Saison du Buff: A Comparison

I had the pleasure to be able to try all three versions of Saison du Buff from Victory, Stone, and Dogfish Head at the same time. I thought that this would be an interesting comparison to do and see if there are any variations in the three versions, especially since I did notice a few in my individual reviews of each beer. All versions were brewed with the same recipe but at each brewery's location. Therefore, a difference in water or brewing method could change the beer slightly.

When the beers were poured, the Stone version maintained head longer and was much more foamy The Victory version had almost no head compared to the other two. The Dogfish Head version had a good lacing. Looking at the colors, the Victory is slightly lighter in color and seemed more filtered and translucent. In the aroma, the Dogfish Head version is completely filled with citrus while the others are not, Stone had more butter and rosemary, and Victory hits more with sage and a slight butter accent.

I thought that in the taste, none of the beers had a big citrus profile except for Dogfish Head. There were faint hints available on the Stone version with the after taste. The Victory version finishes lighter and is not as intense on the tongue, but it did hit with sage more on the finish. The Stone version was a little more hoppy and hit with rosemary and the Dogfish Head version was slightly more citrusy with lemon and orange. Stone lingers on the tongue with the hops and on finish, Stone is the driest, Dogfish Head is the sweetest, and Victory is the smoothest.

In my opinion, I would rank Dogfish Head number 1, Stone number 2, and Victory number 3. The rank does not say that the Victory version was not a good beer; it was just the least intense beers of the three. I really enjoyed this tasting, especially with three friends and sharing opinions back and forth on the three Saison du Buff versions.

Victory/Stone/Dogfish Head Saison du Buff

My coworker Paul gave me a bottle of the Victory / Stone / Dogfish Head Saison du Buff (brewed at Victory) to try. Having had the other two versions, I jumped at the chance. As with the other two versions, the beer pours an orange-yellow color but this one had almost no head. The aroma consists rosemary, butter, and sage. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. The finish is a little peppery with a faint citrus accent The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. Out of the three versions, I think this was my least favorite, but I still really enjoyed the beer. Without the other two versions, this would be a great beer; it's just I enjoyed the Stone and Dogfish Head versions more.

Dogfish Head/Stone/Victory Saison du Buff

I ordered a glass of the Dogfish Head/ Stone / Victory collaboration (brewed at Dogfish Head Brewery) Saison du Buff while I was at the Dogfish Head Brew Pub in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The beer pours an orange-yellow color with lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of orange and lemon with a strong kick of flowers, thyme, and parsley. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. This version had a more citrus profile to it when compared to the beer brewed at Stone Brewery, with orange and cream coming out in the process as well as a splash of lemon.The finish is a little peppery and dries the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I think I may have slightly enjoyed this version better than the Stone version, only because of the heightened citrus profile that accompanied it.

Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory Saison du Buff

I was able to request a couple of bottles of the Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory collaboration (brewed at Stone Brewery) Saison du Buff. It was a bit hard to track down, but from what I heard, it was well worth the search. The beer pours an orange-yellow color with lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of orange and lemon with a strong kick of flowers, thyme, and parsley. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. The finish is a little peppery and dries the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. This beer is not your conventional saison, but it sets the bar high for any other saisons created. The amount of spices thrown into this brew really make this multidimensional and an overly flavorful experience.