Saison du Fermier (Blend #04)
(Batch of Saison du Fermier)

Every blend starts as a spelt Saison that is fermented-in and aged-in Chardonnay barrels with our Missouri cultures. From American oak to French oak, 225 liter barrels to Puncheons and Foedres, I have experimented with every blend, always trying to figure out what works the best with our production methods and with our cultures. Although I have never settled on what exactly is the best, as every Saison du Fermier brew presents itself differently and is an expression of the time and the barrels, I do have favorites, and there is just no substitute for barrel-fermenting Saison du Fermier in 225 liter Chardonnay barrels.

For the 4th Blend of Saison du Fermier, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the best Chardonnay barrels I have ever used for a portion of the final beer. Through our friends at Vinoteca, we imported White Burgundy barrels from Sylvain Langoreau St. Aubin in Gamay France. When these barrels arrived back in January of 2017, we quickly brewed Saison du Fermier to allow it to ferment-in and age-in these amazing barrels. The wines of Burgundy, both white and red, are some of my favorites. So, getting these barrels to use for my favorite Saison was a nice addition to the lineage of the Saison du Fermier blends. After 5 months of maturing in the French Oak, we racked and blended these barrels with a portion that was aged in American Oak before bottle conditioning the blend for the release. [Released 7/29/2017]