Saison Du BUFF - Stone Brewing Co.

joesmithrealname

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Come.
On.

I've never had a better Siason, much less a better beer.

This had so much flavor, and tasted so much like a juice, that I was a bit shocked when the Saison kick would show up at the finish.

I know it's $65 a case of 12oz bottles, but, I's savor this for as long as possible.

Great collab!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 05:00:38 | More by joesmithrealname

TOOSE

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks good with a bright golden color, big, fluffy head and good lacing. Smell of hoppy citrus and lots of herbs also. A little herb, spice, hop bite on the tongue too which was nice and a dry finish. Very smooth I enjoyed this beer and would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 21:51:59 | More by TOOSE

Bernard_Lettuce

New York

3.74/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Clear-golden with a frothy head approximately one finger-bredth in height. Decent head retention and fine lacing on the side of the glass.

S: Sharp lemony scent with hint of herbal undertones (foremost, rosemary).

T: Crisp, prominent citrus and herbal flavors, with subtle honey-like sweetness. Slightly bitter aftertaste.

M: Full-bodied but clean and refreshing.

O: A pleasant and moderately complex saison, refreshing when imbibed fresh out of the refrigerator, but permit it to drift toward room temperature to appreciate its more subtly nuanced elements.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:28:30 | More by Bernard_Lettuce

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Last years vintage and still drinking mighty fine. Bright gold hue, good clarity thin white foamy head. Musty attic on the nose with spice and a belgian funk. Hints of rosemary and banana, strong yeast presence. Drinks almost as it did fresh, spice presence is still noticeable and so is the balancing hop profile. Spicy through out with a sweet belgian flair and herbal hops to round things out. Pretty nice. Touch more alcohol heat then i remember.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:30:56 | More by jtierney89

jhutch31

California

2.68/5  rDev -30%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Ok, I don't like giving reviews this low for any beer, especially one from three breweries that I love. However, I have to say I was disappointed with this collaboration.

Appearance: Polished, cider colored ale that left very little head retention and lacing on the glass.

Smell: Upon the first deep wiff, I immediately thought of a lemon herb ricola. Had a strong smell of herbs, spices, lemon cleaner, like pledge and menthol.

Taste: Unfortunately, the taste mimicked the smell. Some herbal flavors with a very strong lemon chemical flavor and a cold taste of almost like menthol.

Mouthfeel: Very bitter mouthfeel, such as something you would get from extracted tannins. Also a bit of the cold tingling feeling from sucking on a menthol cough drop.

Overall, a very interesting beer, for sure. However, the overall aroma and flavor of this beer was not pleasing. Again, I hate giving this low of a score for these three breweries, but this beer left me dissapponted.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 03:27:20 | More by jhutch31

dertyd

California

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle to a tasting glass

A:poures a golden apple juice color with decent carbonation.little to no head verry light lace not like most saisons I've had.the others have towering heads and sticky lace

S:smell of chemicals is strong off the batt with a big wiff of lemon plege not much funkyness or spicey smells that you normaly get with saisons

T:just like the smell but with more lemon pledge it feals like your whole pallet is cleaned. There is a little bit of the funky yeast going on but its over powerd by the lemon pledge taste

M:clean,very fresh and so cleean

O:overall a diffrent saison but I realy liked it saisons are one of my fave style I hope I can get the beers made by the other breweries and do a blind tasting would b fun

Live life drink beer!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 07:37:40 | More by dertyd

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.71/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

If any beer style can support the additions of spice that are normally found in roast beef or as a garnish to premiere entrees, then the Belgian Saison would be the one. Already a focal point on yeast spices, the dry malt taste and low-ester display puts these earthy and flowery botanicals to the test.

Opening with its signature light yeasty cloud, this playful Saison builds upon it a short statured creamy off-white head. With solid staying power, the beer recedes leaving intricate lacing patterns in its wake.

Aromas kick off with surprisingly fruit notes of dried limes, lemons, and green apples. Exotic grasses of rosemary are dominant, but fragrant parsley, sage and thyme are also noteworthy. With not-so exotic fresh cut grass, hops, and lemon pepper, the earthen spices are supported by the wafer-thin grain and malt. thin cracker malt support.

