This is my second tasting of the Green Flash Rayon Vert. I first had this beer at The Alemonger’s house as part of a mid week tasting a couple of weeks ago. He picked up this beer during his most recent road trip to State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD. Although I have never been to this particular liquor store, I have browsed their website, and I must say, their online beer listing is absolutely astounding (they have over 1,000 US beers listed)!
During this particular drinking session, we also sampled a Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale (it tasted like Orange Glo in a can. Billy Mays would be proud!), a Kona Coconut Porter, and a DuClaw Black Lightning. Since I was intrigued by the taste of the Rayon Vert, The Alemonger was kind enough to give me a full bottle to take home for a proper examination and review.
Here is what Green Flash has to say about their Rayon Vert Belgian-Style Pale Ale:
If Green Flash were founded in historical Belgium, Rayon Vert would have been our flagship brew. A bold layering of hops finds balance from traditional malts. Bottle conditioning with fresh ale yeast and Brettanomyces finishes the beer, adding a delightful effervescence, dryness and continuously evolving character. Rayon Vert is Green Flash.
And now for the review…
- Appearance: Pale orange color. Somewhat cloudy. Thick, frothy head that tops off at about 1.5 inches, then settles down to a quarter inch of fluffy, white foam that clings to the sides of the glass.
- Aroma: Tangerines. Honey. Mild, piney hops. A hint of herbs in the background, i.e. rosemary and peppermint.
- Taste: Very well carbonated with lots of fizzy bubbles. Has some tart citrus flavors at the onset. At mid-palate, the hop bitterness takes over and carries you through to the end, but it’s never overwhelming. A hint of that honey sweetness is ever present. Slightly astringent aftertaste coupled with a very pleasant bitterness.
- ABV: 7.0%
The Green Flash Rayon Vert is quite an interesting beer. My impression is that this beer is yet another hybrid of beer styles. It has the hop bitterness of an IPA or a really good Pilsner, coupled with the dry, tart astringency of a Belgian Saison. And to make things even more complicated, it has a faint honey/citrus sweetness to keep everything in balance. I really enjoyed this beer and look forward to having it again.
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