Every year Avery puts out an Anniversary beer (it's a very sensical schedule). This year they put out a Saison with honey, jasmine and peach. It's not very traditional with those ingredients but, with that said, traditionally Saison was brewed with whatever the farm owner had on hand so... maybe it's not that far off at least a couple versions? Either way, let's check it out:

Appearance: Hazy and translucent, super light beer... it's almost the color of white peach skin. It comes along with big white head with huge white bubbles that disappear quickly.

Smell: Flowers are the first thing you get. The aroma on this beer is much lighter than Saison Dupont. There are some hints of light wheat on the end, and that's the end of it, really.

Taste: This is a very highly carbonated beer with tiny, champagne-like bubbles that prickle your tongue. It's light and very dry, even more so than the Saison Dupont. You get a bit of honey sweetness on the end, which is definitely more of a honey flavor than sweetness; this beer is bone dry. As you drink the beer, you get a major breath of the beer up the back of your nose (in a really good way). If you pay attention you really pick up the jasmine flowers. Along with honey, the sweetness has some peach notes to it.

This is an awesome beer that we love! While it may not be what traditionalists would call a Saison, the American Craft Beer scene is not known for tradition. It's delicious and, when we're craving a Saison, we'd gladly grab this one! We liked it so much, we even turned it into ice cream. Check out our Craft Beer Ice Cream: Avery 16th Anniversary Saison recipe!

If you were to look up "Saison" in the dictionary, there would be one picture, and one picture alone to go along with the definition... and that would be a picture of Saison Dupont Vieille Provision... or just Saison Dupont as it's called for the most part. This is the prototype for what a modern day Belgian Saison should and does taste like. For those not familiar with Saisons, they were historically brewed in Belgium during the spring for farm workers to quench their thirst. Because they were brewed before refrigeration this meant they were fermented at higher temperatures, causing a slight funk in the beer. These beers were traditionally low alcohol and dry... to this day, a good Saison remains dry, but now often ranges up to 8% abv. As we mentioned, this is the standard bearer for modern Saisons so let's see what a Saison should be:

Appearance: Saison Dupont pours a hazy straw color with a gigantic head that never goes away. As you drink it, the head persists unless you drink the head itself. It's a thing of beauty, this beer, especially the second time you have it and after as you know how good it's going to be.

Smell: There is a yeast spiciness to Saison Dupont with a bit of clove at the end. It has some great wheat tones in the smell, which is interesting because, as far as we know, there is no wheat in this beer. Must be the yeast! Saison is a very yeast forward style with a simple grain bill. You can also get a little bit of noble hop aroma in there. This beer just smells like summer to us, so light smelling yet so much going on. This would be our official summer beer if it wasn't for the $10 / 750ml bottle price tag.

Taste: Perfect for a Saison! Dry and amazing flavor. Effervescent wheat and dry yeast spice are the first things to hit. It has malt, but in a different way completely. Think the best wheat beer you've ever had, then better. The slightest hint of almost tartness lingers at the end. If you leave it on your tongue you get some orange for a little bit. It's sweet, but it's all in your perception as this is a dry beer. This is what a Saison is supposed to be... can any of the American Craft Brewed Saisons hold up? There are definitely some interesting interpretations out there!

Fantome is a true tradition farmhouse brewery located in Belgium. The brewer, Dany Prignon, pushes the envelope and creates some truly wonderful, but very small batch, beers all inspired by the Saison style. No two batches are ever the same from Fantome, which is both the blessing and the curse of this brewery. You can have the most delicious Saison you've ever had and the next bottle you buy may be completely different. It's all part of the fun, and risk, of Fantome.

Appearance: Fantome Saison pours a light golden straw that is hazy and impossible to see through. This isn't just a little hazy, we're talking hazy like a Hefeweizen! There's an anemic white head on top that looks precarious and vanishes too fast to even get a picture of it.

Smell: Upon pouring the first drop, the entire room smelled like Saison! It was funky, earthy and slightly tart smelling. When you stick your nose in the glass there is a touch of vinegar and some lemon, as well... almost like a Gueuze (Lambic). This beer smells amazing for a hot day. Dry and mildly tart, it just smells refreshing! Also, at 8% abv you don't pick up any alcohol. That's pretty impressive.

Taste: Bone dry. Let us repeat this for emphasis. This beer is bone dry. It's slightly tart, which is emphasized by the dryness (which is wonderful). There's a bit of tartness here, as indicated by the smell, and a great lemon aftertaste. There is no lemon added to this beer, so that's all from the yeast and is definitely a super natural flavor. This brew has a lot going on in it, and we're trying to capture as much as we can. There's a nice wheatyness, it's almost chalky but in a really good way. This would be a great beer for a hot summer day, especially after doing some yard work or playing some basketball... but watch out! At 8% abv the alcohol is imperceptible and will definitely sneak up on you. It's so dry and refreshing, and even the carbonation is just spot on! It's not too bubbly, just light and effervescent enough to be refreshing.

This is definitely a beer to seek out if you like the Saison style. Pour yourself a glass, sit back and be whisked to the Belgian countryside. Just keep in mind, Fantome is a very small farmhouse brewery, so every once in a while there are some bad bottles. We've probably bought at least 50 bottles over the years and ran into our first flat bottle the other day. But, that said, the variety is part of the charm and the risk is well worth the reward.

Brewed by longtime Massachusetts brewer, Dann Paquette, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Company was started in 2008 after he returned from brewing in Yorkshire, England. Jack D'or Saison Americain was launched first as the flagship beer, and Pretty Things hasn't looked back since. Dann started out renting space at the Paper City brewery in Holyoke, MA but has since moved on to renting space on a much bigger system at the former Buzzards Bay Brewery in Westport, MA. A bigger system means more beer, and more beer means we can more regularly get Dann's delicious (and pretty) beers. Jack D'or is a classical Belgian style Saison with a bunch of American hops thrown into the mix. The result? Well, let's see:

Appearance: This beer pours with a big, dense, pillowy white head. Not as fluffy and light as some Saisons, but you can immediately smell the hops! A dark golden hued, slightly cloudy beer sits under it... being a bomber, you get a second pour and this one is much cloudier from the yeast. In the past, Dann has told us to tip the bottle before opening to distribute the yeast as this lends it the flavor he intended.

Smell: The first thing you get, as mentioned above, is hops. You can literally smell it while pouring without even getting your nose close. This comes with a great spicy, phenolic smell from the yeast that really complements the the citrusy aromas of the hops. There is a hint of malt in here, but maybe only because I know it's there?

Taste: To sum this up as succinctly as possible, this beer is dry on the end and bitter up front through the finish. It's delicious! The carbonation is nice and light, a bit prickly even. The dry and bitter along with the carbonation would be great on a hot summer day! We can only imagine sipping a glass of this while sitting outside in the sun on a hammock. At the very end you get a hint of alcohol, but not in a bad way at all. This beer is dry and super hop and yeast forward, exactly what I like in a Saison with an American twist.

As you may remember from our Beer and Cheese Pairing Article: Eat Local, Drink Local, this beer goes great with cheese, especially one with some shallots in it. Give the pairing a shot, or just drink the beer. Either way, it'll be delicious!