Green Flash West Coast I.P.A. - Green Flash Brewing Co.

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.54/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've had Green Flash West Coast IPA a million times–it's crazy that I have yet to review it. It's finally time. I had a pint of this last weekend at The Pub at the University of Chicago (yes, we have a beer bar on campus...). Served in a regular old pint glass.

Appearance (4.25/5): Deep copper, almost amber hue, translucent, hazy, one-finger white bubbly head, lots of sticky, resinous white residue clings to the sides of the glass.

Smell (4.5/5): Oh, glorious hops! Green Flash has one of the finest noses on an IPA. It features wonderfully dank grapefruit and pine notes, with some herbal and floral overtones. A hint of sweet malt in the background. Very green and lush. This is one pungent ale. Hats off to Green Flash for crafting such a good nose.

Taste (4.5/5): From the get-go, I get straight grapefruit pith–very bitter and dry. The complexity here is something to behold, though. Resinous piney notes surface, along with some herbal and floral notes hinted at in the aroma. I'm getting a bit of orange peel in there, too. Green Flash didn't skimp on the malt–it's of good quality and really plays the supporting role well, not getting in the way of the luxurious hoppiness of the beer.

Mouthfeel (5/5): Prickly, moderately puckering, very dry, and an exceptionally long and bitter finish. Medium carbonation and body round out the pristine mouthfeel. Perhaps the perfect example of what a West Coast style IPA's mouthfeel should be.

Overall (4.5/5): Green Flash West Coast IPA is a classic of the style and a must for any hop head.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 17:37:25 | More by hagbergl

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Citrus and pine with some subtle grassy herb notes.

Taste/Mouthfeel: More of that nice Citrus, grapefruit and orange rind, as well as pine. The bitterness is firm but smooth and the malt makes a prevalent appearance in the flavor, adding some bisciut and bread notes, as well as a touch of sweetness. Drying, long-lasting finish.

Overall, certainly a great example of what a West-Coast IPA is, although much more balanced than many newer examples. A treat, will definitely have to get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2013 07:19:06 | More by Siriusfisherman

Mewster

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bitter but not a lot of complexity. Would be great with steak. Smells smoky. Appearance is dark amber but a little cloudy. Is a beer I could enjoy watching football or on date night with my wife. Enjoyed this beer at a bar but have never seen it at the grocery store. Great entry level beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2012 23:13:13 | More by Mewster

RaulMondesi

California

3.1/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap, at the joint: The playground in Downtown Santa Ana, CA

If the Bro's gave this thang a 100, then Twilight needs an Oscar. No way. No how. Uh uh. It aint like it crazy bad, but like the opposite says: it aint crazy good. Just like IPA n like. Nothing special. No extra boom boom when I swallow the goodies.

Drank it, but don't trip.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 07:10:20 | More by RaulMondesi

HoppyPeteSkolnik31

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at PJ's Bethlehem

A: Rich orange color, almost amber. Inch thick head when delivered. Delicious lacing throughout the sips.

S: Deep, dank hoppy goodness. Citrus, mild pine, slight metallic twinge.

M: Full in the mouth, you can definitely feel that you are drinking plenty of hops from the syrupy consistency.

T: A beautiful mirror of the smell. Citrus, pine, juicy hops, with slight malt flavor in an attempt to keep some balance.

O: So glad to taste this beer. Near perfect example of the style; employing that delicious hop resin hopheads like me can't resist. Definitely find this beer if you are a fan of West Coast IPAs, this one is no joke.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 04:14:25 | More by HoppyPeteSkolnik31

