Rayon Vert - Green Flash Brewing Co.

tdm168

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - orangish amber with a huge, soft, bubbly, off white head that has great retention

S - spicy, herbal hops; sage?; mint?

T - faint malt, spicy, herbal, sage, mint, thyme

M - very crisp, overcarbonated, medium bodied

It's overcarbonated for sure. It took three delicate pours to get a full glass. The hops are definitely forward which I see as a plus. There are some intense herbs throughout like sage and mint. I don't get any of the Belgian yeast funk that I would expect from the style. On the whole I enjoyed this beer, mostly for its hoppiness. I would have it again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:53:56 | More by tdm168

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a SA Perfect Pint glass.

A: A lighter straw color with a huge aggressive white frothy head on a conservative pour. Huge sticky lacing.

S: Barnyard funk, musty, yeasty, some hop citrus.

T: Light fruit is combined with the barnyard brett flavors. Musty, yeasty, some pear and apple, tart floral hops pepper, some slight sweet malt as the finish turns dry and musty again.

M: Carbonation was huge (must be bottle conditioned) as the mouthfeel is dry and prickly.

O: A nice brett beer with a fairly aggressive hop profile. As someone else said, this is almost an Orval clone that is not as good.

A good brett beer, but not a great brett beer. Give me a Matilda any day of the week, it has more balance and complexity. Still, not bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 18:08:14 | More by Kadonny

babaracas

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a mostly clear amber with dense rocky white head that settles slowly to a thick cap and leaves big clumps down the glass. Smell: semi-sweet, lemon, pepper, green apple, Brett funk. Taste: spicy, slightly acetic and medicinal, mildly sweet then into a peppery finish. Medium bodied with active carbonation and a creamy feel. Nice, fairly easy drinking, use of Brett.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 05:39:12 | More by babaracas

BlackBearForge

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rayon Vert pours a light golden amber in the glass, more golden than amber with a truly tremendous frothy foamy bone white head leaving great clumps of bubbly lacing on the glass as it subsides.

The nose is strong and very reminiscent of the barnyard (but in the pleasant beer-ish sort of way) with earthy hops.

The pale malts are fresh baked bread goodness with a stong spicy yeasty ester background and strong earthy hop presence. The barnyard character of the nose is present of course and the beer starts off dry and finishes dry with a pleasant lingering bitterness in the back of the palate.

The mouthfeel is medium and lightly creamy, and despite the fact this beer forms a four inch head on an initial "gentle" pour, the carbonation is also medium.

After an initial reaction, simply due to being unacustomed to the barnyard Brett character, I developed a great liking to this beer. A very nice change from the IPA's and Oktoberfests I've been consuming mass quantities off.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 22:25:43 | More by BlackBearForge

WesWes

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark golden/amber color with a towering white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a light and refreshing pale and Carapils malt scent along with a mild hop nose and a wonderful yeast aroma. The yeast dominates the nose and provides a multitude of complexity. It has an earthy farmhouse feel with hints of black pepper and horse hair funk. The taste is good. It has a crisp, pale malt flavor with a touch of hop bitterness. It goes down smooth with no sign of an elevated alcohol content. It finishes dry and funky with tons of yeast character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a solid beer with excellent yeast character. It's complex, yet incredibly easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 20:58:24 | More by WesWes

foles

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Green Flash now gets imported cold to Australia via Pheonix Beers here in Perth. And gee does it show in this beer. A delightful belgian ale with a heavy kiss of brett on the finish. To me this tastes like a fresh orval in Belgium.

Worth the hefty price tag.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 11:56:46 | More by foles

JAYAR1

Illinois

1.6/5  rDev -58.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

CLOUDY ORANGE WITH COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF HEAD ON A LESS THAT VIGOROUS POUR INTO MY STOLZLE TULIP FROM A SINGLE BOTTLE FROM FAMOUS IN LOMBARD. A BIT OF ANTICIPATION BRINGING IT TO MY NOSE, A LITTLE BISCUIT, A LITTLE CITRUS , A LITTLE UNFAMILIAR, BUT TO MY LIPS THE TASTE PUSHED IT OVER THE EDGE. ALL YOU BRETT LOVERS WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME DECREASING THE WORLD WIDE SUPPLY OF BEERS WITH BRETT . IT COULD BE TOP NOTCH BUT NOT WITH THESE FLAVORS. TRYING TO BE OPEN MINDED, BUT THIS STUFF SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT. DARE I SAY NOT A REPEAT. SORRY GREEN FLASH! AS I CONTINUE TO SIP IT, IT ISN'T GROWING ON ME. TO ME TASTE SAYS IT ALL

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 21:48:03 | More by JAYAR1

Finn

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours amber orange with vigorous carbonation supporting lots of fluffy foam. Aroma is complex with biscuit malt, citrus and some classic funk, slightly sweet. Sweet malts and funky bretty orangey tartness are cut through with the high carbonation. It finishes slightly sweet and the funk lingers a little. The carbonation hurts the drinkability on this one, but it's still very good, and worth picking up. only a few months age in this bottle from when I bought it has already shown changes (i tried one fresh when I bought it) I'm tempted to pick up some more to age for at least 6 months or a year.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 01:23:01 | More by Finn

