Green Flash / St. Feuillien Friendship Brew - Green Flash Brewing Co.

ummswimmin

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this from a pilsner glass.

This is a very black beer. On top you get about two fingers of pillowy head. This retains well and leaves clumps of foam on the side of the glass.

I like the smell coming off of this. There is a good sour presence. The horse blanket smell works well. I also pick up a little bit of red wine there.

The flavor is a car wreck. There is a lot going on here, but none of it works well. You get coffee, sour, some infection, a lot of spice, and I think I even got some rye there. This mix of flavors has absolutely no balance.

This is the first time I have not enjoyed something from Green Flash. I was really disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 19:01:28 | More by ummswimmin

searsclone

Arizona

2.35/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Had on tap as 1/3 of a flight. Looks like a small pint glass, maybe 4 oz

Solid thick black with a super sticky beige head.

Smell is like a horse barn, alfalfa and hay and earth

Taste is more of the horse barn. Maybe some mint or spice with a bitter coffee finish.

Mouth feel is balanced with carbonation and smoothness.

Overall, I'm glad that I didn't have a full glass of this. The small glass was plenty, if not too much.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 02:45:53 | More by searsclone

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A dark brown/black with zero clarity. Lots of tan head and sticky lace left all over the glass all the way down

S - Mild barnyard funk, dried fruit and berries

T - Wow, all sorts of things going on in the taste. Nutmeg, berries, cocoa, smokiness, belgian funk, with

M - Well carbonated and somehow, with all thats going on in it, well balanced.

O - Never had one like this before. Lots of flavors and funkiness, but somehow it works. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 02:16:52 | More by BeerDawgs

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +41.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-dark brown, almost black with a nice tan head

S-very tart of dark fruits and some cocoa. Strong scent. Sure tingles the nose!!

T-comes in with an awesome taste of smokey cocoa and some dark fruits. I mostly get the cocoa. It has an old log cabin musk to it. It's actually a wonderfully weird and awesome beer.

M-creamy medium carbonation with a nice smooth finish.

O-a Saison? I don't know. I don't know what the heck this is. It's like a cross between a Saison, and Amerixan stout, a dark Belgian ale, and a raunchbier. It's such a well balanced and awesome mix! This is so odd. I want more! I love this.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:57:07 | More by AdamBear

Brad007

Vermont

4.23/5  rDev +29%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a huge brown head into my glass. Brown on brown, what else? I personally love collaboration brews.

The aroma consists of a great mash-up of American and European hops (citrus, pine and grass come to mind) with spicy belgian yeast. Label description is spot-on.

Chewy, grassy citrus hop essence mated to spicy yeast. That's all I can really say. I'm used to saisons/farmhouse ales being "bright and airy". This is neither but it's still darn tasty!

Lingering hop/spice at the back of the tongue. Very mellow. The low ABV helps too and the roasted malt adds a new dimension.

A black saison? New style? One-off? Either way, check it out! If you like St.Feuillien and Green Flash, well, there you go!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 15:16:56 | More by Brad007

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of deep nut brown. It holds a one and a half finger head of microscopically clumped light brown bubbles. This leaves patterns and sheets of lacing down the sides of the glass, as it retains nicely. Carbonation appears active, and no haze is noted. Chunks of sediment are suspended throughout. The aroma is very interesting. The malts are deeply roasted, with musk, light coffees, and faint caramel sweetness. A citric, fruity quality sits far against the back, along with a handful of fresh herbs, including mint and dill, as well as a fine licorice bite. Booze comes with plastic phenols to round out the bitterness. There is a fresh floral hop, intertwining with that citric, grapefruit sweetness. The yeast with warmth seems Bretty, with that saison funk. Our first impression is that the flavoring is quite the mix of interesting notes. The sip opens with barnyard grass and funky Brettiness, mixing with deeply blackened and sweetened malts. A light citric hop appears on the top here, bringing us to the freshest and cleanest flavoring at the peak. The char of malts briefly falls away, allowing for some sweetness and cleanliness of paler malts and light, toasted caramel sweetness to shine through. The finish shows a revival of the smoke, along with the first suggestion of mud, mineral, medicinal phenols, raw crystalized ginger, and those floral, herbal notes suggested in the nose. The malts at the end take on a more chalky, drying role. The aftertaste is cooling, minty, and smoky, much like a menthol cigarette. There is bite from the funk and yeast, as well as the depth of malts skipping across the tongue, arm in arm with a bouquet of fresh herbs and flowers. The body is fuller, and the carbonation is solidly medium. The mouth is left bone dry with big astringency and pucker, following an initially creamy coating. Pop, glug, smack, and swallow are all nice, but do little to ease the puckering and pull on the taste buds. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks on the slower side.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was how unique it is. The depth of malts are certainly something new to us, when it comes to the saison. The herbal qualities, in particular with the mint, added to this depth, making for an extraordinarily complex and, at times, muddled, brew. They tended to go a bit overboard with all of the additional inclusions and didn’t quite balance them that well, as it felt like we had to split our attention between numerous interesting elements throughout the tasting.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:10:55 | More by TheBrewo

