Two out of three are quite excellent: Saison du Buff 2012

Sampled: Feb. 5,2013

Stone’s three-corner collaborations don’t come to Nashville. If we only received Saison du Buff, I would be content. Luckily, they were easy to find in Columbus … well, two of them. Palmer’s Beverage had Stone and Dogfish Head’s versions, not the Victory (at a dollar less, it quickly sold out, the clerk said).

Stone’s SDB sat below a thin lace and poured with almost no head. Hints of leafiness and a lemongrass sizzle please the palate. Rosemary and sage arrive on the mid-palate just before the lemongrass picks up. 

As for the hop presence and bitter finish expected of Stone, the bitter gets brightened with Belgian yeast notes smoothing out the rough edges, tossing in some lemon and coriander.

Dogfish Head starts with a fragrant rosemary nose and a swift Belgian yeast kick. Creamy at times, it boasts a lemon-burnt orange body with some uncommon spicy tones. On the mid-palate, SDB kicks up some coriander, white pepper and lemon zest. It’s hard to detect the sage or thyme, but Dogfish Head’s SDB has a vegetative finish with medicinal, herbal flourishes, so we might have just missed them. This is pitch-perfect saison.

These takes on Saison du Buff share only a name. Like so many saisons, local ingredients and preferences sweep these ales into a different taste spectrum. Each succeeds without resorting to extremes. Next year, I hope to pour all three corners.