My new home has no basement, so I plan to try brewing some beers I can ferment on the high side, such as a Saison. Problem is, I can’t remember having a commercial version before. I want to find some versions to try that I can then try to brew. So, what are your favorite Saisons and have you found or created a comparable recipe?
try hennepin by ommegang. its one of my favorites. or wait 3 months, wont it be cool in nebraska
Oh yeah, I’ll be brewing plenty this winter. Unfortunately, my stock is low enough now I need to (gasp!) buy beer! I can’t stand it! 
I figured the heat would be a good enough excuse to try to brew something different than I’m used to brewing.
If you can get a fresh, unskunked Saison DuPont, that’s probably the gold standard. Boulevard Tank 7 is a damn good example as well. I know Ommegang markets Hennepin as a Saison, but they use their house yeast strain as opposed to a true saison strain, so it ends up tasting more like a Belgian Golden to me.
Lots of solid samples out there. Saison dupont is prime. Prairie brewing, Stillwater brewing, and Upright brewing all do solid Saisons.
Personally, I don’t consider Hennepin a true Saison. Tank 7 is certain (in my opinion) the best American Saison. For Saisons with character and additions, it’s hard to beat Stillwater. Their cellar door is incredible.
I enjoy Victory Swing a lot on hot summer days.
Boulevard Tank 7 should be easy to get in Nebraska. Le Merle from North Coast Brewery is good too.
yes it is!
+1 to tank 7, it’s really a great beer from a great brewery!
+1 to all of this.
Thanks for all the responses! I’m pretty sure I’ve had a bottle of Tank 7 before, just can’t remember what it was like. I’ll be looking around for it and the other suggestions too.
So big chicken, whereabouts do you reside, I 'm in the western side of the state.
I’ll also chime in for Tank 7. You may also get Prairie up there. They also make solid saisons albeit on the hoppy side. Le Merle by North Coast is a pretty good saison. Not sure if that makes it into your area.
Saison Dupont is considered the gold standard for saisons but I don’t particularly love the green bottle skunked saison. It’s drinkable and still good but it pales in comparison to unskunked Dupont. You can occasionally find Dupont on tap and Dupont bottles in brown 375ml bottles although they are hard to find. Well worth picking up if you can find it.
Speaking as a fellow Nebraskan, Tank 7 and Funkwerks are the 2 best commercial saisons inside the state borders, IMHO. Others would be Goose Island Sofie, Sierra Nevada Ovila, and Hennepin. I don’t particulary care for the DuPont ‘skunk’ but worth a try if you have never had it.
Keep the grist simple and spices small. The spice should come more from the yeast. Good luck.
The iO Saison from the Jolly Pumpkin DESTROYS. I’ll do unforgivable things to get my hands on that beer.
I recently moved to the big city of Lincoln.
I just tried a bottle of DuPont in the green bottle. Definitely had some skunk in there. I’m really liking the Tank 7. I’m still working on a recipe, but I’m taking your advice of letting the yeast work its spicy magic.
+10. These guys know what they’re talking about.
Like trade some west coast goodies for it? ;D
Its normally available at my local better bottle shop. I’ll have to pick on up (along with some Dark Dawn)!
I REALLY enjoy Upright’s stuff.
I picked up a single of Stillwater’s Stateside and it was ROUGH - high alcohols, phenolics, all-in-all poor fermentation. Haven’t tried Cellar Door…
I have had Stateside and it was pretty good. It’s a local beer for me though. I think the bottle you got was mishandled, Kyle, not poorly fermented. Cellar Door is very good as well. For me Dupont on tap IS the gold standard. I do like JPs offerings a lot too.