Dogfish Head Saison du BUFF

Dogfish Head. Victory. Stone. When discussing our country’s best breweries, those three must, at the very least, be in the conversation. So when they collaborate on the same beer, well, while there is no such thing as a guarantee of quality, this is about as close as it gets.

How did this beer come about? Dogfish Head’s website describes it like so:

“The idea for this beer germinated way back in 2003 when the three guys (Sam from Dogfish, Greg from Stone and Bill from Victory) formed the BUFF alliance (Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor) – a noble endeavor with the goal to highlight the passion and camaraderie of the American craft brew movement.”

Despite being (loosely) organized in’ 03, BUFF didn’t really do much until 2010, when they finally collaborated on the first Saison du BUFF. It was originally brewed at Stone, but then the other two brewers replicated the recipe at their own facilities. As such, there are actually three versions of this beer – one from each brewery.

The result – at least from the DfH version that I tried – is a lovely saison. Ample biscuity sweetness balances nicely with the dry (but not overly dry) finish. Another interesting aspect is the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme used; the herbs are quite subtle, but do add some complexity to the lingering coda. Though this is on the heavier side (6.8% abv), it’s a delicious patio sipper for the warmer months.