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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Orangey coloured body with immense foaming head. Grapefruit hoppy aroma. Taste is medium to full mouthfeel of initially grapefruit and malt, quite drinkable. Had it and liked it very much again 1.5 years later. Good creamy drinking.
On tap 4.75 years later and still very good IPA, very hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2007 04:27:03 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Brassy orange with goldenrod edges. Great looking creamsicle orange head that appears to be full-to-bursting with hop resins. It's currently a fat three fingers in height with a firm creaminess that will, no doubt, contribute to its longevity. Even though the glass isn't completely covered, there's a more than respectable amount of lace in the end.

Hoptastic aroma that I've been able to appreciate since the pour, despite the fact that the glass is at least two feet away from my nose. A more concentrated sniff brings glorious waves of candied grapefruit, pineapple and fresh pine to my nose. 'West Coast' indeed. The hop bill is sure to include one or more of the following: Cascade, Centennial, Columbus. I'd bet good money on the Columbus. Fantastic nose if you're a hop lover.

The flavor isn't as explosive as expected, given the aroma, but this is still a lip smackingly tasty version. Rather than soar with sky-high, dazzlingly bright, ultra-fresh, citrus zesty, hoppy top notes, the flavor profile is more mid-range, bold, brassy hoppy with caramel and lightly toasted pale malt accents. That's not to say that West Coast IPA is anything other than a hop-dominant beer, but it doesn't quite have that pure, clean hop flavor that I love so much.

Green Flash certainly hasn't skimped on ingredients; almost always a positive in my experience. The tongue ruffling bitterness is countered by a sweet, sticky maltiness that keeps things from becoming overbalanced. I wouldn't classify this beer as a hop bomb, but 'hop artillery' wouldn't be out of line. Bitter orange, white grapefruit pith, dessicated pine sap, all lightly drizzled with melted caramel.

The body is medium-full and is firmer than it is creamy. The finish is long and is slightly oily, ensuring that a thin sheen of hop scum adheres to the tongue and builds upon itself with each successive sip. Good stuff. Not much in the way of noticeable carbonation; another positive.

Green Flash West Coast IPA is, without question, a good version of the style. The brewers have taken care of the essentials--quality ingredients in a sufficient quantity--and have crafted yet another delicious IPA from a state that leads the nation in delicious IPAs. I haven't yet sampled them all, but I feel fairly confident in stating that this is Green Flash's best beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2006 22:35:09 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I really dont know where to begin with this one. This was awesome. Poured a great bright orange, full of haze with a thick white head. This did fade rather quickly and left behind a good lace, looks yummy. Smell was a hop bomb, no other way to put it. Huge strong flavors of grapefruit and pineapple, with a slight touch of alcohol, but not too strong, just a refreshing clean crisp smell that really made me want to dive in. The taste, OHH YEAH!! One word PERFECT. Strong classic west coast hop bomb. Enormous citrus hops, pine resiney goodness, huge flavors, nothing subtle here, Sooo smoothe, crisp, perfect fullness and feel. Big dry bitter finish capped it perfectly. Easily one of my favorite IPA ever. I really cannot say enough good things about this one, its a classic!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2007 01:06:01 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

A: A hazy amber/copper color with about two fingers of white foam.

S: Great piney aroma along with plenty of grapefruit. Good malt sweetness to round things out.

T: Better than the smell. Great bitterness interacts well with all the grapefruit. Very refreshing for such a bitter beer. The malt keeps a good balance, but doesn't make it self too well known.

M: Great carbonation and a nice bitter aftertaste.

D: Such a great IPA, one of my new favorites.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 00:21:08 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a tulip glass. The color is a moderate copper-orange color with a nice white head. The nose is really nice with a strong citrus hop component. Hefty notes of orange and grapefruit. Really hoppy. A bit of pine in there as well. The taste is all hops with some citrus rind and light pine and spruce components. Nice bitter mouthfeel and a nice drinkability. Glad we get this West Coast gem here in Virginia.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 17:35:24 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Pours up moderately hazy, deep copper hued body with a full inch of off-white froth on top.

