The Saison Thread

[FTowne1]

I've just had bad luck with bottles unless they intentionally taste like burnt rubber and rotten fruit. I think Magic Ghost and Chocolat were good bottles, just not my style.

Have you had any recent stuff? danyP had some equipment problems a few years ago but **** is on point now.

 

[JCastle1]

Have you had any recent stuff? danyP had some equipment problems a few years ago but **** is on point now.

Depends on how recent, the Ete was 2015 I think and that was the last I tried before giving up. I got the Amazon Ghost around the same time.

 

[FTowne1]

Depends on how recent, the Ete was 2015 I think and that was the last I tried before giving up. I got the Amazon Ghost around the same time.

The recent saison, Sur Lie, Pissenlent, etc. are tits.

 

[JCastle1]

The recent saison, Sur Lie, Pissenlent, etc. are tits.

I'll try those out, thanks! I remember seeing the regular saison, not sure about the others.

 

[FTowne1]

I'll try those out, thanks! I remember seeing the regular saison, not sure about the others.

If you don't like the recent batches of saison then Fantome just isn't your thing, like TNGabe said.

 

[quirk6]

I've just had bad luck with bottles unless they intentionally taste like burnt rubber and rotten fruit. I think Magic Ghost and Chocolat were good bottles, just not my style. Just remembered I've also had Amazon Ghost, that one was alright.

I've gotten burnt rubber, or as I described it "tire fire", in Fantome before. But the other ones I've had, especially Pissenlit, have been great.

 

[tennispl]

the Ete was 2015

 

[MooseLang]

I'll try those out, thanks! I remember seeing the regular saison, not sure about the others.

Personally, I usually stay away from darker-colored 'Tomes, Noel being an exception. They just usually aren't for me.

Seems like there is still Desert Ghost and Forest Ghost out in the wild. Desert Ghost was fantastic right out of the gates and Forest Ghost is coming along nicely.

I've said this in the Fantome thread before, but almost every single recent release has been put on shelves before it's really ready. In my opinion, they really don't start to hit their stride for ~6 months. Only recent exceptions to me over the past couple years were B1 De Tous Le Diapes, Sante 19, and of course Sur Lie bottles. All fantastic straight out the gate.

 

[JCastle1]

Last night I had a BFM Degustator 2016 (Marius Edition) with honey, orange water, white pepper and rose petals... and ******* it was good. Floral, heady but everything right in balance, nothing extreme.

Still never had a bad BFM beer.

You're right, I really like this. Everything is so well balanced and it's so drinkable. Glad I got a few more.

 

[iong516]

Met up with skrip for a trade/beer lunch, ate American 'Mexican' food, and drank Tequila Soigne, what a weird beer!

Empanadas, beer, and company were good, would bang again.

 

[browntownz]

Met up with skrip for a trade/beer lunch, ate American 'Mexican' food, and drank Tequila Soigne, what a weird beer!

Empanadas, beer, and company were good, would bang again.

Please extrapolate on weird beer... Id like to know what I missed

 

[iong516]

Pretty hard to describe... like it still drank light like a normal soigne but something about the mouthfeel was thicker or smoother? Tequila on the nose and present for taste but not overdone... great!

 

[Ziggy]

Met up with skrip for a trade/beer lunch, ate American 'Mexican' food, and drank Tequila Soigne, what a weird beer!

Empanadas, beer, and company were good, would bang again.

ISO: A place that sells pasties like that. It's hard to find a decent place that sells meat pies around here.

Edit: I just realized that that is probably an empenada. Still ISO

Double Edit: You even wrote Empenada in your post. I am dumb

 

[Ziggy]

The recent saison, Sur Lie, Pissenlent, etc. are tits.

Can confirm recent saison. Had a bottling date of 2016, can't remember month, but good lord was it arguably the best saison i've ever had. Didn't think a beer could possibly have so much depth, and taste so ******* good. I'll be chasing that purple dragon

 

[Dunt1]

Was there a post in here at some point that has an interactive map of all the saison breweries along the border of France and Belgium? Anybody have a clue what I'm talking about?

 

[Aaron from the Wood]

Mild citric acidity, lemon zest, fresh cut hay, a bit of musty cellar. A simple and satisfying saison.

 

[quirk6]

Mild citric acidity, lemon zest, fresh cut hay, a bit of musty cellar. A simple and satisfying saison.

I haven't seen any of their Field Beers in a while. The oat has been my favorite variation.

 

[iong516]

This is a really great funky barrely one, fantastic

 

[libbey]

Allagash Cuvée d'Industrial from trxxpaxxs May 27, 2015

This bottle is incredible.

A: Straw yellow with a frothy cap that settles slowly.

S: Deep barnyard funk on the initial open settles into sweet papaya and Pineapple from the Brett with a sweet vanilla finish from the oak.

T: Layers of flavor. Citrus lemon rinds mixing with a ton of Brett farmyard notes. Oak tannins as it warms with a sharper acidity. Never overpowers but compliments.

M: Dry snappy finish. Funk and vanilla on the finish.

O: Sex

 

[leftoverburrito]

Upright Saison Vert. Brewed with black limes.

It's so nice to have this beer readily available. And at $8/bottle, it might be the best deal in Oregon.

Grassy with a little saltiness to it. Mildly tart from the limes. Perfect BBQing beer.

 

[greg4579]

No pics...I know...

2 recent local saisons:

Brew Gentlemen Table Beer: <Their description> Table Beer is our interpretation of a Belgian tafelbier. Traditionally served with meals, this delicate saison is aged for three months in oak foeders with our house culture, then naturally conditioned in the bottle. Straw-gold and refreshing, Table Beer is mildly tart, funky, and dry with an aroma of lemon and pear. Perfect for your next dinner party.