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Greenflash
Friendship Brew
Style: Dark Saison

LOOK: Dark brown in color with a mocha cream head and active carbonation rising to the surface. Leaves plenty of lace, looking like a well hopped brew.

SMELL: Herbs, roasted malts, hops, musty basement and band aid.

TASTE: Very earthy and spicy with a roasted malt base. Notes of peppercorns, sage, anise, lemongrass and grapefruit rind are strong in the taste. Has a small earthy tartness and a good dose of hops. Fairly bitter, which works well with the other strong flavors.

FEEL: Medium bodied, very smooth and only slightly dry for the style.

OVERALL: An interesting take on the Saison style. Earthy, herbal, and pretty nice all in all.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2012 17:19:31 | More by Stinkypuss

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From: Beertopia, Omaha, NE
Date: Bottled 8/7/2012
Glass: New Belgium globe glass

This is a good, if unexpected, seasonal from Green Flash and St. Feullien that combines a pleasing mixture of cardamom, roasted malt, and Brettanomyces characters into an easily drinkable, dark saison.

Pours a 2cm head of brown foam composed of small to medium-sized bubbles, which has better than average retention as is gradually subsides to a thin film atop the body of the beer, with clumps of foam with larger-sized bubbles scattered randomly throughout. Leaves generous clumps and streaks of lacing along the entire glass as the head declines, which are renewed with each sip. Body is an opaque dark brown to black color, carbonation not visible as such.

Strong aroma of cardamom, some Brettanomyces burnt plastic and dust, and a bit of roasted malt in the background. Interesting, a bit chai-like, slightly unidimensional, but enjoyable.

Tasting opens with cardamom and Brettanomyces character in the form of mild burnt plastic and dust. Mid-palate picks up further on cardamom, mild farmhouse-like Brettanomyces character and roasted malt; back of palate detects these along with a mild bitterness. Aftertaste is where bitterness increases substantially, along with some roasted malt, and slight sweetness.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with medium level carbonation. The result is a fairly smooth mouthfeel with minor fizziness. Finishes very dry, astringent, as one would probably expect from the amount of cardamom in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 05:15:09 | More by falloutsnow

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottled. bottled on: 08/07/12.

A: pours brown, really didnt see this coming. in the mood for a nice blond saison and this is what i get. ah, the review must go on! (well maybe i should read the whole label, cause it does clearly state "black saison" on the bottom) head is plentiful and the retention is good. great lacing as well.

S: minty and juniper. a little bit of licorice. the spice covers up any malt or hop aroma imo.

T: a little barnyness on this brew here. slightly tart. roasted notes as well. dries things out very quickly. a little bit of hay lingers on the finish, but not for long.

M: moderate amount of fizz. medium bodied.

D: interesting brew. very heavily spiced, which takes center stage. the barnyness on the body is solid and well appreciated. maybe its my own fault, but i definitely expected a little more from these two breweries working together.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:38:07 | More by Jimmys

chinchill

South Carolina

2.38/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle dated July 2012 served in a Unibroue snifter.