Smell: Chilled grapefruit juices garnished with slivers of citrus pith and shredded flowers paired with a modest hint of pine astride pale malts displaying hints of sugar cookies. It's a quality scent.

Taste: Pale malts liberally flecked with sweet hints of cookie dough and biscuit crumbs. Medium sweetness overall. The mixture of fully American C-hops presents leafy floral and light pines tastes, as well as a bold citrus character that's juicy, fruity, and a bit citric. Medium-high bitterness. Finishes dry and bitter with those citric tones brazenly sliding into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is a bit oily, a bit chewy, even.

Drinkability: Green Flash's West Coast IPA is amply malty and rather well hopped, so it should please hopheads and lovers of IPA's. I know I found it to be enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 04:27:55 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a fluffy head that displays good retention and leaves spotty lacing

Smell: Citrusy nose of grapefruit and pineapple with undertones of biscuity malt

Taste: The biscuity malt backbone briefly makes an appearance but then becomes a doormat for the citrusy hop bill; after the swallow, this beer provides a bitter, fruity hop finish, with slight aspirin tones

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A very nicely balanced IPA that is a great example of the San Diego IPA style

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2006 03:00:04 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours clear light orange with a 1 inch foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is a total hop bomb: herbal, floral, citrus zest. Taste is also all about the hops with citrus zest and herbal/floral hop flavors battling for dominance. There is a somewhat assertive hop bitterness that lingers on the palate long after each sip. Unfortunately, this beer was flat as hell and that made it a bit of a chore to drink. Overall, this is a good IPA that blasts your nose and mouth with hops of all kinds.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 17:47:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Hogtownharry: Poured a deep cloudy copper color ale with a good size foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of bitter and citrus hops is dominating with a nice malt base also noticeable. Taste is a mix between some citrus and bitter pacific hops with a neutral but still perceptible malt base. Full body with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. While this is a very enjoyable IPA, I would have enjoyed it a bit more if the presence of floral and grapefruit hops would have been more discernable.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2008 18:57:21 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Cornucopia- that's probably the word that I would use to capture the onslaught of hop character. Perfumy, citrusy, floral, pungent, piney, resiny, grassy, fruity....these are a few of my favorite things. Greater complexity from hops have never been found. This beer is a tremendous showcase for hop character.

The pour delivers a copper-golden color with a malt stained, firm foamstand that endures the session. The glass is coated with lacing as the session progresses. A mild dry-hopped haze is the only thing that keeps the appearance from achieving a 5.

The hop aroma is evident and well documented. A mild malty hit at the nose gives a basic softness but takes a serious backseat to the hop blend.

The soft malts give a caramelly springboard to propel the hops over the top. Soft and subtle, a clean caramel flavor struggles to compete with sharp, flavorful hops. No real esters, phenols, or yeasty character.

Boasting 90 IBU's, this beer feels much more bitter than most other IPA's that claim 70 IBU's, regardless what the experts try to say about perceived bitterness. An initial creaminess, fullness, and roundness from the malts are quickly dominated by the dry, sharp pang on the tongue and throat from the hop resins.

If you're looking for a hop dominant beer, then here you go. The beer relies upon the hop's song and dance to carry the beer with very little interference from the malts or other nuances. Hop complexity is here, but complexity from other beery aspects are kept at bay.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 19:53:34 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ooured a slightly hazy burnt orange with a thinner but sticky white head that leaves spots of lace as it settled.Fresh raw hop aroma comes at ya hard when first opening the bottle extremely piney with big grapefruit notes as well I even noticed a touch of caramel malt as well.Well oddly enough hop dominated hop oils and resin dominate quite piney but that resiny finish is great just enough of a hint of caramel makes it a gem in my mind.A few years ago I would have thought a good beer but a little over the top for me now I take it all in,gotta love the hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 02:14:26 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful appearance. Great head retention and lacing. Massive assault of pungent, resinous, grassy, and floral hops in the nose. Medium-full bodied with a perfectly crisp carbonation. Firm, toasty/bready malt base. Layer upon layer of resinous hop flavor. Bracing bitterness. Finishes a bit too resinous, and that tends to hold what bitterness is there for just a little bit too long. West Coast IPA? No doubt!!! Be forwarned then, if you're NOT a hophead, this one will slap you senseless! :)

