Saison Du BUFF - Stone Brewing Co.

jomo

California

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Wow,

This beer is a unique beer that is completely out of balance. Instead of dumping loads of hops, they dumped loads of rosemary and herbs. The problem is that the beer is dominated by the herbs, and not in a good way. The rosemary is overpowering resulting in an astringent bitterness, medicinal-like in flavor. Wife says, "tastes like drinking Noxzema"...and she is right.

Worst Stone beer I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 02:21:45 | More by jomo

BeerCoffeeWater

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours golden into my Dogfish signature glass.
I get a lot of rosemary and thyme in the smell, followed by a belgian-like beer aroma. It's like I'm at a good pizzeria drinking beer. Taste is peppery with a slight hop character. Smooth fine bubbles like a saison (I don't know what I just wrote?).

I think I'm gonna go pop a frozen pizza into the oven, cause this really makes me wanna have beer and pizza. The more I drink it, the more pepper I get in the aroma. This is a pretty tasty brew here. I'm totally surprised by this one, I figured it was just gonna be a novelty brew, one and done.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 01:48:50 | More by BeerCoffeeWater

whiskeysoda

California

4.8/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Was able to try this on tap over the course of a month at both Blue Palms in Hollywood, The Surly Goat in West Hollywood, Father's Office in Culver and The Golden State Cafe in West Hollywood. All were consistently superb.

Pours dark gold, slightly hazy hue with decent head and medium carbonation that subsided to fine lacing.

The NOSE is intensely 'green' and herbaceous: rosemary, sage, basil, evergreen and even a touch of fresh hash and candied orange. Wonderful balance of hops vs. earth/savory aromas, that belies it's bright, crisp MOUTHFEEL. The savory flavors of herbs are matched by a very slight malt sweetness and carmelized citrus from the hops on the PALATE.

Delicious, complex and very session-able. Not exactly something you'd want to start your night with if you were thinking of trying some lighter fare as there's a lot going on there...but still: very approachable. Many of my non-beer-drinker friends really really enjoyed this one. Good job, you triumvirate, you! Can't wait to see how you fine tune the next one!

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2010 23:35:33 | More by whiskeysoda

tilopud_rye

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I took the suggestion to try this beer not knowing anything about it. When I opened the bottle and smelled what was in there I knew that this would be quite different from beers I've previously tasted. It's a clear see through gold liquid that adopts the colors of whatevers behind the glass. It smells like a garden. The aroma of the herbs blend together to make this smell like a flower garden. The smell alone is relaxing and can take you to a different place. The taste is very unique. I noticed the bottle doesn't say beer anywhere but malt beverage. The flAvor of he herbs has a stronger accent on the overall taste than most recipes that you'd see them in. This is fine and pleasant in this case because they're guided by the light malt and carbonation that present the herbs to your tongue. The herbs still gently tingle on your tongue after a sip. Is a very nice beer for relaxing on a quiet day.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 20:01:47 | More by tilopud_rye

rickdiaz

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy, straw color pale gold with a huge white head.
S - Getting lots of lemons and herbs from this, obviously parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Still, very interesting and one-of-a-kind.
T - More lemons and herbs. The herbs do an amazing job of showing themselves at different times as the beer warms. At fist I get mostly rosemary, sticky and resinous. Then it's the thyme, followed with the sage and then the italian parsley. Very interesting beer!
M - Very crisp and dry, with a medium-light body and high carbonation. Very refreshing, an it pairs so well with foods such as chicken parmesean.
D - Very drinkable. One of the most unique and amazing beers I've ever had! Great credit goes to the 3 brewers!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 08:11:50 | More by rickdiaz

glennl

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

poured into a duvel glass from a 12 oz bottle with Stone Brewing cap.

nice golden color with thick white head that lasted a long time. strong herbal aroma with hints of cracked peppercorn and lemon.

the aromas carry over into the taste, with rosemary predominating, and *maybe* overwhelming. typical belgian yeast characteristics with champagne-like healthy carbonation.

this was a tough beer for me to buy because though I love saisons and all three of the collaborating brewers, I don't have much love for rosemary. So the fact that this was an enjoyable beer for me is a testament to the brewer's artistry.

i had the first 6oz or so paired with an arugula salad with shrimp and lemony mustard dressing, the second 6 oz by itself. i think this is a beer that lends itself better to food pairing due to the strong herbal component. overall very good, but it's just "out there" enough that I wouldn't see myself having more than 1 in a sitting.

in any case, big points for creativity!

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 00:55:39 | More by glennl

SassieCassie

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice pale yellow color, with about an inch to an inch and a half for the head. It smelled earthy to me, the thyme definitely was shining through.

I loved the taste. It was very different to me, as I have not had too many Saison beers, or any beers with Sage and Thyme (my two favorite spices) The sage and thyme were definitely predominant throughout this beer. I thought the coolest part about this beer was how the thyme brought out the hops. Really cool stuff, I'll definitely have this again!