Pours very dark brown; black in the snifter; capped with a large, dense beige head, with loads of lace left on the glass. The aroma features fairly strong notes of perfume in a floral and spruce mix with traces of spices and yeast. The remarkable aroma is complex and unusual, but is not really inviting ingestion.

The flavor starts sweet, as suggested by the aroma, but soon turns bitter. The flavor has some malty underpinnings of a black ale, but this is overrun by brett/perfume/spruce resin. Hints of bitter cocoa, coffee, ginger and rose petals.

Medium body and carbonation.

O: this intense brew is the most floral and perfumed beer I've ever encountered. I found it quite interesting, but rather hard to rate and challenging to consume. It is not one I'll return to.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 22:59:01 | More by chinchill

rdilauro

Connecticut

2.95/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Ok, every once in a while you come across a beer that does not sit well with you. I am not saying that this beer is bad, but it just wasnt for me.

The pour was ok, semi- dark, but thats it. I couldn't pick up any aromas, hops or anything.
The taste was overwhelming. To me, I was hit with so many different spices and flavors that I couldn't enjoy any of them.

The aftertaste left something bitter for me. Almost to the point, I felt the after taste was skunked.

We cant like every beer we taste!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 03:51:32 | More by rdilauro

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Into a Belgian Independence day glass.

Friendship Brew pours out a dark color, coca cola black that is not pitch black with a nice amount of dark tan bubbles forming a nice cap and lacing on the way down. Spotty and thick, nice head, good retention. Smell is very spice laden, way more spicy scents than a base saison. I get some herbal remedies with lavender and some underlining pine. No alcohol and some faint dark fruits. I cant really tell what way this beer is going. The taste mimics the scent with a lot of floral notes and the lavender flower I am getting in the nose is boosted in the taste. Some dark malts with underlining fruit taste and some roast. This beer is a different animal. The body is a step up from light with a soothing feel and some ummpphh from the carb. All in all a good effort, but not something I will revisit. Reminds me of something Stillwater would brew up. Either way a good effort from the Green Flash outfit

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 09:16:03 | More by onix1agr

Brenden

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Having reviewed this on tap, I realized I have a bottle in the fridge. There's not much difference, but it's noted where there is.

The look is pretty much the same out of the bottle as I saw from the tap. It is, again, as black as a "black saison" could be, and crowned by a thick, fat tan head 1 1/2 to 2 fingers high and sturdy. It drops strong, creamy lacing on the glass as the beer recedes.
Nothing changes in the smell or taste; stillthe strongest smell I get is mint basil. It seems to be a mix of the minty character of the hops and the strong herbal notes. It's also floral and piney. I don't quite get the balance from malts that I get in the flavor which, again, strongly reminds me most of mint basil but lets things play together as more floral (almost perfume-like), toast, pine, and a touch of roasty sweet notes come into play. There's no question the not-quite-funky but herbal and earthy characters of a saison are here, with a bit more in play.
The feel is where this beer deviates just a little. It's still got a medium body,but as the dryness pulls out more, it still has crispness but loses a bit of the smoothness. Carbonation still brings out a little of that creaminess, but it fades off. As it dries out, I get slightly more of a chalkiness in the dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 11:00:31 | More by Brenden

mactrail

California

3.7/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark spiced ale that I would call a Belgian Dark rather than a Saison, but I suppose it's all in the yeast. Really interesting spicy flavor with a lot of the meaty, savory umami taste. Seems like there are three kinds of bitterness-- hops, herbs, and Belgian yeast. Barnyard funk in the nose, hay and hoppy resins on the tongue. The herbs are hard to place. Perhaps anise, hibuscus, licorice root, cigar wrappers, sage, and coriander.

Dark brown and near opaque in the pint glass . Modest foam and appropriate carbonation. Ends with a bite of bitter bark. On tap at Local Habit in San Diego. 5.7% seems to be the accepted abv. I had a couple of different St. Feuillien brews in Belgium last week, and it was one of my favorite breweries. Green Flash ought to just borrow a couple of their recipes for the classics and brew them here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 04:29:37 | More by mactrail

Jathorp

Louisiana

3.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle was given as a gift. (How appropriate.)

