The 750 Saison

I'm winding this thread down now. There's a few odd beers I will still include, and I do intend to briefly list all of the non-750 saisons I've had during this thread... but before all that, here's a pic of the beers that I intend to be the last group. These are my final American revisits along with my two favorite 12oz saisons that I will sneak into the blind tasting portion.

 

I've never encountered one, but I'm imagining that it's as much of a "thing" as an oatmeal braggot or a light chile blonde. Oyster stouts aren't even a defined "thing" though.

I know that Oxbow made a gose-inspired () "saison" with lobsters.

 

Blackberry Farm Summer Saison

OK, I said that this latest group was a group of beers that I was revisiting... and I've stretched the truth. In the case of Blackberry Farm, I've been moving on to different saisons within their lineup. It's a hunt for me to find any of their beers.

This one was exceptional.

It's made with pilsner and "character" malts (whatever that means), Australian Summer hops and Citra hops. It's a very hazy beer. At first, the beer rubbed me the wrong way. The hops are bitter and fruity... not citrusy. The hops didn't feel cohesive with the beer, but once I got accustomed to it, the beauty of this beer came through. There's an earthiness and it's slightly odd. Everything is expertly measured. It's so dry that the malt character takes on a ghost-like quality. Blackberry Farm was an unusual inclusion in this thread because I never had any of their beers before. I'm a fan.

 

Now for the blind tasting. This was the most difficult of my blind tastings. Based on my receptiveness, I might have picked the wrong night to do it. So it goes. Here's how I ranked them:

8 - Saint Somewhere / Jester King - Bouteille Vert
7 - Mystic Renaud
6 - Boulevard Saison Brett
4/5 - tie: Allagash Saison / Two Roads - Roads Garden
3 - CBC Working Class Hero
2 - CBC Morning Dew
1- Blackberry Farm Summer Saison

The Saint Somewhere / Jester King brew was once again held back by nail polish. The Mystic beer was in the back but it's age was a big factor. I had such a different reaction to Boulevard Saison Brett this time around. The first time I had it for the thread, I remarked that it didn't remind me of Tank 7. This time around, it reminded me of Tank 7 much more - and not to its benefit. There's a lot going on in that beer. Cambridge Brewing Company did very well. It's worth noting that I've conducted blind tastings of 12 oz saisons quite a few times... and in those cases, I've always had Allagash Saison slightly in front of Working Class Hero rather than slightly behind it.

 

Here come some oddballs. The two American beers aren't saisons, but I'm throwing them in since I've featured other related beers by these brewers. I was so happy to find Fantome Saison in a store. It's been a long time.

 

Fantome Dark White

Another bizarrely named Fantome beer. A very enjoyable beer. Its color is like a very dark amber mixed with chestnut... and very hazy. If you can call this beer a saison, then it's a rare thing - a brown saison (there are others). This beer is very characteristically Fantome (in a good way). I couldn't imagine any other brewer's name on this beer. It's sour but expertly measured so that the sourness begins to go away as you drink more of it. There's a tart but dark berry flavor. Hop presence is minimal. It's "spiced" but not in such a way that's obvious. The distinguishing feature is the ABV. My bottle says 4.7%. It's very nice to have a saison of that strength that in no way resembles a typical Belgian table beer. In addition, this beer doesn't feel compromised due to the ABV. Nonetheless, despite all of it's qualities, the beer is missing a bit of a spark... but that's just me being very picky. An exceptional beer.

 

Jeez. I just realized that I already featured Fantome Dark White in this thread and forgot that I did. The marathon that is this thread has worn me out. Couple that with being overworked and it's clear that I'm starting to slip. It's a good thing I'm down to the last few beers. At least my two posts about the beer weren't dissimilar.

 

Winding down, but not done.

 

It's worth pointing out that the Fantome beer is listed as a saison on BeerAdvocate, but the brewer has not labeled this beer a saison. If you're interested in such a thing though, look to Silly Saison.