Brett Saison, what is it?

Anchorage Love Buzz is really good if you can find it......

 

type "Meters" "Cissy Strut" & "youtube" into that little box at the top right of the computer screen.

You will thank me.

 

Bruery's Saison de Lente beats it hands down.

 

Saison Dupont beats them all, by a wide margin. Funk and citrus in perfect harmony. Possibly the world's most perfect beer.

 

Great beer, but doesn't have brett.

 

the cuvee dry hopping 2013 is ammmaaaazing. the brown bottle is key.

 

Saison-Brett never sees a barrel. All of the brettanomyces character is developed in the bottle after packaging.

 

All the Hill Farmstead/Grassroots saisons have a degree of funky/sourness. Some are funky fresh (Edith, Convivial Suarez, Arctic Saison), and some need 6-8 months in the bottle to get there. Also, they aren't all actually brewed with Brett. I don't know their secret, but they are all worth seeking out of you like funky saisons.

Grassroots Arctic Saison is a good example of a brett forward saison that saw some decent distribution.

 

Completely speculating here, but I'm assuming the technique for brewing a Brett Saison involves a Saison yeast for primary fermentation with a Brett yeast added for a later (and likely shorter) fermentation.

Stylistically, I don't think it's possible for a "Brett Saison" to use only Brett yeast.

 

Saisons with brett that are outstanding in my opinion...

• Anchorage anything, but especially Love Buzz--hot damn that is a fantastic beer.
• Boulevard Saison-Brett is one of, if not THE best if you ask me - such an intoxicating smell
• Logsdon Seizoen Bretta is also a good one, but when I had it, the funk just wasn't as assertive as I tend to prefer in my brett-infused saisons
• The Bruery Saison Rue is another good one, but I thought the brett characteristics were a bit muted here. But it's a great saison all the same.

That's it for some great saisons that use brett, but one style that also seems to utilize brett that I didn't see mentioned yet is the Belgian Pale Ale...

• Orval - one of the greats, imho, and the brett really serves to make each bottle a little bit different than the last.
• Green Flash Rayon Vert - said to be inspired by Orval, this is an outstanding beer as well, although I've read/heard some things about overcarbonation and gushers
• Goose Island Matilda - I actually prefer this one to the much-lauded Sofie.

 

This is a fact. I had a 2012 about a month ago, and it was insanely good.

 

Saison-Brett fresh off the tap (lots of dry hopping..) is when it's best

It really falls off a cliff after 18 months I think. (I still have 1 or 2 2009's that are shells of once great beers)

 

My best guess with the Hill Farmstead saisons that develop brett character is that they still go through vessels or equipment that has processed Brett, which is hardy enough to survive almost any kind of disinfection. Very typical farmhouse brewing, in many ways.

More surprising is that Shaun can use that much brett and not get contamination in his non-funky beers. But to the best of my knowledge, though, it's never happened.

 

How do you know?

 

I really need to revisit Saison de Lente. The Bruery is my favorite brewery, and I'm a reserve member, so I really don't have much of an excuse on that one. I remember liking Saison de Lente but not being blown away like I was by Saison Brett and Seizoen Bretta. Saison Tonnellerie, on the other hand, did blow my mind, but I don't think it has Brett.

 

I have bottles of both from 2012 -- I should try them side by side. But I did open one of the Boulevard bottles recently and wasn't impressed with how it had developed in the last year. I remember Saison de Lente had a lot more complexity, it's not just about the Brett. I can sure understand having a favorite brewery but taking some of their more commonplace offerings for granted.
Edit: I can't believe I said that beer was "commonplace," but this is The Bruery we're talking about here, right?

 

Brettanomyces- often referred to as Brett, is a kind of "wild" yeast, and therefore a fermentation agent rather than a flavor component. However, Brett has such unique characteristics that it is often used as an adjective — i.e. "this beer smells very Bretty." This is often synonymous with the term "funk."

Funky -A major flavor in sour beers, or beers aged with Brettanomyces (i.e. Orval.) A beer can be funky without being fully sour. "Funky" is a wild, living, natural smell; not really comparable to anything else I've ever smelled or tasted. Some people also use the word "barnyard" or "farmhouse" to denote this ripe, earthy, leathery quality.

 

Boston area only but Enlightenments Rite of Spring is one of the better brett saisons I've had.

 

Funky is as Funky does.

 

Good to know. I've got a '13 Saison Brett that I was going to drink, but now I'll sit on it...