Pours dark black. Small head with moderate lacing.

Smells faintly of malt. Didn't get much of a smell, but my nose isn't the best.

Hop flavor up front followed by rich malt. There's an earthy spiciness that I can't quite describe -- maybe a touch of cinnamon, but that's not quite right. The spices are subtle.

Not so thick that I have to chew, but full bodied.

Good beer. Very interesting. I'm enjoying it more and more as I drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 22:41:54 | More by Jathorp

tdm168

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - blackish brown with a huge brown, foamy, dense head that has great retention

S - anise, roasted malts, sage

T - anise, citrus, sage, bitter finish, some other spices that I can't put my finger on

M - medium to full bodied, well carbonated

This doesn't resemble a traditional saison, but it's unique and tasty. I'm a huge fan of the herbal notes. I wouldn't have expected these flavors to have all worked together so well. This isn't my favorite "saison", but I give it bonus points for uniqueness. It's definitely worth a try especially if you're a fan of herbs in beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 15:50:36 | More by tdm168

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick texture. There was an inch and a half of foamy, off white, long-lasting head. Great lacing.

S: A nice aroma of hops, yeast, and some spices.

T: A very interesting flavor for this beer: Lots of hops - way more than I expected considering the style - but also a good amount of yeast, light spices, and a floral quality. Didn't have the funk you expect in a saison. Certainly not your typical saison flavor, but still very tasty.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a super dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An unusual beer, but well worth checking out. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 13:05:49 | More by avalon07

chickenflea

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A new style for me, so I am not sure how it "should" taste. However, I liked it. A very complex brews. Pours a clear, deep brown looking black in the glass. Thick and enormous coffee head settled to a quarter-inch rocky cover. Heavy lacing. Nose is sharply herbal with sage, mint tea, rose, chamomile. Taste is initially lightly sweet, then delicately sour with umami notes. The finish is bitter and floral. Avg carbonation. Texture is slick. Finish is bitter and long. Overall, it was a fascinating beer. Complex and interesting. Dark and wild with an interesting spiciness and rough finish. Not at all forgettable, bur for the right reasons.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:28:32 | More by chickenflea

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving type - Bottle

Appearance - Dark tan/black with a monster , foamy 3 inch head, tons of lacing.

Smell - Loads of floral fruits, cherry, grape, plum, rasin. Spices, belgium yeast, Chocolate, fig, smokey malts.

Taste - Lots of spices, floral/grassy notes. Bitter fruits, some malts and yeasts. Lot of cherry and grape flavor. Plum and rasin add the bold, dark fruty flavors. No real alcohol to speak of. A little chocolate, cocoa and coffee comes at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Its medium thickness along with all the spices coats mouth. Tounge gets the spices, hops and yeasts. Palate gets more spices, hops, along with the roasty malts. The aftertaste is bitter, farmhouse sweet and funky.

Overall - This is decent, has a nice mix of malt and saison flavors. Easy enough to drink and enjoy. I guess i was expecting more, the fruity flavors are a little weak though. Its worth a drink, just not something that floored me.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 21:55:41 | More by wvsabbath

prototypic

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Friendship Brew pours a very dark mahogany brown color. It’s nearly opaque. A few burgundy highlights are noted at the outermost edges. A nice tan head covers it. It stands a couple of fingers tall and sticks around for quite a while. It never fully dissipates. Lacing was sticky and moderate as it trailed down the glass. For a Saison – very interesting.

The nose is pretty good. It features a few dark malt notes out of the gate. Cocoa and dark chocolate are most notable. Coffee is noted. That’s surprising and seems a bit out of place. It smells very earthy and grainy. There’s even a strong piney scent. It has a very strong mix of floral notes and spices. I can’t even begin to identify them. Suffice it to say there are many. Alcohol is blended pretty and isn’t all that noticeable.