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2012 22:07:23 | More by SassieCassie

Knownfactor

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours cloudy golden with a light fluffy head, looks really good! Aroma is spicy/floral with a hint of herbs. Taste is powerful, lightly bitter/hoppy with spicy, grassy, herbal perfume notes. Medium bodied. moderately bitter aftertaste that is also herbal.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 05:58:28 | More by Knownfactor

2ndloveofmylife

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Love trying great beer from great breweries. Especially when they come together and creating something special for us all to enjoy.
I feel like I can taste each brewery contribution in this beer. From Victory's golden monkey, and Dogfish Heads midas touch, to Stones your not worthy bitterness from some great hoppedness. perfect for this summer. If you can get some I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 03:37:13 | More by 2ndloveofmylife

BogusOwnz

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a bottle from DFH into my Sam Adams perfect beer glass

A - Very light looks like your typical saison

S - Very fruity and sweet with what I want to say is a spruce like smell but it is probably just the herb blend. I was expecting parsley but I get none.

T - This tastes nothing like it smells. At first it's typical saison clove but then the herbs take over as well as spruce (I'm on the spruce thing I know) this is a very unique taste and about 30 seconds after each sip you get Rosemary lingering on your tounge. Just very herbal and crisp.

MF - very light crisp and good carb nothing out of the ordinary for the style.

D - This is a very cool beer unlike anything Ive had. I couldn't have more then one or two not because of the taste but because you would be unable to appreciate it after one or two. I would like to see this become a seasonal beer. I picked a few bottles of the Dogfish Head and the Stone versions, I have yet to come by the Victory but will pick up if I see it.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 02:06:11 | More by BogusOwnz

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

sandiego67

California

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I attended the kick-off event a few weeks ago when Dogfishead and Victory were at Stone Brewing to kick-off the collaboration and got to taste some of the wort made that day.

Last Sunday, I had the final product on tap at Stone Brewing.

I appreciate when brewers push the envelope and encourage collaborations but this one just didn't work.

The appearance is a nice clear yellow with little carbonation. Pleasant enough.

Smell, Taste and Drinkability are all highly interrelated in this beer. It is very herbal. I don't know which herb gives it the grassy flavor but it is a little overpowering. This beer might be ok in small samples but too earthy to make it enjoyable for a full pint.

Mouthfeel is as expected. Light and not very malty.

I bought a few bottles at Stone and will give it another try later to see if my opinion changes.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 02:44:36 | More by sandiego67

SenorBeaver

California

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Looks great and golden like a heffiweisen.. but without the funky aftertaste.

Instead of a citrus, it is an herbal beer tasting of rosemary.

Smells great.

Taste good... would be great with a salmon cooked on a cedar plank.

Would limit to a couple of pints at most.

Fantastic collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 03:55:16 | More by SenorBeaver

sampstar

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Went to the Stone Tap Takeover in Charlotte, there was about a 20 minute delay for the second round of samplers, so i ordered this one with high hopes. They described it as a farmhouse ale?

Appearance was a light golden straw, it did have a nice white lacing
Smell was encouraging to me, smelled slightly 'herb-like' with maybe some citrus as well.
Drinkability was the downfall with what to me was an overpowering pine or herb taste that just wasn't enjoyable. i wished i had ordered any other beer that i had already tried.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2010 03:25:54 | More by sampstar

buzzardman

California

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I've now had a few different saison beers and I can see why they almost went extinct in the beer world. The taste of these beers is not something I look for in a beer at all. I'm also just not a fan of spices of any kind in beer, leave that to chefs and bakers. this beer was interesting to try but I would never buy it again. they only reason I tried it was because it's a colab between the bigger micro breweries.

the taste is heavy on rosemary and maybe some other spices which give it an almost food flavor not fun to drink. it poured a nice golden yellow color with a decent two finger head. it held carbonation well and felt dry to the mouth.

i love tgat brewers are experimenting with beers but this should not be sold to the public. it should just be made available as an experimental beer maybe at the breweries themselves. I think I'm done with saison beer in general.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 23:26:42 | More by buzzardman

FarmerJohnny

California

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 Vintage
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass
No freshness date

A - A hazy golden color with a nice two finger foam from the pour. The beer presents very well.

S - Belgian yeast dominates the smell on this one. Hints of herbs come through as well.

T - A little disappointing at first, but the taste is growing on me. You can very much tell this a belgian style. Banana notes as well as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme hints. Results in a very herby beer.

M - Full bodied up front with a crisp finish. An alcohol taste lingers well after the finish. Surprising for something that's not the most alcoholic (esp for Stone)

O - A descent beer, not my favorite from Stone and not my favorite of the Collaboration series but I'm glad I tried it. Fans of the Saison style beer should definitely try this one out

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 01:26:25 | More by FarmerJohnny

Monteiro

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Possibly over chilled. Poured into a fatty flute glass.

