Your Top 10 Saisons

It's hard to choose ten. How about breweries that have the best saisons.

Hill Farmstead
Fantome
Hopfenstark

a style I love.

 

I may have asked this... any chance you got it at FLBC?

 

Funkwerks - Monarch. Not bottled and might have been a one off but it was a blend of 50% Exile King aged in Chardonnay Oak Barrels and 50% Tropic King....best thing I have tried by Funkwerks and my favorite saison I have tried. Hope they do another batch next summer.

Can't go wrong with their flagship Saison either. Or just about any saison they release.

Another one probably local to Colorado is Elevation's Signal de Botrange. I seemed to like it more than the others who rated it here, but I enjoyed that one a lot. It seemed to be a slightly unique take on the style.

 

Also another good one I was fortunate to try over the summer.

 

Pound for pound, saison is my favorite style of beer. Unfortunately, having never tried any of the Hill Farmstead saisons, my top ten...the first two are cemented in, the rest are in no particular order:

Ommegang Hennepin
Fantome Saison
Saison Dupont
Jack D'Or
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
Boulevard Saison Brett
Boulevard Tank 7
Bruery Saison Rue
Bruery Saison Lente
Fantome Hiver

Honorable mention: Cigar City Cucumber Saison

 

I CAME HERE TO SEE WHAT GONZOILLINI HAD TO SAY, AND HE SAID NOTHING.

Le Sigh.

 

Whole Foods in Tampa (Dale Mabry, right by CCB). But this was like, January 2011.

 

havent seen Castelain on here. any thoughts?

 

Based on my ratings:

The Bruery Seven Grain Saison - 4.43
Cigar City Guava Grove (infected) - 4.43
Logsdon Oak Aged Bretta - 4.43
Hill Farmstead E. - 4.4
Swamphead Saison Du Swamp - 4.4
Allagash Interlude - 4.38
Fantome De Noel - 4.38
Hill Farmstead Flora - 4.38
McKenzie Saison Vautour Du Bois - 4.38
Fantome Saison - 4.3
Southampton Saison Deluxe - 4.3

 

I honestly cannot say that I have had 10 Saisons. Sad, because I love the style if done right. I plan on digging deep into this style this coming summer. Until then, Fantome Saison, and Brett are the two that I have had that really stand out.

 

Why wait until the summer?

GET YE TO A BEER STORE!

 

Honestly, because summer beers suck ass so much that I have to save all my IPA and Saison drinking for the summer; being that they are the only styles other than wheat that I can drink when it is hot as balls outside. Plus I've got my eye on some Boulvaard Rye-on-Rye, Abraxas, a new shipment of Expedition that came in, the last of the Bourbon County, and an old bottle of Samael that a store has had in their fridge for like 2 years. Thank you for cellaring for me kind store!

 

Fair enough. I've discovered recently that my craving for hops and saisons, alternately, has transcended the arithmetic of seasonality. If that makes any sense. Might be chilly outside, but I want some hops, damnit.

Consequently, I can't tell you how excited I am that Palate Wrecker's coming out in like, one month. Or that I keep seeing Saison du Swamp and Guava Grove in the stores. Soon, soon, soon . . .

 

bringing this thread back from the dead... Just saw some Fantome De Noel on a local shelf. Should I run back after work and buy it without thinking twice?

 

yes, pick it up

off of the to of my head:
fantome de noel
cuvee van der kaiser (avery one off)
storm king- funkwerks
saison du pont
tank 7
hennepin
fantome saison
crooked stave saisons
Bruery saisons

(I cheated)

 

Perfect, thank you. Looks like I have a minor detour tonight!

 

Now that this is revived, I took the time to go back through and find my top 10 saisons based on review scores. They are:

Hill Farmstead Ann
Hill Farmstead Mimosa
Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Nelson Sauvin
Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Simcoe
Cigar City Jolly Guava Grove
Tired Hands Tabel Suckle
Tired Hands Tabel Verbena
Tired Hands FarmHands
Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Saison
Logsdon Seizoen

Based on a quick skim, I would also have expected to see Fantome Saison, HF/Tired Hands Myth of Saison, and McKenzie Saison Vautour. My review standards certainly haven't been consistent across time, which I'm sure greatly affects these ratings.

 

Bruery Saison Rue
GI Sofie
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale
Ithaca Ground Break
Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell
Surly Cynicale
Jester King Thrash Metal
Ommegang Hennepin
Stillwater Cellar Door

 

Blvd Saisons
Tank 7
Saison Brett

 

Ratings-wise -

Green Flash Summer Saison (2008) - 4.88
Piccolo Birrificio Seson - 4.65
St. Somewhere Pays du Soleil - 4.63
Saison Dupont - 4.5
Craftsman Sour Lavender - 4.5
Epic Utah Sage Saison - 4.48
Saison du BUFF (Highest) - 4.43
Monkish Brewing Floraison - 4.43
Lost Abbey Red Barn - 4.43
Craftsman La Luz - 4.43

Honorable Mentions - Hennepin (4.4), Fantome Saison (4.4), Cellar Door (4.38), Fantome Printemps (4.38)