We’ll start this with one of the great beer questions. No – not ‘what is craft!”
The question I’m referring to: ‘Is there a difference between a Farmhouse Ale and a Saison?’
I get asked this question quite a lot, and for me personally there is a slight difference. Although that is not coming from any technical knowledge base – more from memory of drinking different beers and what they were called!
For me, a Saison is classic Belgian, though the style range is broad. But if must be funky. Farmhouse has a more French connection – think Biere de Garde’s. They are less funky, more earthy and minerally. But the lines are always blurred.
Our Double Farmhouse has a decent dose of funk on the nose, with slightly less in the flavour. There is a little too much sweetness to the body and this probably supresses some of the funky flavours. There is some orange citrus, light spices with a slight pepper prickle and a grassy note. An interesting beer with a lot in the flavour to explore.
A farmhouse ale brewed with wheat and fermented with fig juice
An interesting farmhouse ale with seven different hops plus liquorice
An IPA featuring a bevy of different hops, with a big caramel malt body
A sort of Belgian style strong blonde ale, made using unsold sourdough bread
An American Bitter which has been 'de-glutenised' with the use of a special enzyme
A rich, spice winter beer is just the thing to warm up on a cold winters night
A Vermont Pale Ale - a really soft, juicy and very easy-drinking beer
'Tess' is a White White Saison - a farmhouse ale fermented on Pinot Grigio white wine barrels and hopped with Hallertau Blanc hops
An oatmeal stout with a rich, creamy and luxurious chocolatey flavour
