History
'Bière de saison' is first mentioned in the early 19th century. It was most widely known as a beer from the industrial city of Liège, where it was brewed by professional breweries as a keepable version of the city's spelt beer that had been produced for a few centuries. It was made with malted spelt, unmalted wheat and only a small amount of barley malt. It was typically brewed in winter and drunk after four to six months.
In the late 1980s, American importer Don Feinberg was urged by beer writer Michael Jackson to import Brasserie Dupont's saison to the United States. It was Feinberg who re-styled saison as a 'farmhouse ale': 'People asked: is it a wheat beer? Is it a lambic? I told them it was a hoppy farmhouse ale.'
Modern saisons are not exclusively brewed seasonally anymore. Generally, they are highly carbonated, fruity and spicy — sometimes from the addition of spices, or other botanicals.
pFriem’s Fresh Hop Barrel Aged Saison takes the concept of “Hoppy Farmhouse Ale” one step further, combining old-world tradition with new-school PNW hop culture. After aging in a wine barrel with brettanomyces for 6 months, this saison was blended with fresh citra hop flowers, rushed directly from the farm. This imparts a bright and vibrant hop character, with less bitterness and emphasized floral and grassy aromas.
Tasting Notes
Fresh Hop Barrel Aged Saison pours a golden straw tone with a large rocky head of foam. Bright and aromatic with notes of citrus, white peach and farmhouse funk. Flavors of white grapefruit, lychee and tea leaves greet the pallet, with a dry pithy finish.
Food Pairings
Herbal salads with citrus vinaigrette. Nutty alpine cheeses such as Gruyère, Comté, Emmental or a grassy herbed chevre. Grilled asparagus. Briny oysters with lemon, grilled shrimp or scallops.