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was served on draft at The Ginger Man in Greenwich, CT. It arrived in a generic pint glass glowing a deep golden honey coloring. It held a two finger head of tight, yet creamy, tan bubbles. This showed great retention, leaving a single, thick sheet of lacing all around the glass. There was moderate haze, no sediment, and active carbonation. The aroma was wrought with steely grain, pale toasty malts, additional metallic bite of yeast, light caramel malt sweetness, bright citric hops, and orange and lemon flesh sweetness. Our first impression was that the flavoring was robust, and very characteristic of something out of the west coast. As we sipped, the flavoring opened with honey sweetness, raw citric hop cones, buttery toasted bread, with pale and light metallics. The middle moved to peak with full on bitterness of pine resin and lemon rind. This was met with a cooling metallic twang, and surprisingly sweet plastic phenols. The finished showed more of that piney resin, with herbal bitterness, black pepper spice of booze, cutting smoothness of pale malts, and a muddy, metallic mix of coin and mineral. The aftertaste breathed of sweet orange and grapefruit, those same pale malts, mud, black pepper, and grassy dryness. The body was medium to thicker, while the carbonation was medium. There was thick slurp, glug, cream, froth, and smack, with an oily slickness running the length of the tongue. After an initial heavy, creamy coat, a fine astringency dried the mouth effectively. The abv was appropriate, and the drinking was easy.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the flavoring. Despite the characteristic bitterness of the hops, they maintained a great freshness and cleanliness, with robustness to the end. At no point were any of the bittering elements overwhelming, which is easy with such a strongly flavored beverage. We found the nose to be a bit subdued, but this did improve in depth with some warmth. This beer is excellent for the style, and surprisingly balanced for its geographical origin. This, my friends, is the definition of “West Coast IPA”, and the standard to be compared against.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 22:04:15 | More by TheBrewo

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This IPA is kick ass. Superior lacing, pleasant hop aroma and a wonderfully balanced flavor profile. It's a smooth drinker - the sweetness is there but it isn't cloying or sticky; the hops are there but they aren't overly pungent. I really can't complain about this one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 23:50:48 | More by TheRealBigC

adamette

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed by me on tap two days ago at Winking Lizard in Peninsula, Ohio at a cost of about $4 (sorry I do not recall the actual price, it was reasonable). It was poured into a clean, clear pint glass.

A Translucent deep copper body under a brief light brown creamy head. Good look. 4.0

S Distant bitterness and minimal malt. I am surprised that there is not more of a hops bitterness presence to the nose as I had expected. 4.0

T Bitterness returns to center stage in a big way here as there is a very strong grapefruit bitterness and little malt sweetness to balance it out. The hops are earthy, harsh and, of course, bitter. This beer is too unbalanced for me. I have to conceded that it delvers on its promise of bitterness, however. 2.5

M The high bitterness makes for a "big" feeling beer. That is certainly appropriate to the style. 3.5

D/O Not that good drinkability. Overall this is a slightly above average IPA. I do not know why the ratings here on BA are so high. I wonder if most of the high reviews are from reviewers from the West Coast? 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 14:05:56 | More by adamette

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in a pint glass at Ye Olde Trail Tavern, Yellow Springs on 6/24/12

Deep honey color with touches of browned amber. Half inch head drops slowly. Thin retention with periodic rings of lace and speckled dots and drips in between.

Piney aroma with working of grapefruit, lemon zest and orange peel. Malty bread and a touch of sugar cookie and caramel.

The taste offers a juicier hop flavor - orange, lemon and grapefruit. Trailing pine bitterness. The malt isn't quite as strong as the nose; it's mostly cracker and dry, toasted grain.Slightly herbal finish.

Medium feel with resinous prickliness. Carbonation is appropriately nippy. Quite dry.

Overall, easily drinkable. This is much better than the bottle I had last year.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 05:00:18 | More by Ryan011235

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very little leaving, beer is a slightly opaque amber.

Taste up front is lots of piney hops up front which transitions to a more malty middle before a Strong finish of hoppy bitterness.

A delicious beer, not a trace of the butteryness found in some other ipa's. An excellent example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 01:31:16 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

Deingeist

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

NOTE: I BELIEVE I HAD A BAD POUR BASED ON OTHER REVIEWS. Read the following to hear why.

I don't understand how this beer got anything more than average if it is supposed to taste like the beer I was given last night. I feel like I've had this beer before, and really enjoyed it, which is why I ordered it last night, but something must have happened to the keg or my glass at the restaurant I was at.

A: It came in a short fluted snifter, sorta like a belgian ale glass and the appearance was a cloudy amber, a nice rich color for an IPA. Average off-white head.