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2006 00:01:22 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Cloudy amber hue, big, pudding-y, lace-leaver of a head, 1/2" and long-lasting.

Aroma: wide-open hoppitude, big, bold and brassy, loads of citric tones, piney resins, lemon rinds, pineapple, bristling bitterness...ni-i-ice.

Big, bad, full mouthfeel. Large occupation of palate. Dominant bitterness, but utterly delicious. Extremeness to the extreme. A blast of flavor, sizzling the tongue, and delivering unremittently, absolutely, astonishingly fantastically...wait, what was I saying? Oh, yeah, ...tastes great!
More please!

(I could go for a few of these, yessirree...)

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2006 08:54:01 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours an amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of pale and light crystal malts along with loads of citrus hops. The taste is good also. It has an intensely bitter hop flavor that goes down slow and warms on the finish. THe malt bill provides a stable balance and an elevated abv. . The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking IPA. It has good malt flavor and a heavy hitting hop character.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2006 01:14:22 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Now this is what I'm talking about. I think the west coast produces the best IPAs in the country, which sucks for me since I"m on the east coast. This beer was served from a bottle into a pint glass in a local bar in the D.C. area. Immediately, I noticed the hop aroma. It was clear and present. The head was there but thin and disappeared as I drank. It was light copper and relatively clear. As I drank the beer, the bitterness grew in my mouth. There wasn't an aftertaste in the classic sense of it, it was just building on me. Even with the increased hoppiness, the beer was still drinkable. A good example of an American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 04:25:34 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

No bottling date, but the bottle is one of the newer Green Flash bottles so the beer cannot be too old.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is very nice and is dominated by hops. I get a lot of pine and orange notes in the aroma.

The flavor is also very nice. I get a lot of pine and grapefruit notes. There is also some nice bread notes in the flavor, but the beer is still dominated by the hops. Medium bitterness and very drinkable.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

One of my favorite IPAs, I just wish they would start dating the bottle so I could buy it, as I don't buy IPAs that don't have bottled on dates.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 03:44:11 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a clear, golden-orange color with a two-finger, pillowy, head of ivory foam. It left some thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of citrus, grapefruit and some bubblegum. A light caramel aroma.

T - It tasted of of spicy hops with grapefruit flavors. It has a great burnt toast maltiness.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a dry finish. A medium bodied brew.

D - This is a great IPA. It really holds up to Pliny the Elder (which I love).

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 15:09:41 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: It poured copper in color with a finger-sized head. There is good head retention and a thin layer of bubbles consistently covered the surface. A light amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: There is a moderate and complex aroma of citrusy and piney hops in the nose. Smells of grapefruit really stand out to the nostrils.
T: The taste is mainly bitter and has lots of grapefruit flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very crisp on the palate. There is some dryness in the finish.
D: I would definitely try this beer again. It packs in a lot of different hop flavors but isn't overly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 15:23:24 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to MacDomer for tossing one of this into a trade. No best before date on the bottle that I can find. Served in my trusty Surly pint glass.

A - Murky amber color, with one finger off-white head. Dissipates quickly and leaves a nice lace. No visible bubbles. I was looking for a little more head and better retention.

S - Bitter smell on this one - you can sense those 95 IBUs in there. Pine & lemon, with only a faint malt backbone. The smell doesn't jump out of the glass on this one.

T - Very strong bitterness, only a hint of sweetness at the beginning and in the aftertaste. There's a lot of lemon and grapefruit in this one. It's unbalanced, but that's what I expect from something called West Coast IPA.