Vec2267

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - ginormous head on initial pour, nice lacing, good retention, murky straw color, lots of bubbles

S - very funky - Brett, very fruity, pepper

T - Brett, barnyard funky leather, orange, hops, pepper

M - full, well carbonated

O - I despise Brett, that said, the brewer did a good job of integrating it into this brew, the fruit and hops provide a nice balance

That said, I still despise Brett.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 01:05:15 | More by Vec2267

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Oh how I wish I had this beer on hand while writing this review.
It has been a while since I last drank this beer, but I remember it quite well.
There are certainly 4 qualities that I will never forget about the beer.
1) Barnyard Funk!
2) Wet Hay
3) Lemongrass
4) Bretty Sourness

It is a great beer, but certainly not for the faint of heart.
If you are not a fan of Belgian sours, this may not be the beer for you...
At first, I wasn't too fond of this beer, but I have come to really enjoy it now.
Although not always my first choice, I can see myself coming back to this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:15:13 | More by GeckoPunk

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle, poured into a stemmed tulip

The body pours a slightly hazy orange with a huge, effervescent paper white cap. The head rose vigorously and settled like meringue. Huge chunks of lace stuck everywhere inside the glass.

The nose is of phenolic spice, white pepper, and a bubble gum fruitiness with barnyard and band-aid notes from the Brett. Clean, dry aroma that stings the nostrils a bit.

On the palate, spicy phenols and faint fruit rush the palate. Dry, barnyard, band-aid, musty funk notes emerge mid-palate from the Brett and release to a slightly funky, dry, bitingly crisp finish.

Light to medium bodied....it's really tough to tell. Mid-palate it feels medium, but up front and in the finish definitely light. High carbonation. Crisp and dry finish. Refreshing.

I really enjoyed this BPA. The Brett addition really makes this beer. It complements the fruity/spicy notes from the yeast extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 21:14:51 | More by ColForbinBC

dgilks

Australia

4.48/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy amber colour with a thick, creamy and long lasting off-white head. Great lacing.

Orval. Thick and wonderful Brettanomyces aroma with some fruit notes but it is mostly Brett. I love it.

Slightly sweet malt and a little hoppy but the biggest flavour is Brettanomyces. Great imitation of Orval even if it isn't supposed to be.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Very nice.

A delightful Belgian ale with hop notes and Brett. Well balanced and eminently drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 09:18:46 | More by dgilks

PEBKAC

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Four pack from Whole Foods. Heard good things. At around $12 for a 4-pack, I hope this slows down the flow of Joe Schmo breweries charging a premium for brett renditions of their staple beers. Probably won't. Tickers gotta tick... :/

An unsteady pour results in a murky honey orange body. Being my ignorant self, my Duvel tulip soon becomes overwhelmed with cakey off-white head. A small stack of soggy utility bills & some desk reorganizing later, I realize I should of skimmed reviews for some keywords first at least.

Soapy, sharp citrus scent. Hay & just a tiny bit of cheese in the background.

Taste upfront is bittersweet, but quickly turns briny. Coarse orange/grapefruit pith. Lingering acidity. Faintly tart. Not sour. Super dry. Moderate, but soft carbonation. Aspirin finish. So thirsty.

Me likey. :)

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 06:02:26 | More by PEBKAC

DRyan

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy orange/blonde with very fluffy white head that sticks around and laces nicely
S: Heavy funk, spicy, citrusy, with a Belgian yeast undercurrent
T: Woody, earthy funk, with some citrus tang to it, aftertaste continues the funk, also has a bit of mustiness to it
M: tingly; very effervescent, dances on the tongue
D: Not one for every day, not tough to drink but wouldn’t want to drink a bunch in a row

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 00:40:11 | More by DRyan

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Highly carbonated. Huge head. Golden orange color.

Funky aroma. Grainy and a little papery. (Hard to describe.) Lots of hops, though.

Fruity flavor from the yeast. Maybe a little bubble gum. Nice bitterness. Complex flavor.

Medium bodied. Very, very carbonated. The carbonation is appropriate for the style, I suppose. But, I don't like it so much.

An interesting beer. Makes me want to explore this style more.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:05:01 | More by UnderPressure

hardy008

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A gentle pour fills the glass with foam. As the foam settles down, The beer in the glass is a light amber color. As expected, the foamy white head has excellent retention, and lacing. The aroma has green apples, citrus, pepper, leather, and Brett.

Very nice flavor to this beer. There is some sweetness, bitterness, and some funk. The flavors I can pick out are oranges, citrus zest, pepper, Brett, and green apple.

Light to medium bodied, well carbonated, with a dry finish and citrus zest aftertaste. A really nice Belgian Pale Ale. I definitely need to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 01:22:17 | More by hardy008

kylehay2004

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: three finger thick frothy head on a murky golden amber body.

S: strong aroma of clove, yeast, banana, herbs and pineapple.

