A Salute to Saisons (2020-2021)

I do think that Allagash Saison didn't get too much respect on BA because of it's relatively simple formulation and refinement - but I wasn't pointing out consumers passing on Allagash Saison for a more "extreme" saison next to it... quite the opposite. I was pointing out the loss of a beer called "saison" and there being few other options next to it. Allagash ditched the saison and added a new stout.

Obviously "saisons" are a niche within a niche. I don't expect (or crave) the opposite. The problem with such low numbers is that when one goes away, it's a big loss. Since the topic has veered into the notion of style openness, I guess it's somehow worth adding that my personal idea of "what's a saison" seems to be far more limited than many on the site.

 

Allagash's stout Northern Sky didn't replace their Saison in year round rotation, it replaced Black. My guess is that Allagash moved their traditional Saison out of year round rotation so that they could release more Saison variations and the amount of classic Saison they release during the year is ok sitting on shelves until it's sold. So my hope is that we haven't lost Saisons by Allagash but we've gained more variety of Saisons by Allagash. I could very well be wrong but we'll see if they continue what they've been doing the past few months of releasing Saison variants.

 

Well, super hoppy lagers were a thing for a bit and that has faded in favor of more traditional versions.

I simply think it comes down to the fact that Saison has always been a sort of a "catch-all" category, that has a base ripe for variants and additions. Rather than the consumer's desire for all things extreme.

 

Yep, there's a quote in Farmhouse Ales by Markowski from some Belgian (don't have access to it right now) who says "With saison, all whims are permitted".

Personally, a big part of why I started homebrewing was to be able to brew things I like that I can't readily get, which is why I brew so many farmhouse styles. I also get to try out all the ideas I have for them: big late and dry hopping with some of the newer hops, heavy rye content, using all English malt, 100% Vienna malt, darker malts, new yeasts on the market, mixed fermentation, interesting sugars, spices, etc.

So far as the shiny new thing on the shelves, I get shit distro in my area (Montgomery County, Maryland, the only county in the US that controls distribution.). If I go into DC, there's lots of stuff from all over on the shelves, but it costs a lot. However, going into my favorite little beer and wine store in Silver Spring, I can get cans of Snakeden Saison from 7 Locks, Grisette from Manor Hill, and whatever saison Silver Branch is currently packaging. They're all easy drinking, and subtle but complex. I wish that Astro Lab would can Ruru instead of all the NEIPAs they do. I work around the corner from Right Proper's Brookland Brewery, and can pick up bottles of whatever crazy foudre-fermened, barrel aged farmhouse type thing that they have currently, but cost and higher ABV makes them more of a special occasion thing (even though I do like their heavy glass capped bottles for putting homebrew into).

 

Trump, Biden, Covid!

There, how's that?

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/shelton-brothers-to-cease-operations.649695/



I'm sure glad I managed to go to their Festival the last time and was able to see folks like Yvan De Baets, Pierre-Alex and Marie-Noëlle Carlier.

A serious blow to saison lovers in the US.

 

Add some of those breweries to B. United portfolio?

 

I started brewing for the exact same reason. I had saison from Hill Farmstead and Crooked Stave and realized those type of mixed ferm beers weren’t just sitting on shelves (or even defined yet). Even now, with a wide array of options actually on local shelves, I still love brewing them and trying new ingredients, procedures, aging times, etc. It’s an incredibly versatile style that fits into every season, food pairing or occasion, and it‘s one of the few beer styles that actually ages well so it’s cool to lay bottles down.

R.I.P. Shelton Bro’s...

 

I didn't mean to suggest that Northern Sky fulfilled the same role as Saison in their portfolio. I was just stating that they dropped one beer and added the other. They could have dropped Saison and Black while adding their bourbon barrel strawberry beer to year-round, but they went with a stout instead. I doubt we'll see "Saison" in four packs anymore. They don't do that with their Dubbel.

While your speculative idea that Allagash did this because they want to release a larger variety of saison-like beers is interesting (and a little appealing), if any new beers are $12/bottle or brewery only, I'm just not personally interested at this point. Also, (and I'm probably very alone here), I've grown tired of Allagash's restlessness in the "light and drinkable but with personality" space (and I say that as a fan). I can't even keep up with what name goes with what beer anymore. Now they've added their "Little Grove" line. (It also feels like this restlessness is in their stout space, but to a lesser extent). Not that I can blame them for that approach right now. They are doing what they feel like they gotta do. That takes us to one other point though - if Saison was a good enough seller, odds are they would have kept it.

 

As tasty as it was, I never really was a huge Allagash Saison fan. It always felt a little heavier than it needed to be compared to others in the category. I’d typically grab for a White over Saison for something Belgian-esque, local, and complex. However, I’d take their house beer in cans. Also...bring back Tiny House!!!

 

Thanksgiving!

 

Starting the day off right, by this perfect saison by Averie's Keeping Together Thoughts Without A Thinker. It's saison weather in Chicago, ready to put on shorts this afternoon and get some sun before it leaves for four months.



I bought two of these, but dropped one on the way home. Only have done that a few times in my life, but this loss was most tragic based on the outstanding quality. Full review in the NBW thread.

Hope your bottles stay upright and you pull an equally good saison on this most wonderful Saison Saturday.

 

Im rather behind, but a few nights ago, I had a Blackberry Farm Saison while out at dinner at a southern restaurant in Nashville.

Definitely more subtle than the style classics like Dupont. This had an incredibly creamy head (I’ve seen few beers like it, probably fresh tank PU in Vienna, Austria was the last time I’ve had a beer with that sort of head), making the beer very smooth on the sip. The taste was light, with some crackery grain, some spicy noble hops in the back. The yeast profile was sulfuric and a little tart, but otherwise lacked a lot of the fruitiness or barn-flavor most single-strain Saisons tend to put out.

A decent American interpretation of the style, something a little bolder for the normal BMC fans that seem to populate this region of the country.

 

Yes my idea is definitely speculative, at best. They did a run of Saison over the summer so I am hopeful that it is still going to be occasionally released in 4 pack. The number of Saisons they’ve released the last few months has been quite high so they seem to have some faith in the style but I do believe the lack of sales of their Saison is what relegated it “limited release”. Their saisons have also been sold in 4 pack cans, most in distribution.

As a fan I get your tiredness of the “light and drinkable but with personality” releases. Not a fan of grove but at least it’s not seltzer I guess. I’d like to see their saisons be less about adding hip ingredients and more about playing with the style or light hopping. A grissette or another table beer maybe. I’m not a fan of river trip, nothing wrong with it but it’s “light and drinkable” as you say. I do like what they’ve done with their stouts. Night Sky doesn’t break any ground but it’s a really good non adjunct stout. Black was more unique but not what I’d reach for when I want a stout (though I am sad to see it go). I love Map 40, one of my favorite coffee stouts ever.

They are walking a fine line between accessible and world class unique beers. I feel like they’ve been able to keep their integrity while making more mainstream beers BUT that is at the expense, to a degree, of the beer geeks.

 

I’ve been really slacking lately. Sorry to my saison peeps.