Price: $3.99/12-oz bottle at Total Wine

Region: Delaware

Style: Farmhouse/Saison

ABV: 6.8%

Sight: slightly hazy gold, rocky white head, leaves lots of lacing

Smell: sage, orange, coriander, dried herbs

Taste: sage, thyme, citrus, coriander, grass, biscuity finish

Overall: “BUFF” stands for “Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor,” and this recipe is a collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory—each brewer made their own version of this recipe on their own turf.  The key ingredients come straight out of Scarborough Fair: “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.”  Out of the four herbs listed, rosemary has always seemed to be the most intensely flavored, so I expected a lot more of that piney edge at first sniff; however, the big player for me is actually an aggressively spicy whiff of sage.  Besides that, orange peel and coriander emerge next to a blend of other dried herb aromas.  The flavor of this ale is grassy and delightfully savory, with a big bitter spike on the mid-palate (where I suspect the hops have been neatly tucked in).  The thyme/sage at the beginning slowly gives way to the parsley as it passes across the palate, and the finish brings a little squeeze of orange over traces of yeast.  As the beer warms, the bitter herbs soften a little and the citrus becomes more evident.  I’m shocked to say that I’m totally missing the rosemary, though the herbs I do taste are quite enough without it.  I think I’d really like to have this with a piece of baguette toasted with herbs & olive oil, and a slice of fresh mozzarella on top.  As intensely herbal as this is, I imagine it being incredibly food-friendly—though it’s mighty delicious on its own.

More Saisons du BUFF: Victory | Stone