S: This is where the biggest issue was: It smelled like caramelized onions. Other scents barely noticeable. It was like someone had rimmed the glass with sweet cooked onions. Sort of buttery too, which is weird. Not much of that fresh hoppy aroma that I was expecting.

T: Nice and hoppy, crisp citrus, but with a good balance of the sweet malts to balance the beer out, but, as a large part of flavor is smell, i couldn't help but feel like I was also eating buttered onion crackers. It was pretty awful. The smell really ruined the beer.

M: A nice combination of a heavy mouth feel, but with the crispness of an IPA. Went down smooth.

O: The smell really ruined this one. I hope it was just a bad glass and not the beer because I remember liking this one. Maybe I'll complain to the restaurant that either someone with onions on their hands handled my beer, or the dishwasher isn't working as well as it should (it's a new restaurant so who knows). Very very strange...

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 14:30:31 | More by Deingeist

lovindahops

New York

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Giving green flash west coast ipa a go tonight

A- hazy amber with fluffy head of foam that slowly recides leaving traces of lacing on the edges of the glass. A thin layer of foam lingers leaving a hazy impression at the top of the glass

S- good tropical aromas are channeled to the front of the glass. Pineapple and mango are the most lingering fruit themes while a bitter scent shows up partly through. It's pungent, but not to the extreme

T- very piney and bitter flavors spike the tongue as it combines with the tropical flavors. Very driven towards the obvious west coast theme of hop forward tropical citric themes. Topping it off with bitterness makes for a delicious brew

M- prickly hop flavors tacking the tongue and palate

O- A good west coast ipa that is certainly worth grabbing from time to time

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 21:34:57 | More by lovindahops

dmatsui

3.8/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass on tap. Hazy orange, light head and little retention.

Copper citrus grapefruit hops in the nose, biscuity malts, dank and some hope spice. Very nice, aromatic IPA.

Good bittering and aromatic hop selection. Nice dry bitterness and a good hop/malt ratio. Touch of minerality. Not very citrusy although there is a nice dank hop presence. Booze is pretty persistent throughout.

Oily dry mouthfeel, good carbonation.

Zestier than a lot of other Socal Ipas. Very well balanced, but the aromatics are not represented as well in the flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 01:04:09 | More by dmatsui

Tone

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy, copper color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of floral hops, hops, hint of pine, slight sweet malt, and hint of wheat. Fits the style of an American IPA. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, slight sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, hops, and a hint of pine. Overall, decent IPA, nothing outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 13:07:22 | More by Tone

elNopalero

Texas

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I don’t know how this one escaped my review attention as it’s on regular rotation for me but this is my first time trying it for the boards. Had it after going to the gym and it was the perfect post-workout drink. Although it might have negated the actual workout.

This beauty pours a amber-gold color with tight foam. There’s a fantastically fresh and bountiful bouquet of fresh grapefruit with some piney resin rounding it out. Incredibly vivid flavor with all sorts of citrusy and piney tastes dancing across my tastebuds. Great bitter finish makes me want another sip. Fresh, crisp, hoppy—it’s everything I wanted and so much more. Splendid.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 18:23:06 | More by elNopalero

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served on tap into a nonic glass at the Winking Lizard

A- Poured a dark semi-hazy amber color with a soapy head that left minimal lace

S- Aromatic beer with big dank, candy sweetness, grapefruit, and pine notes

T- Lots of big candied grapefruit, pine, and some dank notes. Big astringency and bitterness. The aftertaste of this beer is outstanding and really sticks.

M- Medium body, finishes dry, prickly carbonation

O- An amazing west coast IPA with huge astringent notes and lots of hop flavors. Highly drinkable with lots of bitterness and hop sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 02:36:51 | More by Hoptometrist

TriggerFingers

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the stuff hop dreams are made of! Had at the Stone Anniversary Release.