My take: I absolutely loved this. For being such a light saison (sub 5% abv) I was impressed with the flavors that showed up, particularly the oak coming through. Their description of mildy tart, funky and dry with an aroma of lemon and pear was spot on. I will be buying more. This is the first beer out of their foeder, and I am excited to see these progress.

Brew Gentlemen Exploration & Discovery #1: <Their description> A saison aged in fresh white wine barrels with Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus for eleven months, then naturally conditioned in the bottle. This tart, honey-colored farmhouse ale has aromas of white grape, peach, earth, and light funk leading to flavors of sour orange, minerality, bread, and oak.

My take: from the description this sounded to be in my wheelhouse. Overall it was good but not great. I was looking for more funk and the carbonation was not as high as I would have liked it. Some of their previous non-BA saisons had those huge rocky heads, and I really wanted that in this beer. I also found it quite wine forward, which would be good if you are a wine drinker, but in my case I found it to be distracting as I progressed through the bottle. For a first BA saison effort it was solid.

 

[Calcifer]

No pics...I know...

2 recent local saisons:

Brew Gentlemen Table Beer: <Their description> Table Beer is our interpretation of a Belgian tafelbier. Traditionally served with meals, this delicate saison is aged for three months in oak foeders with our house culture, then naturally conditioned in the bottle. Straw-gold and refreshing, Table Beer is mildly tart, funky, and dry with an aroma of lemon and pear. Perfect for your next dinner party.

My take: I absolutely loved this. For being such a light saison (sub 5% abv) I was impressed with the flavors that showed up, particularly the oak coming through. Their description of mildy tart, funky and dry with an aroma of lemon and pear was spot on. I will be buying more. This is the first beer out of their foeder, and I am excited to see these progress.

Brew Gentlemen Exploration & Discovery #1: <Their description> A saison aged in fresh white wine barrels with Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus for eleven months, then naturally conditioned in the bottle. This tart, honey-colored farmhouse ale has aromas of white grape, peach, earth, and light funk leading to flavors of sour orange, minerality, bread, and oak.

My take: from the description this sounded to be in my wheelhouse. Overall it was good but not great. I was looking for more funk and the carbonation was not as high as I would have liked it. Some of their previous non-BA saisons had those huge rocky heads, and I really wanted that in this beer. I also found it quite wine forward, which would be good if you are a wine drinker, but in my case I found it to be distracting as I progressed through the bottle. For a first BA saison effort it was solid.

I'll add pics for Greg.

Table Beer:

Exploration & Discovery #1:

 

[PurityControl88]

Some recent fun saisons:


Fantome's Strange Ghost. Most recent batch. Some nice herbal/mint spice and a sweet cherry juice like note. Maybe a hint of funk. With the darker malts and cherry juice it was almost like if danyP tried to make a tome' cherry coke.


Saint Somewhere's Pays du Soleil. 2015 cork. Man this was a fun surprise. Seems to be developing a faint tartness and a really unique funk. Slightly herbal with a bright fruit sweetness. Effervescent and an absolute joy to drink despite the higher abv. Beers like this bottle of Pays are why saisons are so much fun to drink!

 

[leftoverburrito]

Upright Anniversary Saison 2016.

Found a couple bottles in the wild the other day and had to scoop them up. Basically a year old now.

Botanical and juicy. Hint of stone fruit. Upright does such a good job at making every flavor subtle and coherent. One of my favorite beers and I'd drink it every day if I could.

 

[drgarage1]

Upright Anniversary Saison 2016.

Found a couple bottles in the wild the other day and had to scoop them up. Basically a year old now.

Botanical and juicy. Hint of stone fruit. Upright does such a good job at making every flavor subtle and coherent. One of my favorite beers and I'd drink it every day if I could.

Yep! Absolutely my favorite from them and almost anybody. Best gin-barrel beer I've had (I haven't yet opened my SARA Recency Effect, but this does include Special Herbs and Gin Clara).

 

[JCastle1]

Upright Anniversary Saison 2016.

Found a couple bottles in the wild the other day and had to scoop them up. Basically a year old now.

Botanical and juicy. Hint of stone fruit. Upright does such a good job at making every flavor subtle and coherent. One of my favorite beers and I'd drink it every day if I could.

Yep! Absolutely my favorite from them and almost anybody. Best gin-barrel beer I've had (I haven't yet opened my SARA Recency Effect, but this does include Special Herbs and Gin Clara).

 

[wuntrikpony]

Yep! Absolutely my favorite from them and almost anybody. Best gin-barrel beer I've had (I haven't yet opened my SARA Recency Effect, but this does include Special Herbs and Gin Clara).

If you haven't already, definitely get a De Garde Saison Melange No. 3 or No. 5

 

[drgarage1]

If you haven't already, definitely get a De Garde Saison Melange No. 3 or No. 5

I've had 3. It was fine. Prefer the Upright. Heard great things about The Lis, though

 

[FoudreGuy]

The Upright Anniversary is awesome.

If we're talking Gin Barrels, try to get a Holy Mountain Gin Table. Not sure how many bottles are still in the wild.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Side Project / Off Color La Biere de Fantasie.

Bright fruit esters reminiscent of apricot and a bit of lactic acidity, the same profile carries through to the flavor with a bit of bretty funk. Straw / hay like light grain profile, no hopping to speak of, nice firm carbonation. Very nice if a little more one dimensional than I was hoping for, and I probably preferred the Off Color brewed version.

Tasty stuff to be sure, but very much a Side Project dominant beer compared to the version that I preferred from Off Color that was more rounded and dry / funky with a touch of lactic acidity.