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Green Flash Saison Deigo

Commercial Beer Reviews
#1

I had this beer this past weekend and thought it was very tasty. I don’t drink a lot of saisons but when I do I like them nice and dry and not overly “spicy” and this hit on all of those aspects. Very effervescent.

One question I have about this: why is it so dang expensive? $14 for a 4 pack at my local beverage store who usually has pretty reasonable prices. I always thought price was driven by materials and processing time. This beer is only 4.2% so not a lot of malt and its a saison so not a lot of hops either. I’ve never brewed a saison before but is there some part of the process that makes this a more expensive beer to produce? I’ll probably not buy it again based on how pricey it is.

#2

I’ve felt this way about most of their beers. Their prices often prohibit me buying it and anyone you ask will tell you I spend a sh*t load on beer… but come on $14 for 4. Maybe if it was a sixer…
The only thing I can think of is saison is often aged awhile so maybe they charge for the space in the fermenter/bright tank?

#3

That’s encouraging. Their Belgium Pale Ale (Rayon Verte) is horrible. Way overcarbed (glass full of foam no matter how slow you pour), and it tastes like plastic (Is that why it’s named ‘Rayon Verte’ - “green plastic?”.

#4

Why is it so danged expensive? Pick one of the following:

It’s really, really good!

or:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_a_ ... ery_minute

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empero … ew_Clothes

#5

Interesting. IMO that’s their best beer by far, although I haven’t hat it in a couple years. It’s a Brett beer, which explains the “plastic” taste you’ve described. Brett beers can easily become over-carbonated in the bottle–particularly it’s been sitting around for a while.

#6

A beverage shop where I return my deposit bottles and get my CO2 always has cases of this in September/October on sale for $20/case or so, either bombers or 12 ouncers (he has it with the summer beer ‘closeouts’!). I guess he doesn’t realize that saison ages well!

Not quite as unique as Dupont, but a damn fine example, especially when I can buy it cheaper than I could brew it. Too bad to hear about their Belgian ale, I like this brewery a lot.

#7

[quote=“Pietro”]A beverage shop where I return my deposit bottles and get my CO2 always has cases of this in September/October on sale for $20/case or so, either bombers or 12 ouncers (he has it with the summer beer ‘closeouts’!). I guess he doesn’t realize that saison ages well!

Not quite as unique as Dupont, but a damn fine example, especially when I can buy it cheaper than I could brew it. Too bad to hear about their Belgian ale, I like this brewery a lot.[/quote]

Don’t get me wrong, I like the beer a lot. I just want to know how they can justify the price. Unless there is some hidden cost in the process, how can they price it the same as beers with 3 times the ingredients?

#8

[quote=“mattnaik”]

Don’t get me wrong, I like the beer a lot. I just want to know how they can justify the price. Unless there is some hidden cost in the process, how can they price it the same as beers with 3 times the ingredients?[/quote]

Yeah, I don’t see how either. Must be their sweet bottles. The reason I buy it is because I truly cannot brew a saison for the same price.

Not to start a whole 'nuther topic, but craft beer prices are often pretty insulting these days, but people, especially non-homebrewing beer enthusiasts are willing to pay it. There is a Facebook group in my city 2000 strong that essentially means any time Bourbon County ships, people start hoarding. Not to be a class warrior either, but some of these guys do not have what I’d call ‘high-paying’ jobs, and still blow a ton of cash on this stuff. I personally don’t get it.

#9

Well a case of Black Market Heady Topper goes for [gulp] $240 a case in Boston, which is a 3 hour drive from the brewery. Its nutty, but think about what a nice bottle of beer goes for next to a nice French red wine or something, its a different league all together.

#10

A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place. They deserve the @$$ raping they are getting.

http://firstwefeast.com/drink/craft-beer-mules-exposed/
#11

[quote=“Pietro”]
Not to start a whole 'nuther topic, but craft beer prices are often pretty insulting these days, but people, especially non-homebrewing beer enthusiasts are willing to pay it.[/quote]
I only started brewing in 2011 and at that time I didn’t think I would ever come close to breaking even. Given the price of craft beer, it’s not unrealistic to think it’s possible when you amortize the cost of equipment over many years, buy in bulk, reuse yeast, etc…

Same here. I joined our local FB group and then unsubscribed a few weeks later. I got sick of my FB feed being flooded with beer mail and bottle line-up pics.

