Saison Du BUFF - Red & White Wine Barrel
Stone Brewing

An interesting combination of flavors. Bottled January 2017. From the Escondido Small Batch Series.

Even considering that brett and barrels weaken the saison's foam and bubbles, Du Buff still Looks below its style's average. But, I give it an average rating for the bottle and cage.

Smells actually reveal almost everything on the label (unusual disclosure and combinations.) Tastes do, too. It is all there to parse out and talk about; but I'll let the other reviewers do so. My chime is I'm not a fan of how Brett finishes a saison because it rarely complements a variety of foods. That flexibility is my chief love of Saisons.

As is Stone's fashion, 9.3% ABV is pretty high for a saison. But, Stone also is the masters of concealment. And at 41 IBU, that usually is more than makes me stand up and cheer. But for a brewer that made lots of money above 50 IBU and imperials to boot, Stone shows restraint and maturity here.

Bottomline: Stone is one of the many success stories from the second wave of micros started in the previous century. They have the money to do an experimental series like this. And I thank them for that. But, I wish this saison had my table more in mind.

7/29/21 Bought this again and I'm mad at myself. (And it is not just short-term memory loss.) 19 months later, the Brett is even more aggressive to my palate. Slight dock in Taste and I'm recording this @ UnTappd.

500ml bottle. Caged and corked bottle. Bottling date is 'January 2017'.
Cloudy, pale gold colored body. Slight white fizzy head quickly disappears and leaves a thin ring. Leaves no lacing.
Aroma of tart citrus, Brett funk, a wine attribute, and oak barrel. Added herbal spices are still part of the smell.
Taste of sour orange-like citrus and a touch of cherry. Definitely a zing from the herbal spices. A little barnyard and tobacco funk. Wine and oak barrel dryness. The yeast funk trails off in the aftertaste.
About a medium mouth feel, with a tug from the sour/tart and a dry finish. Medium carbonation.
A farmhouse ale that is made complex because of its added components, its barrel aging, and the work of the Brett yeast. Quite different and not often encountered.

This is an amazing Saison or Farmhouse Ale, whatchamacallit. It is just the type that I love so much, almost like what Prairie makes, maybe the spices used or the yeast, or the balance of both but it's just simply amazing. That remarkable yeast/spice flavor is overwhelming but in a way that the (wild?) yeast supports the spices 100%, you don't even notice it but feel that there is some serious funk going on. It's also has enough sour and zesty feeling - and thank goodness, no Belgian toothpaste yeast (after)taste! Perfect finish!
I could go on drinking this day and night, I simply can't get tired of this taste, so exciting, so refreshing, so unusual!
You might think I exaggerate but then try it for yourself! I was knocked out, point blank, hats off to these three amazing breweries!
The only pity was that it was only a pint...

Stone, I love Stone [not getting stoned - not into that, sorry!]. Damn their beers can be expensive though - this corked and caged 500ml bottle cost me around $36, that’s halfway to the most expensive beer I’ve ever bought ($60 for a 330ml bottle of Westvleteren XII), anyway you get what you paid for, and Barrel-Aged beers are expensive in general. The main drawcard for me with this brew was this: rosemary. I’ve been wanting to try a beer brewed with rosemary for ages. Also parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme “remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine” - who doesn’t love Simon and Garfunkel? Probably people born this century, but really what do they know? Yeah!

Poured from a 500ml corked and caged bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Fairly hazed pale orange body with a rather active white head that fizzles out pretty quickly leaving a thin lace ring. It’s no contender for best looking beer, but it looks drinkable nonetheless. 7/10.

S: Dry and musty Brettanomyces yeast upfront provides a decent barnyard funky hay-bale Saison credentials - this is definitely a farmhouse ale, there’s no disputing that. The rest of the aroma is dedicated to herbal and floral notes, with a bit of bubble-gum thrown into the mix. Yep, this is one of those beers I could sit in the corner and sniff for ages [as long as no one sees me acting like some sort of beer-sniffing lunatic]. “Sensational aroma!” is what I could have said more aptly. 10/10.

T: Flavour is a complex mix of the above: dry/musty and spicy Brett yeast, dry herbal centre with hints of sage and thyme, white wine grapes, hints of floral notes and bubble-gum, capped off with a looooong dry herbal finish. Flavours overall of a crazy complex and exceptional brew that is a little too yeast-driven and missing the rosemary, parsley and red wine barrel characters, however this was going to be a hectic brew and those flavours have no doubt been drowned out in the sheer cacophony of ingredients. 9/10.

M: Mid to light bodied with a dense and prickly carbonation. 8/10.

D: This brew more than anything reminds me of Trappist brews like Orval - herbal rich, dry and spicy - and apart from the above noted flavours being pushed out by other flavours it is bang on what I was expecting. Oh yeah, and 9.3% ABV - doesn’t taste anything near that! Another admirable effort from Stone, though a bit too many Brett strains, go easy on the yeast next time Stone. 8/10.

Food match: Roast chicken with a herb salad and roasted veggies.

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 1/2017. Pours fairly crystal clear medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, melon, red apple, white grape, red/white wine, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, peppercorn, clove, oak, wheat, cracker, white bread, spicy rye, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, funk, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, herbal spices, wine barrels, and moderate pale/rye malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, melon, red apple, white grape, red/white wine, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, peppercorn, clove, oak, wheat, cracker, white bread, spicy rye, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, funk, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness; light herbal bitterness, and wine/oak tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, peach, pear, melon, red apple, white grape, red/white wine, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, peppercorn, clove, oak, wheat, cracker, white bread, spicy rye, hay, straw, grass, vanilla, funk, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, herbal spices, wine barrels, and moderate pale/rye malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance; and minimal wine/oak/spice astringency. Light-moderate increasing dryness from yeast spiciness and wine/oak tang/tartness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately bready/grainy/sticky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Slight slick/silky notes from the barrel aging. Alcohol is very well hidden; a slightly increasing warmth of 9.3% after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged spiced saison! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, herbal spices, wine barrels, and moderate pale/rye malt flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on, with the modestly spicy/tannic/drying finish. Liked this just as much as the base beer. The barrels mellow out a lot of the spice intensity, especially in the aromas; but you still get a nice hit of all 4 on the flavors. Great well rounded saison yeast complexity, with perfect balance of wine barrels and pale/rye malts. A really enjoyable offering.