Beer Review: Saison Du Buff (2015) by Victory Brewing Company

Welcome to my Beer Review: Saison Du Buff by Victory Brewing Company. Lets start with the basics:

Beer: Saison Du Buff | Brewery: Victory Brewing Company | Locale: Downingtown, PA | Style: Saison/Farmhouse | ABV: 6.8% | IBU: NA | Color: Straw Yellow | Aroma: Fruit, Spice, Earth | Flavor: Fruit, Floral, Earth| Untappd: DogFishThis

                                                    My Personal Rating:  3.75/5 

Ideal Place to Drink This Beer: Obviously the ideal place to drink this beer is in the Victory Brewery with Bill from Victory, Sam from Dogfish Head and Greg from Stone Brewing!
                
I have a fairly easy time finding Stone beers in my area but Victory is hit and miss and Dogfish Head is impossible to find here. To be honest, I was a little behind the times on this one and wasn't aware of the Saison Du Buff collaboration until this year. I may have missed my shot at the  Dogfish Head's version last year, but this year I lucked out and came across Victory's batch at the local bottle shop. Couldn't pass up trying a collaboration between some of my favorite heavy hitters in the craft beer world.

(Photo courtesy of: http://www.victorybeer.com/brewpub/)

 

 

In 2003, the head guys at Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory Brewing created the Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor (BUFF) Alliance. BUFF didn't go very far but in 2010 the three brewers got together to create Saison Du Buff, the beer was first brewed at Stone, then Dogfish Head, then at Victory Brewing (http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/collaborations/Saison-du-BUFF.htm). The cycle was repeated in 2012 and Dogfish Head released theirs in 2014 which I missed out on, but I got my hands on the 2015 version brewed at Victory Brewing. Stone is scheduled for a 2016 release. This beer is a saison/farmhouse style brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

 

 



 

First off, I definitely used the wrong glass for this beer photo wise. I used my trusty Boise State Broncos glass with the bottom half that is shaded blue...so try to ignore that, this beer doesn't pour with a bunch of sludge at the bottom. Second, saison styles are not my most favorite beers in the first place so you may find that you enjoy this beer more than me. That being said, I still really enjoyed it! This beer is full bodied and well carbonated. It has a touch of spice and a floral / earthy taste. It has a dry, hoppy finish, and is pretty refreshing on a hot day. This beer won me over the more I sipped on it and as it warmed. Is it my favorite style? No. Is it my favorite beer from these breweries? No. Did I enjoy it and do I recommend it? Yes? Is it a good tribute to these three industry icons? YES! Pick one up if you can. Prost!