The BeerCast

Of all the beer styles out there (and there are plenty), one of the most complex has to be the Saison. Deriving from the Francophone word for ‘season’ these beers were drunk by thirsty Walloon farmhands during the summer harvest, having been brewed during the previous winter and stored over spring. Consequently they had to be refreshing and relatively low in alcohol (farm implements and 9% ales not tending to complement each other). In some cases, they were distributed to the workers instead of water – so were very weak. As they had to last two seasons before being drunk they were quite highly hopped.

When Beer Hunter Michael Jackson visited the Dupont brewery in 1991, head brewer Marc Rosier told him that a saison “must be a good, honest beer. It should have character. It is essential that it has soul.” So were these beers treasured by the brewers as a classic Belgian style, or seen as the brewing equivalent of silage for the workers? Over the years, the style waned in popularity so much that it almost became endangered – only in the Walloon province of Hainaut were brewers still regularly making them. But, thankfully, the style recovered and more European – and then American – producers began adding a saison to their range.

Alongside the fact that today’s brewers are keen to re-establish links to the past, another reason for the resurgence in saisons could be the freedom they impart. These days Belgian farmworkers probably drink something very different (the non-mechanised ones, anyway) – so the modern-day saison need not be around 3%. The mix and balance of hops are completely up to the brewer, as are the addition of other flavours – spices, herbs, etc. They can be the traditional golden haze right up to darker, punchier examples. Basically, as long as there’s a whiff of the barnyard about it, anything goes for the saison.

In that spirit, three of the leading faces of America’s craft beer revolution have combined to produce a collaboration beer (surely the hot topic of last year) – and they decided to produce a saison. Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory brewing put out some fantastic beers. In fact between them they probably produce three of the best American IPA’s available (90 minute IPA, Ruination IPA and Hop Devil, respectively). Back in 2003 the CEO’s of these three breweries formed BUFF – Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor [sic] – so their new collaboration was named Saison du Buff.

Brewed once by each of the three, to the same recipe, the saison was released in 2010 in a different bottle depending on whose version it was. We managed to get hold of the Stone variant, which comes in their flagship smokey etched bottle. It pours like a true saison – massively foamy with a big pillowy head over the hazy yellow beer. The thing that separates Saison du Buff from other modern interpretations are the adjuncts – each of these three versions also contains sage, parsley, rosemary and thyme. This shows in the herbal sweetness on the nose, with a touch of grass and that distinctive barnyard straw tang.

If the nose – which is really something – yields only a ‘mixed herb’ aroma, on the palate some begin to define themselves. Rosemary is the one that came across the most – arguably the strongest-tasting of the four herbs. The parsley and thyme remain in the faintly vegetal background, and to be honest it’s so long since I’ve tasted sage I probably couldn’t pick it out anyway – but the mix of flavours is fascinating. As you’re thinking about this, the alcohol finish comes on (Saison du Buff is 6%) and really finishes off the beer well. It’s an incredibly interesting collaboration and fantastically drinkable.

Mid-strength American IPA’s are becoming increasingly common here in the UK, from the initial colonists such as Goose Island India Pale Ale, through the second wave of beers such as Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA, to recent arrivals such as Green Flash West Coast IPA (seen arriving in our local Edinburgh-area bottle shops only the other week). Rarer beauties such as the peerless Stone IPA are available with effort, but even those kind of seldom-travelled brews are now starting to sneak onto shelves and into fridges. This can only be a good thing for the British consumer (average drinker and committed hop-head alike), as more will surely follow, and it means fewer of us have to resort to Britain’s mass-produced IPA’s like Greene King.

The other week, a green face appeared in one of our city’s bottle shops, grinning from the label of Victory HopDevil (6.7%). Hailing from Downington in southeastern Pennsylvania, Victory Brewing began in 1996 in an old bakery – but have up-scaled several times and are now one of the more prolific brewers in the Keystone State, shipping their products to many States…and now overseas. HopDevil is highly bottle-conditioned, it’s totally hazy even before opening. Pouring with a large inch-high pillowy head, it’s a dark amber colour with reddish hints. The aroma is all hop – pine and citrus backbone – with some alcohol, but not as much as other strong IPA’s. On the palate, it’s highly carbonated with a healthy hop front and a lovely bitter pine aftertaste – like sucking a mouthful of pine needles, the acids really come out of this one. However, there’s a faint touch of sweetness that stops the whole thing descending into a bitter bomb, and brings the taste together nicely – very nicely, in fact.

Victory Brewing Co