Short lives frainy-malt sweetness allows for soft early impressions, but the sweetness is soon cast aside in favor of earth and spice flavors to dictate the taste thereafter. Its resulting grassy taste goes from straw and dry crackers to lemongrass, lemon pepper, thyme, rosemary, perfumy parsley and an almost cilantro "soapy" taste. All these botanicals bleeds evenly into hop bitterness to finish a little leafy and stemmy.

Light creaminess massages the palate just as the early sweetness is present. But the beer quickly turns to a bone-dry middle and finish. Peppery warmth approaches spice heat and accompanies herb-derived astringency; masked by hop bitterness as echoes in aftertaste and texture.

The beer should have a disclaimer to require it to pair with savory meats like roast beef, pork belly, or tequila lime tacos. As a stand alone beer, the exotic herbs seem to be veering off in left field and lacking purpose.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:55:02 | More by BEERchitect

arizcards

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Picked up a couple of singles back in mid January for $2.99 each.

Beer poured golden, with a nice white head that is leaving some lacing behind.

Nose is herbal and citrusy.

Taste has some rosemary and sage, lemony hops dominate the dry finish.

Mouthfeel is classic Belgian yeast strain, oh so smooth!

Overall this is a well crafted beer in which non traditional ingredients are well played. Glad i had the opportunity to try and i look forward to my other single!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 01:27:45 | More by arizcards

dbossman

Nebraska

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Somewhat hazy golden hue with a thin film of a head; lacing is quite good

S: So much funky fruitiness going on here with an intense grassy, herbal aroma: the rosemary is intense and so a boozy undertone

T: Grainy, herbaly, funk, fruity; I wish it all came together better--a bit medicinal in the finish

F: A bit thin though a residual oiliness finishes the beer nicely

O: A fun spicy, herbaly, grassy, grainy, fruity beer; a decent little collaboration from three great breweries

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:54:45 | More by dbossman

sevenarts

New York

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: Pale and cloudy orange, with a modest white head, moderate retention, not much lacing.

S: Lemon, spices, somewhat grassy and fruity. Interesting blend of hoppy aromas with spice accents.

T/M: Sweet up front, with some lemony flavors, mild spices, smooth and creamy. Then an unexpected bitter, piney, hoppy finish, rather harsh on the way down. Leaves behind a pleasantly lingering lemony aftertaste.

O: As expected, an interesting if not wholly successful collaborative experiment. Bold flavor combinations, but the contrast between the lemon/spice flavors and the harsh finish is too much. Still, worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:42:44 | More by sevenarts

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.39/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Grey Sail pint.

Appearance- Hazy orange/gold with no head, but some moderate lacing.

Smell- Orange/lemon, pepper, rosemerry, yeasty, peach, nectarine. Super fruity.

Taste- Spicey. Pepper, Rosemerry, orange rind, peaches. Mild booze detected. Very fruity and floral.

Mouthfeel- Crisp, refreshing, smooth. Perfectly carbonated.

Overall- I like this one a lot. Nice and refreshing. Would be perfect on a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 17:19:43 | More by Seanniek91

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4.18/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

No "bottled on" date that I could find. Purchased just before Christmas 2012. Poured into a pint glass.

A - Poured a straw colored, slightly cloudy, white head half a finger thick, quickly disapated to a think layer, but decent lacing. Well carbonated.

S - rosemary and pine, some grapefruiit

T - Medium bitterness, spicey, rosemary is evident, a sweetness up front, a little farmyard funk, tartness at the finish.

MF - Sharp and a little fizzy.

O - On the high side ABV wise for a Saison, maybe a bit to much hoppy bitterness, but refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 02:07:20 | More by Sludgeman

Sokool

Washington

3.99/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Nothing particularly amazing to look at, but I really loved the funky herbal aroma that came off this thing. Because of the herbs I paired it with a pesto chicken pizza with red peppers and goat cheese. While this pairing looked good on paper, I'm not sure it was really the best idea. It turns out, the flavor of the beer is so interesting that I almost forgot that I was eating pizza. I noticed the rosemary first, and then a sort of sweet citrusy flavor which gave way to an herbal/hoppy bitterness. While the flavor was unique and memorable, it wasn't so overpowering (as many of these "experimental" brews can be) that I wouldn't be happy drinking more than one of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 06:36:24 | More by Sokool

chinchill

South Carolina

3.34/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz 2012 bottle Stone / Dogfish Head / Victory Saison du BUFF brewed by Stone and served in a Unibroue snifter.

