Let's talk Saisons

Homerism here, but love what Funkwerks is putting out right now.

Bitterbill made a great call with Boulevard's Saison Brett. As good as Tank 7 is, and its great, Saison Brett is even better, IMO. Hennepin and Ommegangs offerings all deserve their mentions as well.

 

My favorite is Dupont and you've nailed it so..... as others have said Hennepin is really good and easy to get, Stillwater also makes some really good stuff if you can get it in your area.

 

I think is more useful to sort by reviews. Most of the top 10 are widely available and have great scores > 4.

 

Some tasty saison

Swamp head saison du swamp
Logsdon seizon Bretta
Boulevard saison Brett
Fantomes
Farmstead art, Anna etc
Crooked stave surette, surette reserva

 

Saison Dupont
Boulevard Saison-Brett & Tank 7
Ommegang Hennepin
Prairie Standard
Pretty Things Jack D'Or, didnt care for it first time around but man was it good the last few times I drank it.

 

De Dottignies is the best one I've tried. Difficult to find. I've only come across it in one location in my travels throughout the North East.

Saison Dupont is a poorly executed copy imo..

 

Saison DuPont has been brewed for 40+ years.....De Ranke brewery wasn't even founded until 1994. So you swung and missed on it DuPont being a "copy"

 

Brasserie Dupot - Avec Les Bons Voeux
Une Année - Life Beyond Death (Black Saison)
Goose Island - Pepe Nero
Three Floyds - Tonnerre Neige
Three Floyds - Razor Hoof
Three Floyds - Rabid Rabbit

 

Sorry but as TrojanRB already pointed out, calling Saison Dupont a poorly executed copy of De ranke Saison De Dottignies is complete nonsense.

My favorites:
- Brasserie de Blaugies Saison D'Epeautre (harder to find than Dupont, very classic in style)
- Anything with the Dupont house strain (especially Vieille Provision, Moinette Blonde, and Avril)

My favorite "US style" saisons are from Prairie and Stillwater.

 

Hard to add much to this thread since a lot of the best have already been named, but that won't stop me from trying...

Tank 7 is far and away my favorite, and I really like the American hopped-up take on the style, so I liked Prairie Standard (already mentioned). And I was really impressed by Odell's Wellspring, which was only available in one of their Montage sampler 12-packs; I think it was the Winter edition. They really need to release that one on its own.

If you like Hennepin, Perennial's Saison de Lis is quite good, and I'm a fan of Saison Rue from The Bruery as well.

Of course, then there are the barrel-aged and fruit-infused takes which really can get fantastic. Aforementioned Saison-Brett from Boulevard is great. I'm a huge fan of Anchorage Love Buzz (Pinot barrels) and then Logsdon Peche N' Brett and Prairie Eliza5beth are great renditions brewed with peaches and apricots, respectively.

As noted, it's an outstanding style... when done well. But I've found that the more I try, the more I realize it's not an easy style to do well.

PS -Jester King's Le Petit Prince is a fantastic tart "session" farmhouse that, at 3% ABV, harkens back to the origins of the style.

 

Wait so is this one in active production? Saw it on Craftshack recently, but it's listed as "no longer produced" on here and it's not listed on the FW 2014 release calendar.

 

I had it at World of Beer Recently and as far as I knew it's in production I see it on shelves at Total Wine , Bev Mo, and local Bottle Shops

 

It's year-round and you should be able to find it wherever Double Jack and Wookey Jack are sold.

 

Great Divide Collette - I love that it's available in six-packs! Wish we could get Tank 7 in AZ...loved it when I had some last summer. Upright Four is an excellent option for a warm day at 4ish% ABV...price is the only downside.
GI Sofie and Pepe Nero are also great and easy to find. Damn I'm craving a saison now...

 

One of my favorite styles. Drinking the new Stone Saison as I type. Really like it.

 

I recently tried a couple of bottles of the FW Opal and really like it. had the Funkwerks recently also really good. the Opal reminds me of Orval Trappist and so I just cracked my Orval that I have been saving, don't know if it qualifies as a Saison, but it reminds me of one.

 

During the sweltering season, I typically keep some Notch Saison around. It's a quencher at <4% abv so I have no worries doling it out to the fieldhands.

 

Goin to Saison Fest at Burial Beer Co tonight! 14 different saisons by 11 different breweries. So stoked....I guess I should get some sleep before I go huh?

 

Shit, yeah I need sleep. It's actually more like 27 different saisons. Derp

 

I know it's been said, but this was such nonsense I feel the need to say that Saison Dupont is more closely considered the benchmark for what a Saison is supposed to be. Admittedly, the 'style' of Saison is a bit more nebulous than say a Czech Pils, but if there was going to be a single beer that defines the style, Dupont would be it.

In addition to that, +1 for Jack D'or, underrated and really tasty. Hennepin was my favorite go-to beer for a long time, and I also really like Foret. Matt's Burning Rosids was really nice when I had a chance to try it, and Tired Hands is killing it with saisons.