So as I have researched the Grisette style I have been unable to find out what exactly it’s supposed to taste like compared to a saison. I’ve found some sources that say that saisons are tart and grisettes are not, but besides that I got zip. Their is the classic miner history of Grisette, but not much on the flavor profile. So when a brewery these days makes a Grisette is it really just a conceptual saison? The “miner’s” saison or is it actually different from saison? Because where some sources say Grisette is not tart, I find modern Grisettes being described as tart. I realize I may be over thinking this, but I’m just really interested in the style of Grisette and if I brew one I just want to know if there is something it should be that is different from saison.
As far as I understand it (and I am probably incorrect), grisettes typically have a lower OG than a traditional saison (think around mid 1.040’s). They also contain a higher portion of wheat than a saison typically would have in it.
With that being said, if most saisons were probably fermented in barrels prior to packaging then I can’t see why grisettes wouldn’t have been as well which could have lead to the introduction of wild yeast and lactobacillus providing a slight funk/tartness to them.
Have you read Farmhouse Ales? That is probably the most extensive discussion of grisette as a style.