The flavor’s alright. It’s far from great. Chocolate malts are definitely noted. Cocoa and bittersweet dark chocolate flavors are the base. Roasted coffee is also noted. So far, it’s definitely not your typical Saison. Earthy and grainy notes are prevalent throughout. It does have a rather strong piney flavor to it. I’m not crazy about it. There are some strong spicy notes throughout. Ginger is probably the strongest. Alcohol isn’t noticeable. Given its strength, that’s not too surprising. Finishes malty, spicy, and piney. Eh. For a Saison, it’s pretty average.

Friendship Brew has a medium body. Carbonation seems pretty light and soft. It’s smooth and goes down relatively easy. If the flavor were a little better, this would be much more drinkable.

This collaboration between Green Flash Brewing Co. and St. Feuillien is alright, but doesn’t quite live up to the expectations I had for it. Its biggest problem is the flavor seems convoluted, too spicy, and far too piney. It’s probably worth a try, but I’d suggest sticking with a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 04:13:23 | More by prototypic

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an ebony color with a pillowy tan head that leaves chunks of lacing.

Smells of big floral notes with a bit of roasted notes.

Tastes of the floral notes upfront with an earthy undertone. Floral notes leads off with also some spruce or pine notes. Gives a very perfume like feel. Roasted notes come with cocoa and coffee as well as a bit of roasted bitterness. A bit of herbal notes also come through and combine with the floral notes to have a bit of a tea like feel. Not much spice, but a bit of pepper comes through on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly crisp amount of carbonation.

Overall, this was not quite what I was expecting, but it is still pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 02:15:35 | More by ocelot2500

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

this is a miss to me. it pours really dark brown color, a little sludgy, with a tall and lasting tan head. the nose is odd, cocoa powder and cinnamon, which i dont think really go together well at all, and then a whole lot of dark roasty malts, almost smokey. all this under a real funky saison yeast. it doesnt work. the flavor is about the same, with the cinnamon taking on the main role. i love the yeast, its really different and potent, and i would love to taste it in a normal saison. all the additives in this make it taste pretty lousy really. not a drain pour, because it is still interesting, but not something i will ever buy again. too many things competing for my palates attention at the same time. mouthfeel is fine though, full bodied and well carbonated, but its not enough to save this beer. possibly me least favorite green flash beer to date, but i do appreciate the creativity, it just didnt work out this time.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 19:35:57 | More by StonedTrippin

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer is black with a moderately-sized tan head. Head fades fairly quickly. Some lace.

Smell contains spices, along with roasted malt and ginger. Fairly weak smell.

Lots of spice in the taste. Cardamom sticks out for me, also white pepper and ginger. A malty base, somewhat roasted, with some Belgian yeast.

Medium bodied, strongly carbonated. Irritating.

Overall, meh. Pretty average.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2012 20:46:56 | More by jrenihan

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled On: 07/31/12

A: Pours a very dark, near black color with 2+ fingers worth of tan head that lasted for a while

S: Belgian yeast, spices, slight medicinal quality (although as the beer warms, it becomes more of a funkiness), fruit, and some roast

T: Follows the nose. Roast and fruits come through first, followed by light spice and yeast. The medicinal qualities are still there, but toned down a bit from the nose. As it warms, more of the barnyard and funky characteristics come out. Hops provide a light bittering finish

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly drying

O: I always have some difficulties with rating these dark/black saisons just because they deviate slightly from what you would expect from the lighter versions of the style. Oh well... Onto this beer though. The more you let this warm up, the more the medicinal qualities turn into more of a funkiness and barnyard character that you would expect from the style. It is worth letting this beer warm a bit just because of this fact. This is a solid collaboration otherwise

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:51:18 | More by BEERMILER12

Bung

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz. Damn opaque black pour, a frothy light tan head on top. Just a minute lacing.

Aroma, an earthy sage like spice is pretty heavy. Some citrus and yeasty notes.

Taste, kind of an odd mix of funk and Italian blend spice. Some citrusy notes. A nice herbal bitter finish. Some toast and dainter cocoa as well. There just isn't a whole lot of malt presence here.

Light bodied. Enough carbonation, could use maybe a tick more. Drink easy enough. Feels like if the malt bill was upped just a bit this could have just a little more. But really a pretty good example of the style, just not as interesting as some of the other black saisons.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:16:42 | More by Bung