I reckon I’d hate to be a beer judge trying to adjudicate on saisons. It is the beer style with the broadest range of interpretations, from traditional earthy and thirst-quenching to the higher ABV specialty creations. And everything in between.
Partizan brewer Andy has taken a step backwards with some of his saisons which are much lower in alcohol. Falling firmly into the newly-created style of ‘session ales’, the ABV varies a little from batch to batch; but is that not truly the mark of artisanal brewing?
The version we have here comes in at 3.8%, and is a ripper of a little beer. Save it for a warm afternoon and then delight in the light, subtle but succinct character of this beer.
A big lemon citrus aroma and flavour with more than enough farmhouse funk to keep things interesting. Verging on tart the citrus is the hero, but there is some gentle spicing which adds a pleasant prickle on the tongue. The beer is very dry and light, but full of flavour.
Alvinne's saison is light, crisp, quite funky with a hint of sour thanks to blending a little of the Omega blond sour beer
This classic Belgian Saison was the first beer produced commercially by Brasserie Atrium
The new beer from the good 'Dochter' is a dry-hopped saison with bitter orange
A spelt saison brewed in collaboration with Hill Farmstead
A simple but funky and interesting saison, with two old style hops for a fruity, dry and spicy character
A collaborative Saison featuring rye, spelt and wheat malts, dry-hopped with a Ukranian hop called Zachrava
An attempt at recreating a traditional 19th-Century saison, heavily hopped and mixed with lambic then barrel aged
An historical style spelt saison, dry-hopped and refermented with Brettanomyces
A classic Belgian style saison, with a twist - dry-hopped with Cascade & Amarillo
A saison with winter-type spices added including timut and szechuan peppers, mustard seeds and juniper
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
A hazy golden saison - crisp, citrusy, earthy and dry
A traditional Belgian saison, dry and funky, grainy malt and a solid bitterness
by Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille
A traditionally styled saison brewed with just the four ingredients as such beers were in the past
'Tess' is a White White Saison - a farmhouse ale fermented on Pinot Grigio white wine barrels and hopped with Hallertau Blanc hops
A refreshingly crisp and dry farmhouse ale with addition rhubarb and ginger
A collaboration between De Molen and Beavertown (UK) sees a beery take on the traditional Gin & Tonic
A classic Belgian saison from Brouwerij De Ranke - hoppy and floral with a dry finish.
An earthy Wallonian saison from one of Europe's last remaining steam breweries
So good it was recently included in USA Draft's '25 Best Beers of the Year'.
The classic farmhouse ale, and benchmark that re-popularised the saison style of beer.
A special annual vintage version of Dupont's classic saison
A very traditional style saison, with a recipe dating back to 1884
A very traditional style saison that offers a glimpse of past beer styles
A black India saison isn't something you see everyday from a Belgian brewer
A tasty, fairly traditional saison with lots of loverly earthy character and a little funk
A unique combination of Saison and White Beer produces a refreshing blonde ale with a nice bite.
White Pony have created what they call a Pacific Saison Ale, featuring hops from Australia (Summer) and NZ (Wakatu)
Partizan from South East London brews a range of fresh and tasty Pale Ales, featuring different hop combinations
A classic English style porter, full of roasted malts and hints of chocolate
A refreshingly crisp and dry farmhouse ale with addition rhubarb and ginger
