The "bourbon barrel aged" craze is still alive and well, unfortunately. That's the worst of the worst.
The "bourbon barrel aged" craze is still alive and well, unfortunately. That's the worst of the worst.
You dont like $15 beers that all taste the same?
The beauty of being a homebrewer: you create whatever craze you want
That and the fact that people will take days off of work to try and acquire said beers...and wait outside, in line with their infants in sub-32F temperatures. And talk about beer the entire time while in line.
And then immediately "cellar" said beer(s).
That and the fact that people will take days off of work to try and acquire said beers...and wait outside, in line with their infants in sub-32F temperatures. And talk about beer the entire time while in line.
And then immediately "cellar" said beer(s).
Saisons are gross. Along with most belgians and wheat beers. Pepper, banana, clove? WTF. This isn't soup, get out of my beer.
have you ever tried St. Feuillien Saison?
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.
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.
Next craft beer style craze: American Light Lager
You heard it here first.
Saisons are gross. Along with most belgians and wheat beers. Pepper, banana, clove? WTF. This isn't soup, get out of my beer.
There are no 'crazes' in Ontario. The LCBO stocks within it's shelf space (few) and you can get the odd item direct from a local brewery. Almost all non-macro beers are pale/light/golden/lager something, maybe amber... The odd stout, wheat, belgian, a few IPA's and saisons only in summer, basically. Pretty much it. Not really sure if Canadian micros are that boring or afraid to put out a product that may not sell well.
As for as craft brewery saisons, I think a lot of it is down to how interconnected craft brewing and homebrewing are. Saison being the best high-temp yeast by a mile ensures them a nice big niche among homebrewers and anything that's popular among homebrewers will bleed over into craft brewing. As I don't see homebrewers giving up the yeast that works best in high temps, I don't see saisons going anywhere on the craft brewing side.
There's still no saison that beats Saison Dupont...
I was more trying to point out the trendy nature of the craft industry that I was seeing all weekend.
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.
To each his own. Maybe New England has a more balanced approach but most festivals/bars/stores I go to have a fantastic line up that varies quite a bit. We also have some top notch breweries. In other words, no one complains how many Hill Farmstead saisons are out there, and no one complains how many Trillium or Tree House IPAs there are out there. In fact, I don't see much complaining at all.
Final note: That is what some festivals are about...simply finding out which brewers never to buy and which new ones to seek out.
Drinking wise I've jumped on the saison bandwagon in the last six months. I def. think the buzz brought me to saisons but after seeking them out through bottle trades, I've become a big fan, drank one at lunch today. Plus the forgiving nature and broadness in brewing prospects made them a fun brew style.
Drinking wise I've jumped on the saison bandwagon in the last six months. I def. think the buzz brought me to saisons but after seeking them out through bottle trades, I've become a big fan, drank one at lunch today. Plus the forgiving nature and broadness in brewing prospects made them a fun brew style.
Don't have much of a temperature control system and Korea gets plenty hot in the summer so I brewed five saisons in a row before it got cool enough to switch to US-05. And damn am I sick of that signature dry ester flavor you get from saisons. Will give away my last bit of my more traditional saison and only keep the black one that has enough roast to drown out the saison taste a bit. I don't think I could stand to even look at one in a bar now.
As for as craft brewery saisons, I think a lot of it is down to how interconnected craft brewing and homebrewing are. Saison being the best high-temp yeast by a mile ensures them a nice big niche among homebrewers and anything that's popular among homebrewers will bleed over into craft brewing. As I don't see homebrewers giving up the yeast that works best in high temps, I don't see saisons going anywhere on the craft brewing side.
Why would anyone complain about the nearly unlimited amount of new and great beer hitting the market across the country these days? Think back to 25 years ago, when Guiness was your only option for someithng other than yellow fizz in most of the country. Now we have access to great beer almost everywhere, I find a new great beer on the shelf and at the local brew pubs nearly all the time.
I don't get these posts complainign about a style or trend. We are living in the greatest beer era of all time! If you don't like something just don't drink it. There are dozens, or even hundreds of every style avaialble, just drink what you like!
And by the way saisons are great for homebrewing, for all of the previously mentioned reasons, forgiving, wide-open to interpretation, and relatively cheap to make.
It doesn't ring a bell, but I'll be on the look-out! What's your take on it?
Why would anyone complain about the nearly unlimited amount of new and great beer hitting the market across the country these days? Think back to 25 years ago, when Guiness was your only option for someithng other than yellow fizz in most of the country. Now we have access to great beer almost everywhere, I find a new great beer on the shelf and at the local brew pubs nearly all the time.
I don't get these posts complainign about a style or trend. We are living in the greatest beer era of all time! If you don't like something just don't drink it. There are dozens, or even hundreds of every style avaialble, just drink what you like!
And by the way saisons are great for homebrewing, for all of the previously mentioned reasons, forgiving, wide-open to interpretation, and relatively cheap to make.
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