Crisply easygoing saison may have more character than brewers’ earliest farmhouse creations (as of December 2011). Spicy tangerine-apricot tang, lightly orange-spiced tartness and juicy pear proclivity contrast resinous earthen-hopped mineral-grained mustiness. Sunny summertime fruiting saturates shiny fresh-watered purity. Tertiary floral, pecan, and rye illusions scattered about.

Stellar Belgian-styled golden-hazed saison boasting herbal white sage primacy sharpens peppery basil-rosemary-thyme seasoning with sharply expressive Citra-hopped spicing. Limey grapefruit-orange-apricot fruiting saddles ample herbage, tart lemon seeding and plasticene ethanol kick to sourdough wheat backbone.  

Crassly peculiar Belgian-styled farmhouse ale connects acidic stone-fruited oaken cherry souring and offbeat rhubarb spell to outlandishly curious candy-caned peppermint twist. Eye-squinting orange-dried crabapple, guava, kumquat, papaya, and blueberry nuances increase mouth-puckering brettanomyces funk. A novel sour ale.

On tap at Jimmy’s No. 43, smashing Belgian-styled saison utilizes Brassier Dupont yeast to give off proper sour fruiting. Dry white-wined entry picks up lemon-rotted cherry, plum, fig, and prune propensity skewering sweet banana-pureed lemon custard lurk. Ancillary black-peppered orange spicing and mild pekoe tea hint awaken plasticene clay-hopped herbage.

On tap at Barcade, traditional straw-hued saison pleats grassy-hopped citric souring with light malt creaming. Lemony grapefruit-pitted orange rind bittering picks up earthen barnyard leathering, mild herbal spicing, and ethanol plasticene astringency, nullifying spicy ginger, coriander, and star anise adjuncts.

Rounded herbal-spiced sour-fruited Saison-styled Belgian farmhouse ale retains mild, moderate-bodied appeal. Grapefruit-peeled orange zest brightens white-peppered basil-thyme-rosemary seasoning and mint-y eucalyptus-ginger freshness to straw wheat backbone.

On tap, engaging dried-fruited mocha spicing fronts soft-toned summer seasonal. Phenol fig-spiced date-breaded banana tartness envelops subtle cocoa nibs chalking above tobacco-leafed toasted breading.

Mellow sweet-honeyed citric-spiced Belgian-styled farmhouse ale brings perfumed cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice tingle to whole-grained wheatgrass, fresh-cut grass, horse-blanket, barnyard, and hay earthiness. Latent white-peppered ginger spicing gathers momentum above languid lemon-limed astringency, fungi-like gourd temperance and depleted Belgian yeast funk.

Curious gold-hazed beige-headed saison-styled farmhouse ‘wheat ale brewed with sage’ perfectly combines herbs, spices, and fruits. Black-peppered bay-leafed sage, hibiscus, lemongrass, rosemary, and lavender bolster lacquered clover-honeyed pineapple-tangerine-cherry-apricot tang before musty cellar funk plunders mild lemon-seeded grapefruit-peeled lime-lined bittering.

Engaging yellow-cleared sour-honeyed saison (my first HF brew, 2011) uniquely blends rustic farmhouse yeast into herbal lemon tea theme. Orange compote, mandarin orange, and tangerine zest provide mild tartness to florid lavender-tulip conflux beckoning wildflower honey souring. Muted white-peppered rosemary, sage, and thyme seasoning softly confront green, black, and pekoe tea bittering. Airy white wheat backdrop stays light enough to allow citric, herbal, and floral influences to come to the fore.

Impulsive guava-pureed butterscotch-hued Saison-styled sour ale blends leathery barnyard funk, root cellar dankness and musty earthen herbs into eye-squinting cider-sharp tropical fruiting. Tart guava acridity picks up apricot-soured Granny Smith apple tartness, banana-leafed kiwi-pineapple-lemonade scamper, and tannic oaken cherry dryness to salted limestone bottom. Abundant lemon rind bittering flourishes as subtle lemongrass influence fades.

Busily effervescent straw-hued meringue-headed moderate-bodied saison brings sour citric-quince salience to large herbaceous profile. ‘Spicy lemon zest’ aromatics and re-fermented champagne yeast reinforce Granny Smith apple, tangerine, clementine, and wild berry nuances bubbling under salty white-peppered basil-rosemary-thyme-sage seasoning. Honeyed malt sweetness contrasts tart curried fruiting, mild lemongrass-eucalyptus surge, and dry farmhouse ale penchant for weedy wild oats, alfalfa, fennel, and barnyard parchedness. Mulling-spiced cardamom, nutmeg and clove find tertiary space.