523057 Tue May 27 13:28:41 -0700 2008 20 35 Beer 0 3724605 Have tried the Victory Saison and have heard great things about the Dupont...... The Victory was from 2006....drank it in early 07. This was my first experience with a Saison......I prefer hoppy brews such as their Prima Pils, Hop Wallop, Sierra Nevada,......am very into Bell's Two Hearted (somewhat recent arrival to the state) ........etc etc I think the Victory Saison probably had too much going on for my palate........from all that I've read it seems that the Dupont might be more to my liking. Also mentioned with Saisons is cellaring........for how long?........what will occur/ how will they further develop?......more nuance? Thanks for any opinions/ advice. Tue May 27 13:28:42 -0700 2008 180133 Saddleoflamb 1 3724680 Saison is an interesting style, but if you found the Victory too busy, it might not be for you. Saisons use a yeast strain that produces a lot of spicy flavors, plus they are often brewed with additional herbs and flavoring. You might want to look for Fantome's Brise Bonbon (literal translation: "ball breaker"), which is a hoppy saison. Another good one in this vein is Thirriez's Extra. Saison's arent typically hoppy beers - they're brewed in spring for summer consumption. Not sure how well they age, but probably worth a shot. Tue May 27 13:56:48 -0700 2008 3724605 10809 Josh 2 3724785 Thoughts on the Saison Dupont....? Tue May 27 14:26:46 -0700 2008 3724680 180133 Saddleoflamb 3 3724837 It's the textbook example of a saison. It is spicy, not especially hoppy. It's a great beer, one of the giants, though I personally prefer Fantome saison. Tue May 27 14:44:04 -0700 2008 3724785 10809 Josh 4 3725085 I agree, totally. Fantome is the king of saisons. Every time I have one I am blown away. Tue May 27 16:04:55 -0700 2008 3724837 10395 brentk 1 3726126 The best that I've had is Southampton Saison (NY). Meringue like head, beautiful nose of dried fruit with funky, tart and spicy flavor. Dupont is similar but less complex and spicy to my palate. I’ve also more recently discovered Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Style Country Ale. The style is not a Saison but a “Bière de Garde” with includes a funky spicy character. Pretty complex stuff all the way around. Each has a way of demanding your attention once poured and sipped. Tue May 27 22:19:10 -0700 2008 3724605 26180 Chinon00 2 3726204 Hennepin is another good domestic saison. If you're a biere de garde fan, Castelain from France is a great one. Tue May 27 23:16:31 -0700 2008 3726126 10809 Josh 1 3726250 I'm quite a big fan of The Lost Abbey's Carnevale. Not sure where you're located so it might be hard to come by, but if you find it, you should try. Extremely drinkable and refreshing with some great flavors. Wed May 28 00:44:05 -0700 2008 3724605 72231 DougOLis 2 3727150 Good call, didn't even think of that one. It's a really nicely hopped saison. Wed May 28 09:23:20 -0700 2008 3726250 10809 Josh 1 3727468 If you are in a location where Three Floyds beers are available, I loved their Rabbid Rabbit saison. Brewed with chamomile, it was spicy, complex, tasted and smelled amazing. I really like most saisons I have tried, including Dupont and Southampton. They are good summer beers because in general they are lighter on the palate (while being complex and worthy of comtemplation). Another great midwestern saison is Surly CynicAle from Minneapolis, even though it comes in a can and is therefore very untraditional (no bottle conditioning possible). Another widely available American saison is Ommegang Hennepin, which is nice but a bit less complex and more like some sort of a Belgian pale ale to me. Wed May 28 10:36:27 -0700 2008 3724605 16728 kenito799 2 3727586 I've been in saison mode lately because I recently homebrewed that style and bottled over the weekend so I've been on the lookout for comparison purposes. The Saison from Lagunitas didn't get a great review in Draft Magazine but I think it's very good. From Lost Abby I love their Bier de Garde (Avent Garde) and I like Red Barn quite a bit as well, which I think is classified as a saison. I had a Hennepin on tap a couple of nights ago and liked it a lot. The three highest scoring saisons in Draft were: Fantome (Fantome Brewery) Hennepin (Ommegang) Le Merle (North Coast) Wed May 28 11:11:32 -0700 2008 3727468 163246 tofuburrito 2 3759826 Here here! Rabbid Rabbit is one of the best American saisons I've had. This beer tastes like fresh cut hay--I'm not exaggerating. Beautifully flavorful take on the style. Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang is another gorgeous saison. Just an awesome style all around. Worth keeping in the beer fridge for every occasion. Sat Jun 07 21:59:35 -0700 2008 3727468 128773 EddieGlick 1 3745413 I'd have to disagree that Hennepin is a saison. Unless they have changed the formula it is more of a triple style. Calling ones self a saison dosen't make it so. Having said that, I really enjoy Hennepin. Tue Jun 03 10:50:07 -0700 2008 3724605 153214 chimay5 2 3745764 In your opinion, what specific flavor characteristics of Hennepin disqualify it from being a "saison"? Thanks Tue Jun 03 12:01:07 -0700 2008 3745413 26180 Chinon00 2 3745858 If you check the recipe, you'll see it employes herbs and orange peel, which is stylistically also appropriate for a saison and not a tripel. http://byo.com/recipe/994.html It tastes similar to a lot of saisons I've had, so I find your comment a little strange. Tue Jun 03 12:22:18 -0700 2008 3745413 10809 Josh 3 3746727 How common is "brett" in saison? Thanks Tue Jun 03 16:27:58 -0700 2008 3745858 26180 Chinon00 4 3747085 I know modern brewers experiment with that at times. Ommegang's Ommegeddon is a good example, and Fantome is rumored to use some. I don't think it's traditional though. Tue Jun 03 18:18:59 -0700 2008 3746727 10809 Josh 5 3747324 Found Fantome at a local beer emporium.......it was labeled "Hiver" Fantome.....( been a long time since a I took french, but Hiver is winter?).......the bottle was on a shelf , unrefrigerated.....is this a ok?......or should it remain under refrigeration....I did not examine the bottle very well, and was wondering if there was any indication of brew date and/if there is a beast/by date.......? Tue Jun 03 19:43:39 -0700 2008 3747085 180133 Saddleoflamb 6 3747435 Hiver is their winter brew. Fantome produces their standard saison, plus seasonal and specialty releases. Refrigeration is good, but it should be OK as their beers are bottle conditioned. My bigger concern would be if it was lightstruck. Tue Jun 03 20:27:12 -0700 2008 3747324 10809 Josh 1 3759089 I've had Victory's and Weyerbacher's Saisons resently. I much prefered the Victory version. Weyerbacher had their typical house yeast flavor that agrees with many of their beers but not this one. The front was all "Weyerbacher" (the only way that I can describe the flavor) while the finish was vaguely similar to a Saison (i.e. spice, chaukiness, musky). The Victory was much closer to a solid Saison but wasn't remarkable either. Thanks Sat Jun 07 13:20:22 -0700 2008 3724605 26180 Chinon00 1 3862615 I'm a huge fan of Southampton's Saison Deluxe. Their brewer literally wrote the book on Saisons and Bier de Garde, called Farmhouse Ales, Culture and Craftmanship in the Belgian Tradition. There's a ton of technical info in there, perfect for serious homebrewers. As for traditional Belgian saisons, I love Saison d'Erpe-Mere. It's a world class saison. 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