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

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.56/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic pint, huge fluffy sticky bright whiye head that hung sheets of lace down glass.Fairly clear honey hued orange brew, nice.

The sticky icky kind of grapefruit rind and pine that make for an awesome ipa.

As the elixer washes over the tongue it floods the grapefruity goodness abound. Gobs of resiny pine with grapefruit rind please the palate. With hints of delicate malts for good show. The abv on this is SO well hidden, maybe a hint on the back end.

Purt darn near full bodied beer that drinks like a session brew.

So glad to be getting this stuff here now.

Serving type: growler

03-17-2013 02:14:34 | More by welldigger888

GoodBeerTire

Georgia

4.73/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a glass out of a 32 oz. growler.

A - Copper hued with a nice, foamy head.

S - Hops, and then some more hops.

T - Much more balanced that I expected for a high IBU ale. The multiple hop varieties give it a complex flavor. Grapefruit, pine, slight mint. Not boozy at all.

M - Smooth, almost velvety. Carbonation is just right.

D - I was going to drink half of this growler and leave the rest for the next day. Well, I only had about 6 oz. left when first session finished. Very drinkable, as long as you like hops.

I purchased this beer on recommendation from the growler store's server. Being a bit of a hop head, I was looking forward to this one, and it is the first I have had from Green Flash. This beer is a great example of what a West Coast, extra hoppy IPA should taste like. I enjoyed it, and will revisit soon. I have been a Lagunitas fan for many years, and now I have become a Green Flash fan as well. I will now look for other Green Flash varieties.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2012 17:53:13 | More by GoodBeerTire

BigPlay1824

New York

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

enjoyed in a pint glass

A: Pours a nice light amber color that is crystal clear, small amount of carbonation bubbles, pours with a full finger of fluffy gently off white head that lingers nicely, leaves a solid amount of lacing on the glass
S: typical ipa scent with nice citrus notes, nothing that stands out but still nice
T: Nice taste, nice grapefruit notes initially then moves into a bit of depth with some funk to it and leaves a bit of dryness and leaves an aftertaste of funk which is nice
M: medium carbonation tingle in the beginning then moves into a great sweetness, nice
O: a nice brew pretty much what i expect and what i like from ipas, not the best but its still a solid brew

Serving type: growler

10-29-2011 00:51:20 | More by BigPlay1824

cosmicevan

New York

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

growler picked up about a half hour ago.

a - poured a transparent chestnut amber with a thin head that didn't hang around.

s - subtle hops with good malt balance. not as "west coast" as I had expected although the beverage shop said very fresh

t - much more sticky and pine cone than the nose suggests, but still very balanced by the malt back bone

m - little watery and thin but easy drinker.

o - overall a decent ipa. I wouldn't go nuts for this one and with so many ipa choices this one falls a bot short, but enjoyable none-the-less.

Serving type: growler

10-15-2011 19:27:40 | More by cosmicevan

doughanson78

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a pint glass.

A: Orangish/copper color. Nice and clear. One finger white head, composed of larger bubbles. Good retention and

S: Big earthy and citrus hops. Dirty and grassy notes, with grapefruit, tangerine, and pineapple notes. A very light caramel background, which hopefully gives it more hoppiness.

T: A hoppy sweetness upfront, with the earthy notes muting the caramel a bit. Then the light citrus comes through a bit with some floral notes. Decent bitter finish.

M: Medium bodied. Light carbonation. Dry finish.

O: A good IPA. Not the hugest earthy hop fan but this one has a decent bitterness to it.

Serving type: growler

08-27-2011 20:27:47 | More by doughanson78

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured a goldenish deep orange color with almost no head to it.

S: Pine and citrus notes

T: Caramel malt, pine, citrus and Dawn dish detergent. Grassy

M: Heavy for a single West Coast IPA and soapy, bittering on end with pronounced booze

O: Average is generous

Serving type: growler

08-14-2011 21:26:24 | More by barleywinefiend

rootbeerman

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours copper color and clear. Head is about a finger thick, falls slow and laces in good chunks.
S: pine and grapefruit hops, also some floral notes. Good malt background.
T: names says enough, pine, grapefruit hops. Just enough sweetness to balance out the hops. Very long pine finish.
M: carbonation is a little low as this is the third pint from the Growler. Smooth over the palate.
O: one of my favorite IPAs. Really think I've only had it from a tap or Growler.

Serving type: growler

07-05-2011 08:31:20 | More by rootbeerman

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.8/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Green Flash West Coast IPA, growler filled at The Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen, New York.

