Finally a BUFF Beer

I finally decided to open up the Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory collaboration Saison du BUFF.  I have been loving saisons for a couple of months now, but since I picked up the Saison du Buff, I have been on a IPA kick.  But today, after doing the yard work, I figure it would be a great treat.

The Saison du Buff is a collaborative effort between Greg Koch (Stone), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Bill Covaleski (Victory).  The BUFF part of the beer stands for Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor.  Seven years ago, the three brewers started this "organization" with the intentions to push the limits.  I personally think they did it to just have a bunch of fun.

First, the pour- I again allow the head to get out of control.  The color looks perfect for a saison, darker yellow- and very clear.  The nose is full of spices.  It is dominated by rosemary (one of my favorite meals is to have steak and rosemary potatoes- a smell I will never forget) and a nice minty sage.

First sip brings a good saison yeast taste to it.  Then, BAM! the spices kick in and run over you like a Mack tractor trailer truck going 70 miles per hour.  Big time rosemary.  HUGE rosemary.  The sage clears up the spices on the back of the tongue.

The beer is highly carbonated, as expected with a saison.  It is light in the mouth, and surprisingly smooth going down (the spices do not make it hard to swallow).  I think this beer is a drinkable beer, maybe have two or three, but I doubt I could handle any more than that.

Overall, this beer is very good.  A nice collaborative effort on the part of three great brewers.  This beer reminded me of the Jolly Pumpkin/Stone/Nogne O Holiday Ale collaboration that I tried last February.  A ton of spice, but everything works together well, creating a very good beer.