Malt aroma & flavor
Typically low to medium-low, but may vary in beers made with specialty malts.
Belgian and French Origin Ale Styles
Specialty Saison
Ale · Straw to dark brown; may take on hue of fruit(s), darker malts, or other ingredients
What to expect
Typically low to medium-low, but may vary in beers made with specialty malts.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
3–20
Pale / strawBlack
Straw to dark brown; may take on hue of fruit(s), darker malts, or other ingredients · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
5.0–9.3%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
20–40
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 26 · PDF page 35. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Low to medium-high
Perceived bitterness
Medium to medium-high
Body & mouthfeel
Low to medium
Clarity
Chill haze or slight yeast haze is acceptable
Color
Straw to dark brown; may take on hue of fruit(s), darker malts, or other ingredients
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters are medium to high. Diacetyl should not be present. Complex alcohols, herbs, spices, low Brettanomyces attributes including slightly acidic, fruity, horsey, goaty and leather-like, as well as clove-like and smoky phenolics may be present. Herb or spice flavors may be present. A low level of sour acidic flavor is acceptable when in balance with other components. Because these beers are often bottle conditioned, they may display some yeast character and high carbonation.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Specialty Saison represents a very wide family of beers which deviate substantially from Classic Saison in appearance and sensory outcomes. Such beers are brewed with dark malts, fruit(s), spice(s), or a wide range of ingredients. Ingredients including spices, herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, fermentable sugars and carbohydrates, special yeasts of all types, wood-aging, etc. may contribute unique attributes to these beers. Earthy aromas are acceptable. Color, body, malt character, esters, alcohol level, and hop character should harmonize with attributes from special ingredients. Versions of Saison which exhibit sensory attributes typical of wood-aging are categorized as Specialty Saison. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as ingredients such as malts and grains, hop varieties, microflora, fruit, spices, or other ingredients, etc. or processing (wood-aging for example) which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.040-1.080 (10-19.3 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.005- 1.014 (1.2-3.5 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 4.0%-7.4% (5.0%-9.3%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 20-40 • Color SRM (EBC) 3-20 (6-40 EBC)