Pours a yellow-gold color; clear at first, but after a few sips I added most of the rest of the bottle which had a considerable amount of sediment. Appears to have very fine, natural carbonation.

Aroma: funky, yeasty, hoppy, weedy, herbal aroma. Interesting but too funky to really appeal to me.
Taste is similar but even more weedy/herbal and, thankfully, less funky. Lightly tart; neither sweet nor bitter.

O: very interesting and very different from a ’standard’ lager, but refreshing and not challenging ... once you get past that funky aroma.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 00:21:58 | More by chinchill

Shaw

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I loved the Victory version so I had to try Stone's version when I saw it.

Is this the lightest beer Stone brews? A pale golden in color with a nice big white head.

Fantastic aroma. I smell ginger, but I must be wrong because the label says it's brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Whatever I'm smelling, it's fantastic. This is one of the best-smelling beers I've ever had.

Big herbal flavors, but it still feels like a saison. Tea-like. Very good. It's crisp and refreshing, though at nearly 8 percent, this isn't a session ale. The herbal flavors are so strong that I can't see drinking more than one of these at once.

Good body, with substance.

Overall a very good beer. Seek it out, unless you don't like herbs.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:13:07 | More by Shaw

scootny

New York

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale hazy gold with a two finger head in my Sam Adams glass. Respectable amount of lacing, some specks floating around and light carbonation visible. Smell is very good with a firm pale malt body and a caramel honey sweetness. Some of the usual Belgian funk and yeast esters. The signature spices are not shy here with the rosemary being the biggest player. Taste has more of the spices up front with a grassiness from the parsley and sage flowing in the malt. Strong almost grapefruit like bitterness seems to be from an equal amount of hops and spice blend that covers the aforementioned citrus. Finish is spicy and hoppy with a touch of mint. Light tingley feel is crisp and highly drinkable. An interesting take on one of my favorite styles.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 00:44:37 | More by scootny

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this into a pint glass, it has a murkey yellow color body with a small head that lays down quickly. The smell has a herb, earthy aroma, mostly rosemary, and lemon.
The taste has a very earthy flavor, mostly from the herbs, rosemary, parsley and had a hint of lemon peel. the mouth feel is good and overall is a good beer.
I wouldn't drink this one all the time but, once in a while i would.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 20:51:32 | More by chefhatt

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip.

Appearance: Pale gold but hazy effect to it, the bubbles are everywhere on this piece. Head just under a finger's length coming off white.

Smell: smells good but awkward, little different than most saisons, has light rosemary scent. I know it not a rauch but it reminds me of one.

Taste: Gets a little interesting, I feel the thyme and rosemary and on top of that it has a hard lemon skin feel to it. Definitely not a beer for everyone, but should appeal to most. It is a little bitter kind of like an IPA meets a Witbier.

Mouth: Medium to heavy, no doubt. Crisp.

Overall: Nice brew, would I drink it everyday...that's another story. To have it every now and then , why not? It's good to throw something different into the mix. Drink and enjoy, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 07:12:08 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle from [forget where I got it]

Had this back-to-back with the other two versions for comparison. DFH's is clearly my favorite, Victory's was almost undrinkable on tap, yet better in the bottle. Stone's came about somewhere in between.

Poured surprisingly pale and clear compared to the other versions, straw-yellow color, with a thin white head that dissipated to nearly nothing. Aroma was herbal and slightly fruity, spicy, with the rosemary taking a slight edge, as in the other versions. More of this in the taste, the spice blend coming to the foreground, lesser notes of somwhat sweet pale malts, light citrus, herbs bordering on potpourri. Light mouthfeel, moderate carbonation. Good in small doses.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 06:32:13 | More by Rifugium

flayedandskinned

California

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stone/Dogfish/Victory Collaboration Saison brewed with parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.

2012 bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Pours an opaque, soft gold with a pure white 1 and half finger head. The head quickly recedes to a quarter finger with a healthy amount of lacing.