A: A fairly light golden hue. A bit cloudy, with dispersed and dissipating carbonation. A even little saucer of head clings well to the edge of the glass.

S: Definite citrus. There's some lamb roasting on the other side of the kitchen, so its a little overpowered.

T: If there was a touch of lavender, this would taste just like a provençal seasoning mix. Rosemary is quite powerful, but the brew still tastes pretty balanced. Any malt is barely noticeable.

M: Interesting carbonation, on the lighter side but still pleasant. Zesty like someone took a microplane to it.

D: It's a pretty hot day here in Portland, and this was crazy satisfying. Had two bottles while I roasted some lamb doused in olive oil and sea salt.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 01:46:45 | More by Monteiro

SudburyWineBeer

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

great beer~

love the smell, natural herbs was a twist but enjoyable,

head was great foamy with a eggshell color fizzy.

taste was amazing I've never been so delighted to drink the rest of a beer at a tasting before!

get one if you can find it! we still have some in the store

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:18:58 | More by SudburyWineBeer

bmoriarty

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fresh, 12 oz. bottle into a half pint tasting glass.

Pours a very clear golden color with a thin pure-white head that faded slowly. Almost looks like a pilsner, which caught me off guard given the name.

Very powerful smell, with the strongest notes being of thyme and parsley, with a bit of lemon. Had a hard time picking out the rosemary, which is unfortunate. Very aromatic, definitely a unique smell that I really enjoyed.

Taste is not as powerful as the smell, at least up front. At first it's simply clean and clear - but the herbs appear in full force as the beer moves to the back of your mouth.

Finely carbonated, great mouthfeel, almost like drinking champagne.

Overall, delicious and easy to drink. No hint of alcohol. Distinctly HERBAL as opposed to the floral/citrusy flavors we're familiar with from hops & white beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 23:11:23 | More by bmoriarty

ArtofBrewing

California

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours golden straw color. Herby notes followed by hoppy notes. Pairs well with the roasted shrimp Pho I brought home with the beer. Leaves a faint lace on the glass. I think this collaboration is a winner and I would definitely drink this one again!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 23:49:55 | More by ArtofBrewing

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

rshellman

Minnesota

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

Poured from bottle to tulip glass. Incredibly complex saison...all herbs up front in the nose. Picking up the mint, all though I think that might have been the only herb NOT used in this. Mouthfeel is fantastic, nicely carbonated and the alcohol is present but not overpowering. The sage and rosemary really love to duke it out in this one, it seems every sip one outshines the other. Not sure where the parsley is in this, but perhaps that is what is attributing to the bitterness I am picking up in the aftertaste? All in all, solid collaboration...this is why I love craft beer. Keep on pushing the envelope and making interesting beers!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 01:18:20 | More by rshellman

Brooke1

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great Summer beer! Crisp and carbonated with lots of zest.The bubbly beer is what I call it. With lots of carbonation which is great on a hot day. I could definitely taste layers of herbs.Rosemary beginning followed by hints of parsley and thyme. Overall a nice beer to enjoy on a hot summer day!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 02:02:39 | More by Brooke1

wifehatesbeer

New York

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I really like this style, so I was excited to finally try this beer. It's definitely a more creative version than a traditional saison, but it was interesting.

Pours the expected hazy golden. Huge herbal scent and flavor. Nice mouthfeel, as one would expect from a saison. I think the rosemary note overwhelms what I hoped would be a slightly more crisp flavor. But I'm not disappointed, because you have to expect these breweries to push the brew in a new direction.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 20:41:35 | More by wifehatesbeer

GeorgieBoy

South Carolina

1.93/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

'BUFF' resembles the oranges & clementines (in color) of the region from which it hails, sunny southern California. Following the pour into tulip this beer takes on a flecked, speckled, textured appearance due to the settling of yeast. The head doesn't have the volume of a true European saison but its collapse duplicates this brew's inspiration perfectly.

I literally have not even finished removing the bottecap before a sweet citrus aroma wafts its way up to my nostrils. Surprisingly my Saison du BUFF seems much more sweet than savory, despite the bottle's warning. More surprising is the lack of my beloved mold, straw, and yeast aromas.

Tart, tangerine, citrus, and artificial cherry. Herbs move all around the palate. Bitter finish that's nearly redeemed by dried fruit until chalkiness chases it away.

Crisp off the sip. Washes over tongue & palate carefree and uncontrolled until its pointed finish.

Not up to snuff on this collaboration, although I’ve heard Dogfish Head’s BUFF is well put together. As disappointed as a true saison lover may be you have to appreciate Stone, Victory, and Dogfish Head for daring to risk their street cred and assuming the costs of such an undertaking.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 17:31:13 | More by GeorgieBoy