Tasting Panel Summer 2017 Warm Weather Beers Part II: Saison vs. Saison

What is a saison?

Traditionally, saison is a rustic, artisanal ale made with local farm-grown ingredients, brewed for consumption during the active farming season in the French-speaking area of Belgium. Because these beers were made from whatever happened to be on hand, it was not unusual to have grains such as wheat, rye, oats, or spelt in the grist bill.

Sugar or honey could be added to provide complexity and dry out the flavour.
In North America, we often refer to saisons as farmhouse ales. This is the perfect beer to make during the summer months; see my Homebrew Happenin’s column for more about that.

– Warren Boyer

Our Judges

Our five volunteer beer experts are:

Warren Boyer, BJCP-Certified brewer & community leader

Mike Garson, aka Mike’s Craft Beer: an experienced beer event judge and tireless beer reviewer

Lynn McIlwee of Hops Canary: experienced beer event judge and homebrewer

Chelsea McDowell of Brewtiful BC: experienced beer event judge and homebrewer

Paul Pyne of DrinkSmarter: Certified Cicerone®, beer tutor, and good guy everybody knows by sight.

Our Beers

Beers evaluated include:

Four Winds: La Maison

Dageraad: Randonneur

Driftwood: Farmhand

Parallel 49: Brett Saison

Strange Fellows: Bayard

Moon Under Water: Hip as Funk

How judging is done

Our unsanctioned competition uses a Zagat-like 30-point rating with a weighted scale based loosely on the BJCP Scoresheet. Panellists are instructed to give an honest rating, not a sugar-coating. There is always something about each beer that at least one or two panelists with either like or dislike!

Appearance: 3 points

Aroma: 6 points

Palate (mouthfeel): 3 points

Flavour: 8 points

Overall Impression: 10 points

TOTAL: 30 POINTS

Note: neither What’s Brewing nor Legacy Liquor Store bear responsibility for the opinions expressed within, which are solely those of the individual panelists.