Saison De Silly
Brasserie de Silly S.A.

Saison De SillySaison De Silly
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From:
Brasserie de Silly S.A.
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
Ranked #672
ABV:
5.3%
Score:
77
Ranked #27,231
Avg:
3.33 | pDev: 17.42%
Reviews:
130
Ratings:
215
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 07, 2023
Added:
Jul 22, 2002
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  20
No description / notes.
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Photo of eluvah
Reviewed by eluvah from New York

3.97/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Had the pleasure of drinking this at Belgian Beer World. Pours a redish amber color with a light tan head. A little Carmel and biscuit on the nose. Has a nice plum, and a bit of molasses flavor. Finishes crisp and dry.
Nov 07, 2023
Photo of Vlad11
Reviewed by Vlad11 from England

3.94/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
well this is silly, I did not know there was a saison like this one. Caramel, plum, candied fruit, cherries, tart apple, earth, medium body, slightly sour and slightly bitter. reminds me of dunkel, malty mild. nice beer
Sep 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Sep 30, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Mar 02, 2022
 
Rated: 3.33 by SayBoom from Ukraine

Aug 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.33 by Daneve76 from Australia

Jun 07, 2021
Photo of Mclusal
Rated by Mclusal from Colombia

3.82/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
N64
May 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.44 by Quafftastic from Virginia

May 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.21 by worldkrysis from Massachusetts

Aug 11, 2018
Photo of JacobusFavier23
Reviewed by JacobusFavier23 from Texas

3.55/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75
L- Amber/brown, almost dishwater dark/murky. Poured a massive head. I honestly believe that's due to the bottle being shaken up.
S- Caramel, toffee, malt, yeast, and cracker. Very minimal straightforward aroma.
T- A little fruity (maybe peach, definitely apple), caramel, soy sauce, toffee, bitter and sweet malt, notes of cracker. All together a decent flavor, but it is a bit miss matched and unbalanced.
F- Heavy, heavy carbonation. Too much. Not very dry either, a bit sticky. Ehh.
O- This is a very good, interesting saison that seems to be a pretty old version of the style. I would score it higher if the flavor was more balanced. It really does taste good though... It has some interesting aspects to it, but it falls short on anything remarkable. 3.31 isn't the right score for this beer. If you want to try a classic, old styled saison, this one should be up for it.
Apr 22, 2018
 
Rated: 2.75 by Noelito76 from New York

Sep 17, 2017
Photo of keithmurray
Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

3.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - dark bronze body with beige heaf

Smell - barley, hint of caramel

Taste - caramel, apple

Mouthfeel - medium body, medium carbonation, sweet upfront from the caramel/apple

Overall - decent beer, just a departure from what I'm used to getting from a Saison. Drinks more like a Belgian amber ale to me.

Price Point - $3.99/11.2 oz bottle
Jul 13, 2017
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.45/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
i have to agree with the masses here that this just isnt that good. there is a little part of me that is romantically tied to all these old world beers that are hard to find here in the states, like they all have to be something special. well, this one really isnt. really dark for the style, amber from the (likely very old) bottle, not much head, and a little haze. its dark for the style for sure, and there really isnt the belgian yeast or rustic saison yeast aroma i look for in these, its kind of moderate, a little sweet, and more grain driven than yeast propelled. some sweet dark fruits in the flavor at first, then a bit of more generic oxidized deep crystal malt, and lastly a little alcohol and belgian fruity yeast, all sort of old and in a fog. i wanted a lot more from this one, and while i appreciate it being a bit different from convention with the darker malt profile and all, its really not very good, especially compared to its peers. it should taste better than it does by a mile, but i recognize that the bottle is likely old, and i will give it another shake sometime when i can assure its quality. disappointing for now.
May 21, 2017
Photo of Mbbc
Rated by Mbbc from California

2.69/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Doesn't taste like a saison, more like a Belgian golden ale, pretty forgettable.
Feb 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.28 by HopBelT from Belgium

Dec 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.6 by AlexAfonin from Russian Federation

May 18, 2016
Photo of Vixie
Reviewed by Vixie from Florida

3.45/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Different look than what I expect from the style. It is a deep red color with a small tan head that seems to linger for some time.

Malt, caramel, toffee, floral notes and yeast are what I smell.

Fruity up front, little bit of toffee and caramel.

Feels a little thin, get some tongue tingling from the carbonation.

Nothing real special going on here, and doesn't really fit my definition of a saison, and my score reflects how close I feel it is to the style, which is not very. That being said, it is not a bad beer, would be a good choice on a hot day, as it drinks very easily. Not sure how I'd classify it, but not a true saison in my book.
May 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by SpAiReArGsEonNE from New Jersey

Apr 14, 2016
Photo of JackRWatkins
Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
An after the fact review, I feel this is a saison an older use of the term rather than the current style as it has been defined. Foam explodes from the bottle. Deep brownish red, smells of plumb and malt, tastes of plum and malt as well, somewhat syrupy, pleasant generally, most will consider this name a misrepresentation of the beer within so if you're looking for a saison look elsewhere but it is good and interesting and worth your time
Apr 11, 2016
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
After finishing a 4-pack, I remain mystified why this saison has such bad ratings and so few favorable reviews.
I saw it at least twice on Chicago shelves before buying a 4-pack, so it is not rare. And while I was not "wowed", I also felt it was refreshingly fruity and still well-balanced with the spices finally showing in the finish... not easy to achieve.

So to answer this mystery, let me note that which is said in the secondary scriptures.
Reviewed in Roger Protz' "300 More Beers To Try Before You Die", a sequel to his CAMRA classic, Roger gets into his usual brewing details. But, he makes the essential point that Silly blends young and older versions.

And the primary scriptures sayeth thus ...
MJ's "Great Beers of Belgium" says "some devotees find the fruitiness of Saison de Silly excessive. Others feel that its distinctive wineyness and tartness are a qualification for the style.... On two grounds, some devotees feel that Saison de Silly is a particularly good example; first, it is made by blending; second, one component is a dark ale aged for a year... Saison de Silly does not have re-fermentation in the bottle and some zealots deduct points for that omission."
And he essentially said the same thing six years earlier in in his 1999 "Guide" when he gave it 3 of 4 stars (probably 1/4 above the BA average of 3.31) and said this saison "is notable for being aged in the traditional way, in metal tanks for about a year. Tis imparts a distinctive wineyness and tartness. "

Now, we know why the ratings are so low. You have to know that this is a blend of old and new ales. So put it on the label, Silly ! Your sales will improve. Drinkers will know that they should not compare you to DuPont and will expect something different... something unlike the wilds sweeping the American scene now.

So ye of little faith, open your minds to the possibility of inventions from the past having a future ! .... (within context, of course.)

5/11/21 This copy was pushing the age envelope. While it was starting to deteriorate, it reminded me more of a biere de garde than a saison. In any classification, it went well with tonight's leftovers. I edited the above review and am keeping count over at UnTappd.

I also have not done a micro-review of Silly. I visited the website and found it among the more lively.. a marketing machine of considerable character. They do offer a Box of Silly, 12 ales, that I'd like to buy... but good luck getting it to Chicago. I might enter Silly on my BBBl as they are only 20 miles southwest of Brussels.
Apr 09, 2016
Saison De Silly from Brasserie de Silly S.A.
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 215 ratings