Saison Deliciousness

Some of them tasted foul to me so from personal experiences I wouldnt say they were all delicious. Seems like a hit or miss style IMO.

 

Everyone is on the Saison bandwagon right now. Are there particular breweries you're talking about? Because I see them everywhere.

 

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/267/94075
Odell just dropped this awesomeness, and ALOT of larger breweries have been putting saisons out in their brewpubs.

 

Well it's probably for the same reason they don't do Trippels. Those companies tend to stick to the more American styles as far as I know. Hops, hops, hops, ya know?

I never realized how rough the distribution is in VA. Looks like you can get Tank 7 and Hennepin in alot of surrounding states, that's a bummer.

 

ISO!!!

 

Got some Prairie Hop on the way! Sooooo excited!

 

I feel that beer is generally marketed toward men (even craft beer). Saisons aren't typically geared at men, so they tend to get lost in the mix. Hop bombs are bitter, and thus naturally unappealing to humans. Because men are taught to be tough, however, they grow to like hop bombs (myself included). The reason saisons aren't popular is societal pressure.

 

My next homebrew plan is a Saison. Very happy with some recet buys in Prairie Standard ad Saison Diego. Trying to clone the latter while adding roses and (very light) raspberry.

 

I agree with you that men are taught to be tough in American culture and cultures across the globe. However, I disagree that it's this societal pressure that gears men away from Saisons. How then do you explain mild ales, altbiers, steam beers, Kolsch, or scores of other non-in-your-face styles that men love and are marketed right along with all sorts of other brews? Why are you singling out saisons as the one beer that men are steered away from? Again, I think your spot on with the culture of toughness, but I disagree with your idea behind why saisons aren't popular (in fact, I don't even think they are unpopular.)

 

I love a good saison but I find it to be a style typically butchered by allot of breweries. Maybe Hill Farmstead just ruined all others of the style for me though.

 

This. I've been a big fan of saisons for a while now. In the last year I've tasted most of the seasonal HF saisons and loved them. Now I find I don't care for more standard saisons that lack funk. Just tried tank 7 for the first time and didn't care for it at all, too much banana and spice. But I know it is a saison a lot of folks really like.

 

I'm shooting for a RIS next, then a saison. I can't wait to brew that!

 

Ding ding.
It's a style that does take a light touch to get right. Saison is a style that does not lend it self to a ton of hops, or a ton of malt. It's that balance, and a relatively light one at that, plus the yeast characteristics have to be rightIf any of those points are off, it's just not a good beer.

 

You can also find Saison Dupont, Saison Diego (Green Flash) in VA, both solid offerings. I am sure there are a few more that are escaping me right now, but are regularly on the shelves around these parts (Northern VA).

 

Easier to brew. And they are easy to add additional stuff to which is why many brewers love them.