Appearance: Pours full and carbonated, with a very white one-finger head that dies right away leaving exceptional lacing (for an IPA) and a faint mantle of bubbles on top. Color is a fairly transparent rusty bronze.

Smell: Hops, hops, HOPS!!! Did I say hops? This is like drinking hop juice. Smells like marijuana and pine resin sapped straight from the tree. Seriously, this is the closest you'll get to the hop plantations of the great Pacific Northwest.

Taste: Oily resin first, then bitterness and hops all over. A puckering touch at the end, along with a bit of a malt tone and a boozy, warm finish. A tad of orange zest and sweetness at the end too. Not very balanced, not very varied, but oh, my, so incredibly delicious!

Mouthfeel: Full flavor, full body, medium-to-low carbonation. As I said, unbalanced and yet perfectly rounded.

Drinkability: This goes down like water, but then you feel it. Watch!

I love this beer so very much. It is no doubt my favorite IPA. Lately I've grown a little tired of hoppy pale ales, but West Coast always rules. When fresh, and on tap or growler, this beer is just outrageously amazing.

Serving type: growler

03-04-2011 03:58:19 | More by DoubleSimcoe

yourchoice

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Bronze/Amber with a full head. Prevelant lacing.
S - Pine, grapefruit, very fresh smell.
T - Lots of hops, grapefruit citrus prevelant. Some spice which is nice!
M - A bit too sharp, even for an IPA.
O - Although sharp on the palate, still a very good IPA!

Serving type: growler

02-13-2011 00:43:58 | More by yourchoice

dogfishandi

New York

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

filled a growler at clinton road consumers and split with a friend. poured into a standard pint a little above fridge temp.

pours out a fairly clear deep golden orange color with 3 fingers of big slightly off white, fluffy, foamy cap that settles to a nice retentive layer. lots of sticky lace.

lots of dank resinous pine in the forefront. grapefruit citrus and a bit floral. no sense of balance.

follows the aroma with lots of resinous pine and grapefruit citrus. also some floral, raw pellet hop qualities. hardly any malt detectable. super hoppy, super bitter.

super resinous, wrecks the palate completely with such an aggressive lingering bitterness. truly a west coast IPA! medium bodied and good carbonation.

drinks so easily, this is definatly one of my favorite ipa's, i always get it when its around. its one of the more bitter ipas available IMHO.

Serving type: growler

02-06-2011 18:22:47 | More by dogfishandi

r0nyn

New York

3.68/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a growler into a pint glass.

Pours a translucent orange amber color that's really quite pretty. Little half inch off-white head that leaves some loose, spotty lacing. Smell is full of sweet floral notes along with some citrus rind and definite grapefruit. Hops and a little bit of pine round things out.

Taste starts off with a kick of bitterness that permeates the entire flavor experience. Really hop-forward with a lot of mouth-puckeryness. There's citrusy notes of lemon and orange peel, along with the grapefruit from the nose, but they're hidden behind the dominant bittering character. Just a tiny bit of maltiness. Definitely one of the more mouth-assaulting IPAs I've had. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean, with just a little carbonation to provide some effervescence.

Drinkability is fairly good. It's pretty bitter and while that doesn't usually translate well with me, there's still some complexity behind all of it that I can appreciate the beer. Perhaps if it were a bit more balanced. Nevertheless, a solid IPA.

Serving type: growler

01-08-2011 06:16:22 | More by r0nyn

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from growler into tulip glass. thanks to Wiid for sharing

Pours a nice copper orange with a foamy white head. Fades into a decent film with a few rings of lacing on the glass.

Plenty of floral, sweet juicy hops in the nose with citrus tones.

Bitter, piny hops right up front with some juicy, fruit qualities including orange and apricot. Further bitterness continues, eventually making way for a mid-level malt backbone with caramel and some toasted breadyness. Finishes with a hint of warmth and more sticky hops.

Medium body, lighter carbonation, some sticky and dry feel. Such a tasty and easy drinking IPA, as long as it's fresh. The alcohol is barely detectable, and the scents are super inviting. If there was any way to tell if the bottles were fresh, I'd probably buy it all the time.

