Saison
Stone Brewing

SaisonSaison
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 13.13%
Reviews:
208
Ratings:
1,278
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 21, 2021
Added:
Apr 13, 2014
Wants:
  27
Gots:
  265
A modern take on a Belgian classic
First Release: April 2014

In spring 2011, Stone bought the farm, literally, taking over 19 acres of fertile Southern California soil where we now grow pristine fruits, vegetables, herbs and more for our Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens restaurants. A taste of our homespun farm-to-tableism is provided in this farmhouse ale. Lemon zest, grains of paradise, lemon thyme and lavender harvested in Southern California fields, including our own at Stone Farms, provide citrus and floral character along with a subtle, tantalizing spice. Thanks to the infusion of fresh West Coast ingredients, this isn’t your everyday saison. It’s our saison—100% Stone.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by fmccormi:
Photo of fmccormi
Reviewed by fmccormi from California

4.18/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Straight pour from a pry-off 12oz bottle to a teku; freshness date of July 29, 2014 printed in yellow ink on the shoulder of the bottle (“ENJOY BY 07/29/14”), so I’m guessing that makes this, I dunno, about two weeks old? I thought Stone had 90 day freshness windows. Am I doing my math wrong? Eh, it’s fresh.

Appearance (3.5): About three fingers of cream-colored head rises easily off of the pour, capping a crystal-clear, golden body. WHAT A FIZZY YELLOW BEER, JEEZ STONE. But really, it looks beautiful. The head shows average retention for the style, dying down at an average pace and leaving sparse lacing: a few suds here and there, and little in the way of legs and collars. Frowny face.

Smell (4.25): Lavender and thyme definitely come through here, in a tastefully balanced buffet: light, crackly straw, fresh-baked, rustic white bread, a light dose of that distinct slightly spicy, floral lavender character, warm herbs with light spice (thyme, and light coriander, but no clove or pepper to speak of, which is perfectly fine), and light apple and lemon zest notes.

Taste (4.25): Much more lemon here, but thankfully stopping short of astringency. In fact, the flavor is really quite juicy—something like a sweet, apple-y flavor pairs with a bit of lemon zest and a bit of lightly sweetened lemonade, along with a tastefully-incorporated thyme note. It moves into a spicy palette of moderate coriander and a solid dose of white pepper, merging with a slightly juicy, nicely grassy hop character, before switching back to an assertive spiciness. A light, but clear, slightly sweet lemon undertone persists.

Mouthfeel (4.5): They body is just on the light- side of medium-weight, smooth, and juicy; that carbonation leads with a light prickle, followed by a light but fluffy feel before it foams nicely cushy on the way down. The finish is definitely dry, but not to the point that it distracts from the rest of the body—in fact, this drinks beautifully.

Overall (4.0): What the eff, Stone. Sometimes all people talk about is “do something other than hops for once, Stone, make a non-IPA for once, Stone.” Well, you did with this beer, and guess what? It doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s pretty damn good. This beer has a nice level of complexity: multiple distinct components, nothing clashing, nothing overwhelming, nothing muted. Personally I found the appearance somewhat lacking after the head died down, but the aroma, taste, and feel were all really, really good. Some self-professed purists will claim that this beer is too sweet (it really isn’t—the sweetness is moderate at best, but that’s just my opinion), some non-purists will be disappointed that it’s not funky, tart, or musty, and some newbies will drink it too damn cold, but in my opinion this is an excellent beer. It’s more or less a classically Belgian-leaning, non-funky saison that manages to TASTEFULLY incorporate some interesting ingredients that never clash. I’m very pleasantly surprised by this beer, and very pleased that Stone’s put a slightly-more-affordable saison in sixers. Very happy with this!
Apr 14, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.74 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Nov 21, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.02/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
355 ml bottle, from a trade with Cunningham. ABV is 6%. Pale golden colour, crystal clear first, hazy when the yeast is poured in the end. Huge white head. Surprisingly moderate aroma of spicy saison yeast and grain, not remarkable. Spicy saison yeast in the flavour too, bitter finish. Again some grainy notes. Far from the best saison I’ve had.
May 08, 2021
 
Rated: 2.5 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.58 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Dec 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by BradtheGreat7 from Ohio

Jun 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.54 by prototypic from Ohio

Apr 29, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.54 by AmeriCanadian from Tennessee

Sep 23, 2017
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
**
09/02/2014

Bottle to goblet.

Aroma is melon, citrus, hops, bread, yeast.
Appearance: cloudy yellow, big big airy white head.
Taste: cream of tartar. Sounds odd, but its a good thing. Sourdough bread, yeast, some fruit. Chewy. Lemon. Biscuit. I’m all over the place,but i like it.
Feel: Creamy, lasting, chewy.

Profound Statement: I like me a saison.

**
Aug 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.47 by Timtac from New Jersey

Feb 23, 2017
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz bottle into a pint glass. bottle says "5/21/15. So getting close to 18 months old. bottle says consume fresh. So might be in trouble here. Well, it was a free one...

Actually looks pretty good. Fairly hazy yellow body. big fluffy white head which persists leaving good lacing. head stays in some form throughout. good carbonation.

not getting much on the nose beyond the Belgian yeast aroma.

Not bad in the taste department either. spices have muted quite a lot, and i didn't get the pepper hit at the end. having said that, it was clean, floral, and quite yeasty. pleasant enough drink.

around medium on the mouth, slightly bitter citrus finish.

18 months old and still a very acceptable beverage.
Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Catalin90 from Romania

Nov 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.55 by NOLANDMAN from Massachusetts

Oct 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by DutchcdnTEXAN from Texas

Oct 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.6 by Determined_021 from New Mexico

Oct 03, 2016
 
Rated: 2.5 by ThisSeasonsWaifu from Sweden

Sep 04, 2016
 
Rated: 2.66 by JohnyFriday from Colorado

Sep 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by dag1991 from Ohio

Jul 16, 2016
Saison from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 1278 ratings