Aroma: Big rosemary and freshed cracked black pepper highlight the overall yeast dominate nose; you can detect some faint thyme underneath it all. Some slightly acrid lemony notes begin to sing as the beer warms in the glass. Phenomenal smelling saison.

Taste: Rosemary and peppery yeast practically leap out of the glass onto your palate as you begin to taste this big, herbal saison. Sage flavors adhere to your tongue simultaneously with the nice, honey-like malt. The dry, slightly tart finish is consistent with other offerings of this style. A pleasant, light hop bitterness rears it's head more and more as the beer slowly acclimates towards room temperature. Very refreshing, yet robust taste.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp but still with enough chewy malty-ness to pair well with some juicy white meats.

Overall: A delicious and unique take on a very commercially and culinary underrated style. I went in expecting a decent brew, but this is definitely a few cuts above decent. Just like any other saison, this is a great holiday feast beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 06:47:16 | More by flayedandskinned

TBoneJones

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Saison Du Buff (Stone)
Pours a slightly hazy, lemon-like golden. Not a great amount of bubbles. The head is voluptuous, as it is on most saison brews I notice.
A peppery rosemary smell. Other herbs. Earthy. Nice.
I taste the herbals and rosemary, there's a bitter bite with it. Some funk in there too. Taste is fairly nice and smooth, not complex though, but the rosemary lingers. A few more sips into it and I dig the overall taste profile some more, as it's a coconut vibe I'm getting due to the herb (mintish) blend here. Translation = good.
Holds up nicely, carbonation is medium despite the look. Crisp and drinkable.
Try it if you like the style. I wonder how this recipe differs from DFH's version. Maybe it doesn't except for geography.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 01:30:00 | More by TBoneJones

mikechance

California

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A --- a soft, but nice straw color. a 1/4 inch head that quickly went down to 1/8 inch

S --- I'm picking up a lot. grass, wheat, lemon, spices, herbs

T --- I like the taste. Taste is consistent from start to finish. I'm picking up a variety of spices/herbs, ends with a little pepper

M --- Light body, lightly carbonated

O --- It's a solid beer, but nothing I would need to seek out. Somewhat tame for the brewers involved in the collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:59:39 | More by mikechance

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The 2012 Stone Version

A - A golden yellow, with a thin had and a tiny bit of lace that dissapates as the beer drops down.

S - Wow, I feel like I am in a herb garden! Mint, rosemary, and a ton of others I cannot call out by name. Has a huge malty backbone. Spicy!

T - An excellent earthy saison, with tons of spicy herbal flavors going on. Nice balance of pine and citrus hops, and lots of the spicy herbs in the aftertaste

M - Medium bodied with lots of carbonation. Smooth.

O - An excellent collaboration. Love a good farmhouse ale, and all of the herbal spices add an interesting character.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 02:11:56 | More by BeerDawgs

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium golden amber. Half finger white head dissipates slowly to a thin film, thick ring around the glass and lacing. Pleasant aroma of bready malt and Mediterranean herbs, especially sage with a hint of saison yeast. Flavor is citrus, bready malt, nicely herbal with distinct sage and rosemary, finishing slightly dry with lingering herbs, light hops and saison yeast. Medium bodied. Very nicely made and enjoyable. Maltier and more heavily herbal than traditional for the style, but worked perfectly for me. This is the last of the three versions I've tried and I'm interested to see from past reviews how much more I like this than the first I tried (Victory). I'll have to start the cycle again with the Victory version, because the higher ratings of the last two are more likely due to my increasing enjoyment of saisons.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:51:34 | More by LiquidAmber

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is a hazy pale yellow with some clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Holy herbal explosion!!!! Sage, rosemary, and thyme are dominant. Parsley is slightly noticeable. There are yeasty notes, some sweetness and bready notes too.

Taste: All of the above plus some tart flavors, vanilla, spicy and citrus hops.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, medium carbonation, herbal, lingering bitterness, and a little dry

Overall: This is very tasty Saison. Took a few sips to get used to the herbs, but this beer became delicious to drink halfway through. Will have to try the other two breweries take on this collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 23:23:54 | More by Flounder57