Saison
Guests: Tony Forder, editor of the Ale Street News, Kurt Epps, aka "the Pubscout" (a freelance beer writer), Richie Stolarz, founder of Beers International (whose likeness has been on a specialty Rogue bottle opposite the great Michael Jackson), and companions Ron Battafarano and Bill and Carolyn Blowers.
I was discussing saison with an e-friend on the boards of CompuServe. He was a very experienced, highly regarded brewer and BJCP certified judge. For those of you not familiar with BJCP certification, achieving this requires rigorous study and a grueling 2-hour test covering many of the more eclectic details of beer. Thus, such a person would not only have experienced fine beer, but researched and studied it as well. In discussing saison, he commented that it was pretty much Duvel, but stronger!
This exchange alerted me to the reality that even the higher end beer enthusiast community really does not understand the big picture of this artisnal style. It is understandable though. After all, there are only two importers that include saison beers in there line up - and of those, one has very limited distribution. If it weren't for VanBerg & DeWulfs' efforts to bring us the wares from the Brasserie DuPont, the only exposure we would have (here in the states) to saison would be pictures in a book. What so many fail to realize is that the DuPont - though an excellent import choice - represents only one head of the hydra.
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Generalized Summation:
Saison DuPont
There is an interesting richness to this beer. If you are new to saisons and want to try one that is very classically styled I would suggest this. I feel in some ways it has established the benchmark for what we think of as saison. It is pale, of moderate strength and great with food.
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Moinette
Also a product of the Brasserie DuPont, I feel this one is a bit on the harsh side. It packs a bigger punch than Saison DuPont, being closer in ABV to Bons Voeux but with less character. To be fair, this is one I should readdress, but I should say it was my personal least favorite of the grouping. The Brune, if you can find it, is a different story. A hair abbeyish but with the unmistakable mark of a farmhouse brew. Richie's comment "you can taste the farmhouse in it" was uttered after sampling Moinette brune.
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DuPont Bons Voeux
This is a big and strong saison. It is seasonal, I guess sort of a Christmas ale of the saison world. Bons Voeux is, I feel, the richest of the bunch. Because of it's intensity, I would recommend the novice graduate to this beer. However, if a saison that is starting to lean towards being a triple appeals to you, and if its in season, don't hesitate.
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Vapeur En Folie
I feel comfortable calling this one the complex aging saison. It is possible to find various vintages and they are all different. It is surprizingly potent at 8%, light in color with an interesting bitterness that come from chicory. In time this beer will develop wonderful vanillaish qualities, I have experienced this with more than one bottle. I think this is better as an savoring brew, I'm not so sure it hold the promise of being a thirst quencher. The oldest bottle I have had was 8 years, and it was great.
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Saison Pipaix
Here's a standout! This beer has come a long way since it was first imported around the mid 90's. Then it was extremely lambic-like, intense to the point that many die-hard, esoteric beer enthusiasts wanted nothing to do with it. Back then I could drink it - slowly. It fascinated me like a highway pile-up! But 5ish years later it is something new. It still has a tart and lambic-like edge, but in a very nice way. My experiences with it in the last 2 years have all been very good. If you are new to artisnal beer stay clear, this one is for the palette trained - expect anything! But if you've been around the block and are curious, I suggest you go for it!
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Fantome
Whoa! Nothing could have prepared me for this one! It is perhaps the most fascinating beer here, but not in a subtile, complex way like Vapeur. It is enormously fruity, but be prepared for a debate on exactly what fruit! I feel it is in the apricot family, but nobody saw that. In fact, no two people around the table could agree! As far as I can tell, there is no actual fruit used in production, in a way this one is a miracle or fermentation! An incrediably artisnal beer for the seasoned enthusiast.
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Silly, 1900, Regal
I had these shipped over cause the label says saison, but these seem more like beers you would expect to come out of a modern brewery, not a farmhouse. I won't say they're bad beers, just mis-designated as saisons. Silly, for example, bares a noticable resemblance to Scotch de Silly. Tony described them all as "session sasions". I think that was a good observation. I won't say "stay clear", but your efforts in an authentic saison hunt can be far better spent.
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Saison d' Erezee
Like its cousin Fantome, this one had an enormous fruity character, and like Fantome exactly what fruit was really hard to pin down. I perceived it as peaches or apricots, but Bill and Tony looked at me with a raised eyebrow! Erezee was the bigger of the two, and appeared to be a winter beer, depicting a blizzard on its Xeroxed-looking label. If you think you've had it all, think again! Saison d' Erezee will be a new experience.
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Saison d' Epeautre
This one is a treat, and a fairly recent entry to the saison world. If the classic description of a thirst quencher is what blows air up your skirt, then this is the one. It is very light and spritzy. Every bottle I have opened (750mL) has been set in the sink after a glass was poured. The foam has creeped up the neck and gone over the edge! In comparison to the others I can't say its terribly complex, but I would imagine it's possible this is the most like the farm hand refresher of the past saison was reputed to be. It was the favorite of several participants.
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