Serving type: growler

11-07-2010 23:12:40 | More by xnicknj

llllDrGONZOllll

Pennsylvania

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

A fresh growler poured into a pint glass

An aggressive pour delivers two fingers of white fluffy head resting proudly atop an amber colored ale. Lacing galore as the head falls to a thin cap that maintains for the remainder. A tint of gold is revealed when held to the light. Truly a beauty of an IPA and strangely dark for an ale boasting West Coast in the name. Sweet candy hops come through in the nose highlighted with light floral aromas. The hops become stronger as the ale draws closer to room temperature. Orange and grapefruit become more and more prevalent. The tip of the tongue gets a nice treat of sweet grain and hop resins. The pallet becomes coated boldly with hop oils of bitterness. Sticky hops lasting in the after taste proving worthy of the west coast name. The very slight evidence of caramel remain dry but pay homage to the style. West Coast IPA is quite a quaffer, but heed the 7% ABV dong your best not to kill the entire growler to you can still respect beer. Tonight is a week night and I shared this one with a very grateful fellow BA brother.

Serving type: growler

04-29-2010 00:28:49 | More by llllDrGONZOllll

jameswaldo

New York

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got my growler filled downtown at The Finger Lakes Beverage Center, where I was looking to try the Horseheads IPA but they'd just emptied that yesterday. FLBC also had a Southern Tier IPA, so I had a hard choice which to bring home. Taste test out of nasty little paper cups gave the Green Flash a clear win, though, for its aroma, taste, mouthfeel and aftertaste all good even out of paper. Aftertaste of the two IPAs lingered half-way up East Hill bike-ride: a perfect varnish of happy hopping, not the cottonmouth hop haters complain about but rather an Egyptian mummification of well-preserved mouth feelings. Maybe I'd been swishing them all around my tongue too much, but such taste makes me want to have my ale and drink it too.

Back home out of the growler (after lunch and a nap and a few hours chores as growler chilled in fridge), this poured a rather anemic, quickly dwindling head that left very little lace. Amber a 13 on my SRM color chart is cloudy, so at least I like the turbidity if not the head. Excellent carbonation keeps a few teensy foam rafts floating.

Smells all of hops, and lots of different floral citrus pine and turpentine goodness.

Taste whacks palate from all sides with delish crisp hop bitters and blossoms. Reminds me of picking our own hops vine last summer as fresh bud beauty hits my IPA nerves. This is the well-tuned chord of various hop varieties harmonizing cosmically, maybe there's a bit of malt in mouth someplace, but who cares. Aftertaste continues in the rich vein of hops happening and not going away.

If I lived on west coast, this would be drinkable. Even given the horrible dose of diesel it takes to ship Green Flash all the way out here, I couldn't help preferring this to some way more nearby neighborhood IPAs.

Serving type: growler

04-17-2010 01:38:42 | More by jameswaldo

dnjmed

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Hoppy hop hop hippy hippy don't stop. Hip hip hop, around the hoppy clock.

Pine, citrus, and grapefruit. A classic west coast ipa and delicious if you're in the IPA mood. The bitterness makes it a little less drinkable than desired. However the mouthfeel is great. a perfect lightness for the style.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2009 04:59:55 | More by dnjmed

TheBCrew

New York

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

Growler filled at the Finger Lakes Beverage center in Ithaca. Enjoyed several pints. Pours a slightly hazy light orange with frothy white head and lots of lacing. Heavy citrus hop aroma and taste to match with hints of grapefruit. Sweet in the middle with a nice dry finish. Very typical west coast example of this style. Medium body with great drinkability.

Serving type: growler

06-10-2008 13:47:09 | More by TheBCrew

almychristopher

New York

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

a beautiful light copper color, with an off white head leaving lacing on the side of the glass but not going away. the smell is a wonderful array of hops, I'm sure if they weren't there I would pick up on more of the malts that I'm getting a hint of. the taste once again continues the blast of hops but the malts come through a bit better, and it doesn't lack for carbonation. All in all a really good IPA, I think I'm going to cut my girlfriend off and drink the rest myself.

Serving type: growler

06-04-2008 03:18:33 | More by almychristopher

robrobrob

New York

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

Had this recommended to me from a buddy I worked with who is IPA-crazy and had a growler filled from Consumer's Beverages in Orchard Park, NY. Color wasn't special until I saw it backlit in my refrigerator - it glowed ruby red and poured a red-orangey color into a pint glass with frothy head also tinged with orange. Smell was all pine and citrus, very nice and crispy smelling as was the taste up front. After a couple of seconds, the bitterness kicked in and it left a very hoppy afterpresence in the mouth. Beer was unfiltered and chewy, I would have liked a little more malt presence, but it went down nicely. Except for the hop dragon breath afterwards, this is an exceptional beer. Very tasty, an excellently representative American IPA.

