This article was originally written in August 2007 for the food & drink website Taste T.O., and republished here in October 2011 (but back-dated to match the original publication date) after Taste T.O. was shut down and taken offline.
Back in the days before refrigeration and pasteurization, all beer was a fresh and perishable product that was at the mercy of the local climate and other factors. Different styles were brewed at different times of year depending on the weather and surrounding environment, and many styles were made with the intention to be set aside and drunk at various points throughout the year, with alcohol levels (stronger beers tend to last longer) and the amount of hops (a natural preservative in addition to being a bittering agent) varied accordingly.
As recently as 20 years ago, most of these traditional beer styles were close to extinction due to the global popularity of bland, mass-produced lagers. But thanks to the explosion of craft brewing in North America and elsewhere, as well as the rediscovery of the handful of Old World breweries that are stilling hanging on, many have been brought back from the brink and revived, much to the delight of adventurous beer drinkers worldwide. One of these styles is saison.
A farmhouse ale from the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium, saisons were traditionally brewed in the autumn or winter and held for consumption by farm workers during the late summer harvest. A close cousin to bière de garde (“beer for keeping”), a style born just over the border in France, the original saisons were generally relatively low in alcohol in order to not knock the workers for a loop, but also high in hops to help the beer last the months in storage. Wheat was often used in addition to the pale malts, giving the beer a refreshing quality not unlike a weisse or witbier.
In recent times, the most well-known example of the saison style is Saison Dupont, brewed since 1844 at Belgium’s Brasserie Dupont. This world classic has made brief appearances at the LCBO in the past, but not recently. However, we’ve been lucky enough to have a locally-brewed saison available for the past couple of summers thanks to the efforts of Ken Woods and his team at Oakville’s Black Oak Brewery.
Black Oak Summer Saison is quite traditional in some respects, particularly the relatively low alcohol level of 4.1%, and the inclusion of wheat in the recipe. But it also deviates slightly from the typical saison with the addition of corriander and orange zest. While spicing of saisons in olden times wasn’t unheard of, it was rare.
Still, this is one case where the break from tradition can’t really be faulted, as the results are fantastic. After pouring a hazy orange colour, the aroma and flavour of this beer are like a wheat beer on steroids, with big notes of yeast, wheat, citrus, apricot and spice. The hops remain hidden in the aroma and the front end of the flavour, but they come through in the finish with a nice peppery bite.
The only bad thing about this beer is the fact that it’s little hard to get your hands on. Bottles are only available for purchase at the brewery ($12.25/6×355 mL), and it’s on a limited number of draught lines at a few bars and restaurants around town. If you’re extra lucky, you might stumble across a place serving the limited “marmalade edition”, which is a cask version finished with a healthy dose of fresh citrus peel. Failing that, you’ll be able to find the regular version at the Golden Tap Awards, the Ontario craft beer awards and mini-festival taking place this Saturday, August 18th at beerbistro.
Given the nature of this weekly column, it’s probably obvious that I’m not the type of beer drinker who sticks with a single favourite brand. I usually have a bottle each of a dozen or so different beers in the fridge at any given time, and another box or two of others stashed in the closet. Even when I go out, I rarely have the same beer twice in a night, unless I’m at a pub where there’s only one beer that I like on tap.