Chill Session - Chardonnay Barrel Aged
Green Empire Brewing

This pours like a cider. It's very pale--straw colored. Light haze. The large bubble head peaks at a finger of thickness but diminishes completely within a minute. No lacing at all.

Muted aroma of (very) pale barley malt and floral hop. Even fainter grape must nose.

The taste is lightly sour with no lingering sweetness. The body is thin and the carbonation is average. The swallow brings forward something akin to grape tannin providing a bit of bitterness to the finish. Dry and short aftertaste.

 

one of the most ambitious and impressive beers i have had in awhile, unique in every way, and for a brewery i had never heard of before this one, just wow! its a session type pale, brewed with hemp and dry hemped instead of dry hopped, the first i have ever heard of such a thing, really cool idea, and it contributes a super cool herbal dankness to this, a light sticky floral honey thing, and a grassy wetness that really makes this drink fresh and springy, super compatible with whatever hops are used in this too, downright brilliant! they make this straight up too, and id like to try that version, but this special edition was aged in chardonnay barrels, and the barrel treatment really does add a lot. its easily identifiable as chardonnay specifically, with its herbal undertones, bright minerality, tangy skin element, and fuller feeling richness. some really nice acidity from the barrels works in with the yeast element in this beer to make it almost saison-like, despite it targeting a pale or session ipa style, i think it transcends that because of the barrel and the yeast together, much more of a farmhouse vibe to this than their probably is in the original without the ageing. i love the fruitiness of the wine and its acidity with the dankness and herbal qualities of the hemp, a really coo synergy. the texture of this is also awesome, on the dry side, layered and progressive, and with effervescent, almost can conditioned feeling carbonation which also lends more to the saison vibe. this is super fresh, smartly conceived and executed, clever as can be from a process and ingredient standpoint, and a beer that frankly immediately elevates these guys to the upper tier of vermont breweries in my mind. cant say enough about this one!