, suspender, tight ironic tee, beard to the nipple wearing individuals. Is this a mere coincidence? Or has beer become another hipster fad like typewriters and vinyl records.
Sorry to hear that. I know it seems I'm bashing the whole thing but it was a blast and there were some great breweries and beers represented. The little Cantillon demo i had the chance to taste was awesome for sure.
m00ps, you happen to work at Northern Brewer?
Psh, I wish...
I am also sick and tired of saisons. Few years back when they were reinvented it was great, but as you pointed out everyone gets on the bandwagon and it gets real old really quick. Lots of mediocre saisons out there. Lots of mediocre beer out there in general...
secondbase
Well-Known Member
I've always loved sours and saisons. Definitely feels like a fad and while some pretty bad examples exist there are some really great examples out there right now. I dedicate most of my time to brewing those styles. Bring it on!
back in 2008-2010 I went crazy brewing and drinking all things sour. now I cant stand sours. I wonder if the rest of consumers will find themselves getting to this point eventually.
iijakii
Well-Known Member
Saisons are gross. Along with most belgians and wheat beers. Pepper, banana, clove? WTF. This isn't soup, get out of my beer.
iijakii
Well-Known Member
I love sours, but there's only so much $12 beer I'm willing to buy.
iijakii
Well-Known Member
Never had a banana/tapioca soup?
Like any other trend, some will last, hopefully the good ones, and the rest will "self-deport". Had a great saison at JAFB Wooster, in Wooster Ohio--was one of their best beers. But you're right, some of them are clumsy or inappropriately spiced (I'm thinking of Stone's 2014? here, which tasted like it had eucalyptus or something).
No but now I want too....I love those big fish eye tapiocas
Stones saison has got a decent amount of herbs and spices. But their Victory/Stone/Dogfish collaboration has the most herbal character of anything I ve ever tried. Cant dirnk more than one of those. A few breweries are using a restrained hand of white sage or something and it can be very good if done right
I think this boils down to the new American idea that anything European or vintage has to be better. We stand around reconfirming the mediocrity for the sake of not being looked down upon by others who are just as confused as to why everyone thinks the basil, sage infused farmhouse aged in Chardonnay barrels is so good. When in reality it's garbage and it's just the trend shadowing the truth. I like saisons, farmhouse, sours of any type or sort. It was more the trendy folks associated with these beers that made them so unappealing besides them being mediocre. I dealt with them through high school and college. I thought beer was going to be the last true haven.
Grannyknot
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I wish my city would join in this saison craze.
Right now we are stuck on the "pale/ipa/brown" craze with the occasional really bad stout.
Right now we are stuck on the "pale/ipa/brown" craze with the occasional really bad stout.
Remmy
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The "bourbon barrel aged" craze is still alive and well, unfortunately. That's the worst of the worst.
