Rayon Vert is back! Wait, is Rayon Vert back?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by LambicPentameter, Jan 8, 2015.

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  1. LambicPentameter

    LambicPentameter Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Nebraska

    So for those of us who really enjoy Green Flash's homage to Orval, the impossible-to-pour Rayon Vert, you'll know exactly what I mean with the title. Awhile back--maybe a year or so--Green Flash pulled Rayon Vert from their line. There was speculation as to the reason: needing to tweak the recipe to address the gushing, concern about infection in the rest of their line of beers due to the Brettanomyces, etc. etc.

    At any rate, the reason wasn't as important as the disappointment of them discontinuing what was their best (imho) beer. The same speculation about the reason for the departure suggested that the beer might be coming back in the future, but in a larger, single-bottle format instead of the 4-pack of 12 oz bottles that had been the norm. For what it's worth, I haven't seen a 12 oz bottle of Rayon Vert for over a year now.

    Fast forward to today--I'm perusing the shelves at a local liquor store and look down to see 22 oz bottles of Rayon Vert on the shelves. Bottles that hadn't been there the day before. My first thought was that it's back, but there are some curiosities that have me wondering--
    1. While this was the first time I'd ever seen Rayon Vert in a 22 oz bottle, it was odd that the branding was the old solid color labeling and not the fancy new black + color labeling that you see on the beers that they've released this year.
    2. I can't seem to find any official communication from GF on Rayon Vert coming back, and it's certainly not listed on their 2015 release calendar.
    My inclination is that this bottle (these bottles) are older bottles that GF found in their warehouse (or that the distributor found in their warehouse), but since I don't remember it ever coming in this particular format, I wasn't sure. I also was--in classic GF fashion--unable to find any kind of bottle dating to help verify one way or another.

    Any light that anyone wants to shed on the subject would be most appreciated. I need to figure out if I should go back and buy up the remaining old bottles to last me until whenever GF starts to brew this beloved beautiful brett beer once again, or if I can let others enjoy knowing that more bottles will come before long.

    :wink:
     
    #1 LambicPentameter, Jan 8, 2015
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  2. cookiequiz

    cookiequiz Savant (1,119) Apr 15, 2013 California

    I don't think it matters whether they're new or old if your question is simply 'should I buy them?' ---The answer is yes!
     
    #2 cookiequiz, Jan 8, 2015
    ThisWangsChung, Geuzedad, sharpski and 2 others like this.
  3. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Based on your observation of the labeling, it's safe to say these are old stock. But what would you do if you stumbled on some aged Orval? Sounds like this is beer karma rewarding you or something, but if you love a discontinued beer and find some, you pounce.
     
    #3 sharpski, Jan 9, 2015
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  4. BoardwalkBock

    BoardwalkBock Pooh-Bah (2,041) Aug 18, 2012 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    I definitely remember seeing Rayon Vert in 22 oz bottles a few years back.

    Or I was drunk.
     
    #4 BoardwalkBock, Jan 9, 2015
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  5. Andrew041180

    Andrew041180 Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2013 Massachusetts

    Agreed, buy now. I bought four large format bottles (all I could find last summer) of a beer that I was told by a brewery rep would be discontinued. It turns out that brewery employee was misinformed, and the beer was just being switched to winter seasonal. I just bought another bottle a couple weeks ago and now I have four again (gifted one). Lest you think this is a small number, it reflects more large format bottles than I have purchased from all other breweries combined over the past two years (excluding 500 ml German lagers). I'm glad I did it. If I hadn't bought them when I did, I would have bought them a couple weeks ago.
     
    #5 Andrew041180, Jan 9, 2015
  6. Andrew041180

    Andrew041180 Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2013 Massachusetts

    So 50/50?
     
    #6 Andrew041180, Jan 9, 2015
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  7. Giantspace

    Giantspace Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Dec 22, 2011 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Buy them. Now.

    Enjoy
     
    #7 Giantspace, Jan 9, 2015
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  8. afrokaze

    afrokaze Pooh-Bah (1,962) Jun 12, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You got my hopes up... I wish they could bring it back as a seasonal at least one day.
     
    #8 afrokaze, Jan 9, 2015
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  9. BoardwalkBock

    BoardwalkBock Pooh-Bah (2,041) Aug 18, 2012 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Definitely.
     
    #9 BoardwalkBock, Jan 9, 2015
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  10. KevSal

    KevSal Pooh-Bah (2,940) Oct 17, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I vaguely remember it too, id say go back and stock up
     
    #10 KevSal, Jan 9, 2015
  11. ONovoMexicano

    ONovoMexicano Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2012 New Mexico

    I struggle with Green Flash all of the time because of uncertainty about the ages of their bottles. And to whether to buy old bottles, I can't endorse the "Yes." I picked up a 12 ouncer of Rayon from a Total Wine which, in classic Total wine fashion was not refrigerated, and it was terrible and a drainpour. I chalked it up to TW's way of selling their beers.

    With the above in mind, I'd say, if they're refrigerated, consider buying them either way. If not refrigerated, I think it would be wise to pass. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, so if anyone's opinion differs, I'd love to know why.
     
    #11 ONovoMexicano, Jan 9, 2015
  12. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,775) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You're right on the money.
     
    #12 Immortale25, Jan 9, 2015
  13. denverbeerguy

    denverbeerguy Initiate (0) May 10, 2013 Colorado

    All I saw in Colorado were 22 oz Rayon Vert bombers. I've never seen a 4 pack of it.
     
    #13 denverbeerguy, Jan 9, 2015
  14. LambicPentameter

    LambicPentameter Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Nebraska

    Just so everyone is aware, I definitely bought some while I was there. Old or new, RV is fantastic. Just like Orval.

    I guess a part of me got my hopes up that it was back. Should've known better.
     
    #14 LambicPentameter, Jan 9, 2015
  15. MostlyNorwegian

    MostlyNorwegian Pooh-Bah (2,236) Feb 5, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    I could never keep them around long enough to explore what age did to them.
    I just made a happy.
     
    #15 MostlyNorwegian, Jan 9, 2015
  16. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    I liked that beer, more for the challenge of pouring it than I did drinking it..

    That said.. I love brett beers, so it's a tasty one.
     
    #16 FATC1TY, Jan 9, 2015
  17. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    A 22 oz. bottle is what I remember buying in Nebraska on a trip in the spring of 2013, so I'll help confirm that it is a valid format.
     
    #17 PapaGoose03, Jan 9, 2015
  18. Geuzedad

    Geuzedad Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2010 Arizona

    Found four packs of it in November tucked away towards the back of a top shelf in a BevMo I frequent. I pointed it out to the stock guy who said he didn't even know they were up there. Bought two of them. Still delicious.
     
    #18 Geuzedad, Jan 9, 2015
  19. LambicPentameter

    LambicPentameter Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Nebraska

    While I agree with you about the Russian roulette that is GF bottle age guessing, Rayon Vert is the one (or one of the few) beers (formerly) in their lineup for which age is not only a non-issue, but often enhances the beer. At least in my opinion.

    I'm not sure that refrigeration is particularly key, since all the cold would do is slow down the pace of the delicious Brett. Mostly, my question was about whether or not I could expect to start seeing RV on the regular again than it was a concern that the beer might have degraded.
     
    #19 LambicPentameter, Jan 9, 2015
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  20. TonyLema1

    TonyLema1 Pooh-Bah (2,890) Nov 19, 2008 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    I remember seeing 4 packs a while ago, not sure of the bombers, we get a lot of Green Flash bombers, so I get them confused
     
    #20 TonyLema1, Jan 9, 2015
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