Specialty Saison
Belgian and French Origin Ale · Brewers Association 2025
3 SRM20 SRM
- OG
- 1.040 – 1.080
- FG
- 1.005 – 1.014
- ABV
- 5 – 9.3 %
- IBU
- 20 – 40
- Color
Belgian and French Origin Ale · Brewers Association 2025
Specialty Saison represents a very wide family of beers which deviate substantially from Classic Saison in appearance and sensory outcomes. Such beers are brewed with dark malts, fruit(s), spice(s), or a wide range of ingredients. Ingredients including spices, herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, fermentable sugars and carbohydrates, special yeasts of all types, wood-aging, etc. may contribute unique attributes to these beers. Earthy or cellar-like aromas are acceptable. Color, body, malt character, esters, alcohol level, and hop character should harmonize with attributes from special ingredients. Versions of Saison which exhibit sensory attributes typical of wood-aging are categorized as Specialty Saison. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as ingredients such as malts and grains, hop varieties, microflora, fruit, spices, or other ingredients, etc. or processing (wood-aging for example) which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Straw to dark brown; may take on hue of fruit(s), darker malts, or other ingredients
Chill haze or slight yeast haze is acceptable
Typically low to medium-low, but may vary in beers made with specialty malts.
Low to medium-high
Medium to medium-high
Fruity esters are medium to high. Diacetyl should not be present. Complex alcohols, herbs, spices, low Brettanomyces attributes including slightly acidic, fruity, horsey, goaty and leather-like, as well as clove-like and smoky phenolics may be present. Herb or spice flavors, including notes of black pepper, may be present. A low level of sour acidic flavor is acceptable when in balance with other components. Because these beers are often bottle conditioned, they may display some yeast character and high carbonation.
Brew to this style
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Low to medium
Style guideline data is the work of its respective publishers, reproduced here for reference: BJCP · Brewers Association · Norbrygg · SHBF · Danske Øldommere.