Saisons with Brett

If you really like the Brett characteristics just wait it out as long as possible. I don't think the Brett ever really falls off (it may many, many years from now). I prefer the brett beers that are excellent after only a few months. Crooked Stave Surrette is heavenly.

 

Id age arthur. I thought it was great fresh just not very complex at all.

 

GI Sofie- and don't worry about it falling off. It needs about a year to just get going .

 

Open a Boulevard Saison Brett now. And everyday after that.

 

Goose Island's website doesn't say anything about Sofie being a wild ale or having any kind of Brett characteristics. I think it is a pure farmhouse ale. I just bought a four pack of it and need to review the fresh one before laying the others down for a while.

 

You know, as many times as I've had that beer I don't remember if it says so on the label either, but it's there. It definitely hits a sweet spot after a year (which is probably a bit different for everybody) but that's when the barnyardy qualities come to the fore. There are also the wine barrel and spices in there, so if you let it go too long those could start to get overshadowed, but from my experience it'll take a few years to get to that point.

It's a nice beer to start with, too- dry and quenching with a certain subtle complexity- but once that brett kicks in it becomes something special. And at $11-12 a four-pack!

BTW- check the date on the back label. Don't assume that you bought a fresh one. I see a lot of them on the shelves a year old already.

 

"Fermented with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrels with orange peel, Sofie is a tart, dry, sparkling ale."

Been on the website since the first release in 2009. Used to be on the bottom of the four-packs too, not sure if it still does. The beer is specifically 80% fresh saison, 20% saison aged in wine barrels with oranges and brett. It's also bottle conditioned with brett.

I concur with everyone else, Sofie doesn't even taste like Sofie until it's 6 to 12 months old. I rarely touch it before 18 months myself.

 

You can't really pin down a "sweet spot" for any beer IMO because everyone's tastes are different and Brett beers are especially difficult because every house strain is slightly different and will effect the beer differently. Just like I'd suggest for any beer, I'd drink your Arthur right now and if you come across another to age you can sit on it for a while and see how it changes.

 

Those beers will have continuous peaks and valleys. As oxygen seeps in, it will damage the beer. But the brett will start munching on the O and produce flavors. This process repeats, with maybe, I dunno, 3 months' swing time?

Hmmm....I think this is mostly accurate

 

Love me some bretty saison - Logsdon is righteous but love to try the Arthur. I think high quality ones don't care if it's fresh or five years+. I do like some age, at least a year

 

I had a2009 saison Brett about a year ago and it was awful. I'd age that guy 3 years max

 

Good advice. The bottles are from 03/2014 and just hit my local store. I haven't had it yet but I'll keep the year marker you mentioned in mind when I sample the first one. I'll probably try them at 6 month intervals after that to see how the Brett changes things over the cellaring time.

 

My bottle of 2014 Saison Brett has a 02/2016 best by date on it. I know Matilda says it has Brett in it on the label but like others I never thought Sofie did, both are great beers.