Saison, unsure what taste is like ??

[Leon103]

If you want to try a saison in aim of brewing don't try st austell, goose island or anything made by brewdog.

 

[Clint]

If you want to try a saison in aim of brewing don't try st austell, goose island or anything made by brewdog.

Why? I think these are progression on a traditional (?) SAISON....as a lot of beers are progressive or takes on a style. I thought the Young's New World was similar to the Brewdog Electric India..and I liked them both.

 

[samale]

I’m drinking a couple of bottles tonight. Really nice. It is a nice BBQ beer. I might try out the Mangrove Jacks kit version.

What part of Ireland are you from. Food looks well

 

[Leon103]

Why? I think these are progression on a traditional (?) SAISON....as a lot of beers are progressive or takes on a style. I thought the Young's New World was similar to the Brewdog Electric India..and I liked them both.

Surely if you are new to a style you would want to taste traditional first. Ones mentioned taste nothing like a saison if the truth be told. Like these strawberry and lime lagers being thrown around.

Now if the OP asked for a new world saison I would happily say any of the above but I think they would be a bit disappointed.

Just found it strange that hardly anyone could recommend a traditional saison.

 

[Clint]

Surely if you are new to a style you would want to taste traditional first. Ones mentioned taste nothing like a saison if the truth be told. Like these strawberry and lime lagers being thrown around.

Now if the OP asked for a new world saison I would happily say any of the above but I think they would be a bit disappointed.

Just found it strange that hardly anyone could recommend a traditional saison.

I do agree! But...sometimes variation on a theme works for some.

 

[Sadfield]

Just found it strange that hardly anyone could recommend a traditional saison.

Go on then, which traditional saisons do you recommend the OP buys from the supermarket?

 

[BlackRegent]

Saison du Pont is considered the quintessential saison, and is available in bottles from bottle shops. A good place to start. It uses a multi-strain yeast and I believe two of the strains are available to buy in liquid form. WLP565 is one of them. Yeast is the defining feature in modern saisons. If you don't like Du Pont, you may like another saison.

Saison yeasts vary a fair bit, as do saison beers, and there are quite a few liquid options. People generally like some more than others. If you split a batch between WLP565 Belgian Saison and Wyeast 3711 French Saison you would get two quite different beers. 565 is earthy, peppery and spicy. 3711 is peppery, spicy and citrusy and very dry. So similarities, but the earthy/citrusy thing makes them quite different. 3711 is thought to come from Brasserie Thiriez, so if you can find a saisin from that brewery you would get an idea.

All that said, if you just go out and buy 2 or 3 saisons from a decent bottle shop you'll get the gist. It's one of my favourite styles now, I've brewed a few but very much learning still.

On a related point, I've got some Saison Dupont Biologique in at the moment and I can see a decent layer of yeast on the bottom of the bottle. From the little research I've done I also understand that they referment in the bottle. Does anyone know if this is a primary strain or a bottling strain? I quite fancy culturing it up

 

[Leon103]

Go on then, which traditional saisons do you recommend the OP buys from the supermarket?

Why just supermarket.
In my local town we have Tesco, m&s, Morrison's plus a few smaller ones like coop etc

The only saison's available are saison DuPont and sofie by goose island. So can't really recommend any. For a proper choice I would look in your local bottle shop or specialist online retailers.

 

[Mash Monster]

I too faced a similar problem and was unable to find any Saison locally.
I bit the bullet and brewed Affinity Breeze lime & coriander clone from CAMRA’S Essential Home Brewing. I still don’t know what a true Saison tastes like ! but I enjoyed this brew very much, so much so I am brewing it again switching out the Lime zest for Orange peel and replacing the challenger hops with Mandarine Bavaria.
Have a go what have you to lose ?

 

[Clint]

Regards to "trying" a style...if I was offered the current canned Boddingtons or John Smith's as a "bitter"...I wouldn't drink it again.

 

[Sadfield]

What is a true Saison, really? A pre-industrial revolution farmhouse ale brewed beer to refresh the workers? Would that have been brewed with what is now sold as "Saison" yeast. Unlikey.
Looking at commercially available French and Belgian Saisons, there's a large difference in all of them, and much like other Belgian styles, the use of fruit, spice, peel and flower additions are common.
And then there's the saisons of Leige and Charleroi, brewed for the industrial workers of those cities, being different again.

 

[samale]

What is a true Saison, really? A pre-industrial revolution farmhouse ale brewed beer to refresh the workers? Would that have been brewed with what is now sold as "Saison" yeast. Unlikey.
Looking at commercially available French and Belgian Saisons, there's a large difference in all of them, and much like other Belgian styles, the use of fruit, spice, peel and flower additions are common.
And then there's the saisons of Leige and Charleroi, brewed for the industrial workers of those cities, being different again.

I have two currently conditioning
Sorachi ace and a small addition of lemon peel
Lemon and rosemary rye Saison

Previously I have made a more traditional Saison with EKG only. I have also made a cardamom and coriander saison, which was very good.
I enjoy the style, not something I will drink by the bucket load but I do like to keep some in stock.

 

[Sadfield]

I have two currently conditioning
Sorachi ace and a small addition of lemon peel
Lemon and rosemary rye Saison

Previously I have made a more traditional Saison with EKG only. I have also made a cardamom and coriander saison, which was very good.
I enjoy the style, not something I will drink by the bucket load but I do like to keep some in stock.

Sorachi is great in a Saison.

 

[samale]

Sorachi is great in a Saison.

Yes I love it, I also tried to clone the Brooklyn Sorachi ace.

 

[labrewski]

What's the best hops to use might try one when I need to kill some time

 

[Clint]

I wonder if Jack The Ripper drank SAISON before he went out to kill?

 

[clib]

What's the best hops to use might try one when I need to kill some time

Personal choice. Traditionally, hops like Goldings, Saaz, Styrian Goldings. Some new fangled versions have American hops. Yeast choice wants to marry well with your hop choice.

The original question for this thread is too narrow. Saisons vary massively. It's like asking "what do casseroles taste of?"

 

[Nicks90]

I have two currently conditioning
Sorachi ace and a small addition of lemon peel
Lemon and rosemary rye Saison

Previously I have made a more traditional Saison with EKG only. I have also made a cardamom and coriander saison, which was very good.
I enjoy the style, not something I will drink by the bucket load but I do like to keep some in stock.

Never thought of using ekg in a saison. I suppose the earthy piney English hops would work well in a saison to compliment the yeast. Might try a mix of ekg and fuggles in my next one.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

I love a bit of Sorachi Ace, here's the recipe I use

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Sorry about the sideways thing. Not intentional