A- Dark Golden/Light Amber -- right on the money!
S- A slightly danky IPA, but not overly so. That said, many IPA's are going the total citrus route, so some dank is kinda nice! Pine and citrus are also present-- Nicely done!
T- Slight nutty taste but the danky-ness continues. The bitterness walks the line (between harsh and smooth) and lingers into the finish like a laser- I would say this is pretty balanced, if not a little flamboyant for the style!
M- Nice, firm malt backbone and hop presence
O- If choosing an IPA you would be hard pressed to find any better. Its West Coast, which if you are on this site, means hops across the board. Its a nice beer. Personally, I like something a tad more "toned down" like Port's Wipeout IPA. With that said, I can totally appreciate this effort.

Grade: Solid A

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 23:21:50 | More by TriggerFingers

stampfler07

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Slightly cloudy and colored deep red, creamy white head that has sticky lacing, served in a small snifter, beautiful

S- Moderate floral hop, slight pine, a little bit of sweetness, complex

T- Woody bitterness that builds throughout, amber malt sweetness that balances, floral and zesty citrus hop flavor in the middle, slightly dry finish with lingering bitterness and light hop flavor

M- Light carbonation, moderate body, nice warming and slightly dry

O- An awesome IPA, even before I tasted it I was quite taken by both the appearance and the aroma. Taste did not disappoint, very assertively flavored, but with good complexity and a degree of balance. Definitely one to seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 01:03:17 | More by stampfler07

ChiPool

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Jerry's in Wicker Park.

I've been looking forward to trying this fresh, and definitely had it fresh yesterday. Looks the part of an American IPA: medium rust colored. Smells weedy, and a bit of citrus blend as well. This guy is a true hop monster. I don' recall having another beer that is quite so hop forward. Very little malt to balance, which is just fine with me. There is a lingering bitterness, leaving that grapefruit rind taste behind. If you are not afraid of a true "palate scorcher", seek this out...pronto!

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 20:01:39 | More by ChiPool

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Have been wanting to try this beer forever, finally got a chance to try this one at a new, local bar in Baltimore as part of their 2 for $6 happy hour.. can't beat that.

Overall, one of the best IPA's I've had, if not one of the best beers I've ever tried. A hop heavy IPA for sure, but also one of the most well balanced with a great malt backbone, making for a great mouthfeel, body, and texture. Extremely tasty and drinkable, this is a fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2012 19:11:18 | More by marlinsfan4

DirtyHippie

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper colored, off white head, nose showed a bit of malt through the pine. Good lace down the glass. Bitterness hangs on but it is bettter balanced and maybe a bit maltier than many west coast IPAs. Drinks much easier than the ABV would indicate. Very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2012 19:46:02 | More by DirtyHippie

haddon

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

had this gem on-tap at the Beer Trappe in Lexington, KY.

Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color is a copper-orange color with a nice white head. lots of lacing all the way down the glass.

The nose is hoppy with strong citrus notes. dominated by orange and grapefruit.

The taste is all hops with some citrus rind and with heavy pine component. bitter aftertaste lingers for a while.

Nice medium feel with a good amount of carbonation.

A real standard for IPA. everything this style embodies with citrus fruit and bitter bite. cold drink all day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 14:59:06 | More by haddon

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into pint glass at Lazy Boy, White Plains, NY.
Pours a creamy foamy head on a crisp golden straw/orangey color. Nice pine and sweet hop aroma. Taste is of chewey cottton candy-like, grapefruity/citrus intense pine hop. Really well balanced and full of flavors without blowing your palate. Nice IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 12:25:26 | More by DrinkSlurm

thydarkprevails

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft beer in a pint glass. Pours a orange yellow with a 2 inch white head. Aroma is all tropical and citrus. Pine and caramel as well. Taste is very piney. Grapefruit and caramel are really present. Thin to medium Mouthfeel. Very well balanced and super quenching.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 11:34:31 | More by thydarkprevails

PorterLambic

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Arrives a rich, golden amber with a solid 1" head atop it. Retention is good and so is the lacing.
Smell is, of course, hoppy with a strong accompanying malt note with citrus and pine notes. Good balance.
Taste is hops, malt, citrus and pine again. Not a bitter hoppiness but it is the front note with a goodly malt backing it.
Watery start with a drying middle and finish. Light to medium body. Effervescence is restrained but not absent. A very good brew and fortunately for me, not a hop monster as so many West Coast IPAs tend to be.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 00:26:10 | More by PorterLambic