T: this one is very sharp and spicey off the back with a strong herbal and clove presence. The yeast is nicely represented through out. There is mild citrus sweetness but its very tart in the finish with orange and pineapple.

M: medium body and moderate to high carbonation. semi dry finish as expected.

Overall: this one is pretty tart and yeasty with strong herbal notes that dont get easier to drink as its consumed hurting drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 21:39:45 | More by kylehay2004

Durge

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A cloudy light amber color with a big chewy pile of eggshell white head with loads of chunky lacing left behind. The aroma is a pleasant, polite herbaceous clove that fights back the hint of bubblegum sweetness. Intense grain and the herbal hop are a compelling marriage. The taste brings a similar effect with clove, bubblegum and murky rice/wheat/malt. The herbal, near mint tea, blends smoothly with the stubborn earthy grain for a somewhat unique mouthful of Belgian nuance. Medium bodied with a crisp feel, this is entirely loveable! Another nice Green Flash!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 18:17:07 | More by Durge

beerpadawan

California

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big foamy head even with gentle pour, settling to rocky, marshmallow bluffs some scattered lacing (would probably be prettier if I were using a more appropriate glass). A cloudy bright copper hue held to light.

Citrus zest; grapefruit juice; mint; funk. At room temperature, brut wine/slight alcohol warmth. Aroma and flavor definitely reveal brett addition. It's subtle in the aroma. As the beer comes to temperature, the dry, slightly tangy and funky brett character becomes a feature. Malt back and sugar flavor play a subtle supporting role, as do bittering hops and floral/herbal hoppiness. Peppery/spicy esters.

Light body. Dry; attenuated; slightly sticky finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:21:41 | More by beerpadawan

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Firm and towering white head.... enormous tufts of lace and a milky-haze of yeast. Very attractive beer. The aroma is all Belgian: yeast, phenolic peppery spice and some background fruit. A bit grainy and some alcohol warmth in the taste. The beer is a little more bitter than expected, but the yeast character is pronounced and gives the beer a greater smoothness than I expected. Lingering fruit and hop finish with lots of Belgian character. Very enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 19:32:43 | More by Suds

nickfl

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with a big, three finger head of white foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The rocky head settles slowly and leaves moderate lacing on the glass.

S - Musty hops and smooth malty notes of bread and toffee. Some subtly funky notes of wet earth in the background.

T - Bready malt up front with some pear and musty hop notes. Strong brett funk comes out in the middle with notes of pineapple, wet leaves, and red apple. Finishes with spicy Belgian yeast, lightly toasty malt, and herbal hops. Lingering notes of anise and pineapple.

M - Medium-thick body, high carbonation, and a slightly dry finish.

D - Enjoyable and very complex, this is a great beer, though I don't know if it is appropriately labeled as a Belgian pale ale. The funky character is fairly strong, without any sourness, and it works well with the base beer. Very much worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 06:03:43 | More by nickfl

vfgccp

New York

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Foamy white head. Excellent retention and lace. Deep orange apricot brown body.

S - Almost wit-like with a bright tart twang. Bitter white wine grapes, sour apple, apricot and pear.

T - Dry, deeply waxy, and tart. White stone fruits, wheat, grapefruit, and apricot.

M - Light body. Par carbonation.

O - Wax dominates the profile and bullies some of the softer, more interesting fruit flavors in the brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:01:07 | More by vfgccp

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours lightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2-3 finger fluffy off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, lime, herbal, pepper, pine, earth, floral, and yeast spices. Very nice aromas with good strength, balance, and complexity. Taste of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, orange zest, pine, herbal, pepper, clove, earth, floral, light funk, toast, and yeast spiciness. Fair amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pepper, pine, herbal, floral, earth, toast, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Awesome flavor complexity and balance; very nice hop/yeast flavor balance. Quite crisp and fairly clean on the finish. Fairly high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very crisp and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Belgian pale ale! A lot of nice hop flavors with yeast spiciness; a nice clean finish, and very smooth to drink. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:45:28 | More by superspak

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured slightly hazy gold in color. An apple white head, huge at first, comes to rest at a 1 inch cap that stays until the end. Beautiful.

The aroma is big on funky brett, along with lemon, lime, sour apple, herbs.

Its flavor follows with acidic citric notes. More lemon, lime, apple, but also notice apricot. Otherwise it's got funky yeast and offers essence of bread from its malt profile. Short finish, but notes of yeast and brett linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel is dry, crisp, great for summer.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. THIS is the type of brew I love for summer. Full of flavor and character that demands your attention, yet it's refreshing and simple. If it had a bit more depth, it would be a home run, but I'm not complaining.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 02:36:27 | More by jbertsch

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crisp and hoppy. A really nice blend of classic belgian sweetness and spiciness with a west coast hop profile. Nothing is overwhelming yet the flavors feel so big. Like a belgian style tripel with a west coast twang. Quite nice. Big yet brisk mouthfeel. Euro hop bitterness, slightly spicy finish. Tasty and drinkable. Little bit of alcohol heat but doesnt take away from the style much.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 23:18:11 | More by jtierney89