Serving type: growler

05-24-2008 21:33:57 | More by robrobrob

dar482

New York

4.41/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

It comes in a deep amber red color.

The aroma is big of grapefruit, tropical fruit, though the biggest is this resinous pine note..

The flavor has big simcoe and pine. If you're looking for pine hops, then this is your IPA. There is huge grapefruit flavor with a dry finish. It's very West Coast in its characteristics. This really stands out for its wonderful deep earthy and pine flavor.

I'm re-reviewing this because having this a third time on tap, the pine really stood out. Not sure why it was meek on tap before, but this was quite a big change from my previous review.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 08:08:22 | More by dar482

BeerRefugee

Oklahoma

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a medium orange-amber color. Medium white head with good retention and lacing. Huge aroma of citrus, floral and piney hops and a mild dose of yeast. Flavor has just enough malt backbone to balance the big hops. Lots of grapefruit and floral with a hint of pine. Medium mouthfeel and slightly dry finish. The glass I had was very good and it was past its prime. This stuff must be phenomenal when it's fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 20:27:59 | More by BeerRefugee

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another solid Cali IPA! A gold, slightly orange tinted brew, with subtle head. Not overly impressed with the look, but this is really the only knock on an otherwise strong beer. The smell is par for the course; not that toe curling thrill that other Cali IPA's deliver. Easy drinking 7.3 ABV IPA, I like it! I love the mouthfeel with this hop grenade! My mouth is awake now!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 19:07:34 | More by DenverHopHead

bmwats

Louisiana

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a footed tulip.

A: Dark amber hue. Pours a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Settles slowly. Slight lacing.

S: Pine is prevalent, not much else.

T: Hoppy with a slight indistinct sweet tone.

M: Syrupy and bitter, with a dry finish.

D: Sip and savor.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Decent hue, with a nice, head and some fair lacing. Nose is hoppy and sweet. Syrupy sweet pine resin with a slightly bitter finish. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 08:50:21 | More by bmwats

ElSid

California

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The Beers of California

#85

Bottled Date: 4/16/13

A: Amber brown with a gorgeous off white head which clings to the glass after giving wa

S: Dank, pine, and citrus paired with a strong malt sweetness. Flowers with moments of tropical esters.

T: Pine, grapefruit zest, and dank give way to an invigorating bitterness of earth and garlic. Bread and sugar malt notes with a hint of caramel comes large in middle. The finish is spicy and warm

M: Solid feel with an everlasting linger. Moderate carbonation.

O: A great California IPA which easily holds it own with the more distributed Stone IPA and Racer 5. One of my Green Flash favorites and amazing when fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:24:47 | More by ElSid

bambam2517

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass and paired with sushi.

A - Nice clear copper body, strong head maintained thanks to a well-crafted amount of carbonation.

S - Extremely hoppy. Which is to say piney and grapefruity in this case.

T - Like it more than I thought, expected to be hop-wearied by this one. It maintains a nice zesty grapefruit flavor throughout, can taste the hops but they mingle well and dont overpower.

M - Feels a bit hot from the alcohol presence, but it finishes dry and is smooth on the aftertaste. I can see why this is one of the most iconic West Coast IPAs...

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:26:55 | More by bambam2517

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.56/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12oz to snifter, bottled 2/19/13

Pours dark cloudy gold with some orange hues, a little bit of brown, kind of like tea. Some small sediment floats around below a finger of foam. Retention isn't bad, a few minutes now and still a half finger. Really good lacing, this probably looked a lot better fresh

Hops hops hops for the smell, strong floral and citrus notes- grapefruit, pineapple, pine, and some lemony/limey citrus. Sweet caramel malt mixes well with the alcohol, everything coming together well. Large floral and fruit bouquet, lots of complexity, sweet and fruity being the most definitive

Taste is just as consistent, fruity floral hop bomb. Heavy grapefruit, tropical fruits, pine, and citrus, followed by a sweet subtle malt. Not as much complexity as the aroma, but the relative simplicity is part of what makes it so beautiful. Things are hard to pick out because of how well they meld. Almost perfect

Feel is sharp and crisp, with a chewy medium body. Alcohol is well concealed, goes down very well. Quite bitter, nice bite

Overall the beer is aptly named, this is there paradigm of a west coast ipa. Over hopped, floral and fruity, with enough ibus and alcohol to be classified as an imperial ipa by those who aren't used to having their ipas strong. This gives Stone a run for it's money for my favorite ipa

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 00:41:36 | More by lordofstarside