I’ve been buying a lot of craft beer over the last six months or so just for convenience and because I’m an Untappd junkie. With the exception of barrel aged beer, I’m hard pressed to find commercially available craft beer that’s better than my homebrew. I don’t mean to imply that I’m anyone special. It’s just that with experience, homebrew can easily be as good as or better than commercial beer.

#12

OK. I know I’m over-simplifying, but:

100 batches * $30 per batch for ingredients = $3000

8 sixers per batch * $10 per sixer * 100 batches = $8000

That leaves $5000 for equipment and other consumables over what would be 4-5 years at my pace of 20-25 batches per year.

:cheers:

Edit: sorry about the thread hijack.

#13

Also not to threadjack, but you can make barrel-aged beer really easily with a few spirals, again, better than most commercial beer. We did an RIS three ways last winter (bourbon oak, grand marnier oak, and naked) and aside from winning and placing in several comps, it is one of the best I’ve had, up there with Blackout and the exalted BCBS. I am with you as well that what I make is better than most commercial beer. And that’s why I’m organizing (hopefully) the first pros v. joes beer comp in my area. Sharpen up your kettles commercial brewers… :cheers:

#14

[quote=“Pietro”]
Also not to threadjack, but you can make barrel-aged beer really easily with a few spirals, again, better than most commercial beer. We did an RIS three ways last winter (bourbon oak, grand marnier oak, and naked) and aside from winning and placing in several comps, it is one of the best I’ve had, up there with Blackout and the exalted BCBS. I am with you as well that what I make is better than most commercial beer. And that’s why I’m organizing (hopefully) the first pros v. joes beer comp in my area. Sharpen up your kettles commercial brewers… :cheers: [/quote]

I believe you about barrel aged beer. I just haven’t tried barrel aging yet, although I’ve been talking to a couple guys from my club about sharing a barrel. Last year I made what I call an English imperial stout (8.2% with significant fruity character from the English yeast) that I aged on med. toast French oak cubes, and it turned out exactly like I wanted. I have a couple more beers aging on oak cubes, but they won’t be ready for a while.

#15

[quote=“kcbeersnob”]
I believe you about barrel aged beer. I just haven’t tried barrel aging yet, although I’ve been talking to a couple guys from my club about sharing a barrel. Last year I made what I call an English imperial stout (8.2% with significant fruity character from the English yeast) that I aged on med. toast French oak cubes, and it turned out exactly like I wanted. I have a couple more beers aging on oak cubes, but they won’t be ready for a while.[/quote]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. It sounds as though you are an experienced brewer that can make good base beer. I went a step further though, to mean you can get the exact same product without an actual barrel (though the headspace and O2 permeation in actual barrel aging may add SOME additional complexity…but I believe this can be replicated with a plastic bucket). But you should be able to get similar if not identical results from spirals, without the logistical nightmare of filling and caring for 55 gallons of liquid.

Also, 6 weeks is the magic number for wood aging (though you will get additional esterification of the alcohol, whether aged on wood or not, with additional time). Was trying to link to the actual talk on the AHA website, but I can’t find it (my membership lapsed). here’s the slide deck:

http://prezi.com/aupzcijd27yh/alternati ... echniques/
#16

Thanks Pietro. I found the audio and listened to it.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/a ... parine.mp3

Really interesting. He says before 4 weeks you get too much tannin. At 4 weeks it starts to taste really good. 6-8 weeks is the sweet spot. You can let it go longer, but of course you run an increased risk of infection.

I really need to go to an AHA conference one of these days.

#17

[quote=“kcbeersnob”] You can let it go longer, but of course you run an increased risk of infection.

[/quote]

Really? I don’t understand why letting it sit longer would increase the chances of infection/wild yeast, especially in the likely high ABV beer that is sitting on the wood.

[quote=“kcbeersnob”]
I really need to go to an AHA conference one of these days.[/quote]

Yes…you do. First pint’s on me. :mrgreen:

Glad you found the talk, I really enjoyed that one.

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