What is a saison?
A saison ale is, historically, a pale ale with low alcohol content. I wouldn't consider tonight's review a low alcohol content saison as it is 7.3% abv, which is on the higher end for a modern saison. In the old days, around 3% was standard. Anyway, saison is French for "season", in that Belgian farmers would drink the beers during the summer harvest season. They had to plan ahead though by brewing the beer in autumn or winter; and it also had to be strong enough during storage so it didn't lose to much alcohol by the time it was drinky time. Michael Jackson (no, not that MJ), a big name in the brew business, briefly describes a saison as "Seasonal summer style in the French-speaking part of Belgium. A sharply refreshing, faintly sour, top-fermenting brew, sometimes dry-hopped, often bottle-conditioned, 5.5 - 8 by volume."Great Divide Brewing Company
I don't believe I've done a review on a Great Divide product yet, so I will indulge in a bit of history on them as well. These days, Colorado and Oregon are seen as two of the major states for micro-breweries. However, in 1994, when Great Divide was founded, such a scene hardly existed. I guess you could say that Great Divide, which opened up shop on the outskirts of Downtown Denver, helped to close the great divide.
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| Photo taken with iPhone 4 |
A little bit about the brew from Great Divide: "Colette is our homage to the beers that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast strains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats - a beer as refreshing as it is complex."
One reason I was exited to try this beer tonight was to use my recently acquired Unibroue tulip glass. That might sound silly, but technically certain beers go better with certain glasses, and according to my "research", tulip was appropriate for this tasting. Now, up to this point, I wasn't sure if I had had a saison before. But, after I popped open the bottle and sniffed away, I was reminded of some recent beers I've had. The farmhouse ale pours a dark yellow - maybe best described as a carbonated liquid banana? The head was a fairly decent size, perhaps due to the tulip glass design. The smell is a bit sour, but fresh. On the way down it's a mix of spicy fruit and light ale. A bit spicier at the back end, but nothing overwhelming.
Overall, this is a pretty good beer. Certainly easy to drink during our hot Florida summers. If you've never tried a saison, they're in season, so go grab a bottle and give it a shot!
