Saison is a beer style that is not well understood by even
the most hard core of beer geeks. It has a very long and interesting history
but was on the verge of dying out until the beer revival in the U.S. helped
drive interest toward this odd style. Why then would we choose to brew such a
confusing and archaic type of beer? It is simple; we find them fascinating and like to
drink them. Not to mention it’s refreshing in the heat and has a pleasant
complexity that allows for contemplation.
The
BJCP style guidelines defines saison as “A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy
ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity.” (BJCP, 2008) Today many consider Brasserie
Dupont’s Saison Vielle Provision to exemplify the style but there are many
well-made interpretations on both sides of the pond.
While
every beer has a story behind its development, saison’s is actually quite
simple. The Flanders region of France and Belgium was and still is a fertile
region full of small farms. As with most agricultural centers, much of the
labor is performed by seasonal workers or saisonierres in French. Brewing has
always been part of Flemish culture and it is no surprise that the majority of
farms brewed their own beer for sustenance. Water in the 19th
century was notoriously not potable so it was necessary for farmers to provide
a safe and refreshing beverage to both hydrate and sustain the legions of saisonierres
tilling the fields. Beer, being boiled, was known as a safe beverage. Furthermore,
before refrigeration, beer could only be brewed in the cooler months between
October and March and would have to be stored to last the summer. In Flanders, higher
than normal amounts of hops were used for their antiseptic quality in order to
preserve the beer throughout the year (Markowski, 2004). The end result was a low-alcohol, typically
3-4%, and highly hopped beer that could be drunk throughout the workday.
As
each farm made their own Saison it is not surprising that the style varied from
farm to farm, even those in the same village. As malt was taxed higher than normal
grains, many farms would add a portion of un-malted barley, wheat, rye and/or spelt in the
mash. Traditionally indigenous hops were used and were often aged before use,
but no one variety dominated and the only commonality was the sharp bitterness
imparted. The yeast is where there is the most variation, many breweries
allowed for spontaneous fermentation similar to the lambics of Brussels while
others began culturing their own house strain. There is even a theory that the
current Dupont strain dominating the market is actually more closely related to Saccharomyces cerevisae strains used
for red-wine fermentations than ale strains (Markowski, 2004). The historical use of wild and other odd yeasts
led to the high attenuation, dryness, and complex ester profile being sought by
today’s saison brewers.
Today’s
brewers are embracing the creativity of saisons of the past and adding their
own spin to the beer. The most notable change is the gradual increase in ABV over the years, with today's versions in the 5-6% range and some even higher! Our saison includes a good percentage of wheat and rye in
the grist; we sought head retention and body from the wheat and peppery and husky notes
from the rye. We have also experimented with different spice additions to
further add to the flavour and aroma. All of this is on top of being able to
use new-world hop varietals that are bursting with tropical and stone fruit flavours. The saison is
basically a blank canvas that allows the creative brewer to paint their own
picture of what they believe a beer can be. Some might say that the saison is
the epitome of craft beer.
Sources:
Beer Judge Certification Program. (2008). BJCP Style Guidelines for Beer, Mead, &
Cider. 2008 Edition.
Markowski, P. (2004). Farmhouse
Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition. Boulder, Co:
Brewers Publications.
