A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity.
Aroma
- High fruitiness with low to moderate hop aroma and moderate to no herb, spice and alcohol aroma.
- Fruity esters dominate the aroma and are often reminiscent of citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons.
- A low to medium-high spicy or floral hop aroma is usually present.
- A moderate spice aroma (from actual spice additions and/or yeast-derived phenols) complements the other aromatics. When phenolics are present they tend to be peppery rather than clove-like.
- A low to moderate sourness or acidity may be present, but should not overwhelm other characteristics.
- Spice, hop and sour aromatics typically increase with the strength of the beer.
- Alcohols are soft, spicy and low in intensity, and should not be hot.
- The malt character is light.
Appearance
- Often a distinctive pale orange but may be golden or amber in color. Clarity is poor to good though haze is not unexpected in this type of unfiltered farmhouse beer. Effervescent.
- Long-lasting, dense, rocky white to ivory head resulting in characteristic “Belgian lace” on the glass as it fades.
Flavor
- Combination of fruity and spicy flavors supported by a soft malt character, a low to moderate alcohol presence and tart sourness.
- Extremely high attenuation gives a characteristic dry finish.
- The fruitiness is frequently citrusy (orange- or lemon-like).
- The addition of one of more spices serve to add complexity, but shouldn’t dominate in the balance. Low peppery yeast-derived phenols may be present instead of or in addition to spice additions.
- Hop flavor is low to moderate, and is generally spicy or earthy in character. Hop bitterness may be moderate to high, but should not overwhelm fruity esters, spices, and malt.
- Malt character is light but provides a sufficient background for the other flavors.
- A low to moderate tart sourness may be present, but should not overwhelm other flavors.
- Spices, hop bitterness and flavor, and sourness commonly increase with the strength of the beer while sweetness decreases. No hot alcohol character.
- High carbonation, and attenuation give a very dry finish with a long, bitter, sometimes spicy aftertaste. The perceived bitterness is often higher than the IBU level would suggest.
Mouthfeel
- Light to medium body.
- Alcohol level can be medium to medium-high, though the warming character is low to medium. No hot alcohol character.
- Very high carbonation with an effervescent quality.
- There is enough prickly acidity on the tongue to balance the very dry finish.
- A low to moderate tart character may be present but should be refreshing and not to the point of puckering.
Comments
- Varying strength examples exist (table beers of about 5% strength, typical export beers of about 6.5%, and stronger versions of 8%+).
- Herb and spice additions often reflect the indigenous varieties available at the brewery.
- High carbonation and extreme attenuation (85-95%) helps bring out the many flavors and to increase the perception of a dry finish.
- All of these beers share somewhat higher levels of acidity than other Belgian styles while the optional sour flavor is often a variable house character of a particular brewery.
- French Bière De Garde is the French cousin of Saisons, but tend to be rounder, sweeter and less spicy than their Belgian counterparts.
History
- A seasonal summer style produced in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.
- Originally brewed at the end of the cool season to last through the warmer months before refrigeration was common. It had to be sturdy enough to last for months but not too strong to be quenching and refreshing in the summer.
- It is now brewed year-round in tiny, artisanal breweries whose buildings reflect their origins as farmhouses.
Examples: Saison Dupont, St. Feuillen Saison, Four Winds Saison