Saisons are a typical beer of the Hainaut region, geographically so because this is Belgium’s farming area. And saisons were traditionally beers made on farms during the quieter winter months, but intended to last through the year to be consumed during the summer harvest by the farm workers.
When I think of Belgian saisons, beers like Saison Dupont, Glazen Toren’s Saison d’Erpe-Mere or any of the Blaugies beers immediately spring to my mind. I picture a light golden straw colour, topped by a prefect white foam head.
The truth is that the traditional saisons were much darker in colour, with a slight sourness from the aging in wooden barrels. This beer from Brasserie de Silly is a tribute to those traditional saisons.
The body has a real reddish-brown colour to it, and is still topped with a fluffy white head that quickly settles. It has a sweet malty, fruity and earthy aroma.
The first taste offers caramel malt, the fruity character of plums and cherries and a hint of spices and an earthy character from the Kent and Hallertau hops. The mouthfeel starts heavier but lightens up and the beer progresses and dries out. A really interesting, if very different saison the offers a taste of Belgium’s history.
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 very tasty little saison - or Grisette - from London's Partizan Brewing
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 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)