M - Kind of dry, but otherwise very smooth. Doesn't leave a lot of resinous character behind. A little bit watery as well.

D - The reasonable amount of carbonation and the sweet aftertaste combine to make this eminently drinkable, even if it isn't among the greatest IPAs I've ever had.

A nice teaser - I'm definitely interested in checking out some of Green Flashes more exotic offerings.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 22:31:10 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear full copper color and is topped by a frothy light tan colored head. The aroma starts out with a raw herbal hop note but then moves to softer, sweeter citrus notes of grapefruity and orange peel. The taste has a slight sweetness up front which carries through towards the finish. The malt sweetness accentuates the grapefruit-like citrus hop notes, but there is also a noticeable raw hop note that is a mix of herbal notes and pine. The beer has a solid bitterness to it that slowly builds towards the long astringent, lingeringly bitter finish. This is a nice example of an IPA, perhaps the body is a bit thicker than usual and at this point I might like it a bit thinner, but come another day the body would probably hit the spot just perfectly. Perhaps the finish is a bit too raw and astringent with the heavy handed hops, but it definitely is an enjoyable hop blast of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2005 01:19:21 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Acquired via trade from Phoicon, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him.
Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color, with a thin foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves thick lace on the glass.

S: The smell is pleasantly intense with your typical IPA blend of hops and citrus.

T: Big hops burst up front as you would expect followed by the citrus sweetness and malt backbone. Finish is filled with hops bitterness.

M: Very crisp, but a little too bitter to be smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, dry finish.

D: Tasty, not very filling, goes down ok, it’s a good representation of style, but not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2006 06:31:17 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a orangey yellow color with a strong looking white head that sticks to the glass very nicely. The smell of the beer is a fruity, floral and piney. Very inviting aroma on this one. The taste is very good also, its loaded with the pine like grapefruit flavors that make these west coast IPA's so special. The mouthfeel of the brew is decent in my opinion. It is fairly light bodied, it goes down nice and easy, it leaves a great dry cotton mouth feeling after each sip. Overall it's a damn good brew, worth trying if you haven't already.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 17:32:22 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Had this on tap at falling rock tap house in denver.

Pours amber to brown with a 1.5" white head. Very good lacing & average head retention

S: Loads of piney hops & not much else gets through

Taste: Big piney hops up front that evetually let a little malt sneak in. Finishes with a flourish of grapefruitty hops & dryness

MF:Medium with good carbonation. A little too overhopped to for perfect balance IMO

Drinks easier than its 7.0 abv, hopheads will love this. A very good IPA

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2006 02:44:16 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

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

Thanks to Weibull for sending this extra in trade!

Pours a hazy copper, foggy with tiny sediment. Rapid streams of carbonation, feeding a dense, creamy head of foam. Arcs of lacing form too, adding to it's visual appeal.

Aroma takes awhile to surface, even at a cool temperature, there's just the barest hint of earthy hops. edit: subsequent bottles have delivered a cannabis hop blast!

Deep earthy herbal hop notes, leafy. Very vivid flavor, hop vegetation set against a blanket of malty toffee, striking a nice balance. A resiny bitterness lingers long into the finish. Body is more substantial than your average IPA. Fairly low carbonation with a creamy feel.

Mmm, great stuff! I could see this as a fridge staple in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2008 03:26:39 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

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

12 oz. bottle, bought at the Hi-Times Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA,

A: Dark amber-brown, with a thick white head which lasts for the whole glass, excellent lacing.

S: Great smell, with fragrant whole-leaf hops, with abundant pine and citrus.

T: Hop dominated, done well, with mostly grapefruit, there is some bit of malt in the aftertaste, very robust and powerful for an IPA.

M: Smooth, creamy, and quite resiny.

D: A great West Coast IPA, very hoppy and tasty, a stellar production, will definitely buy again. Great job by Green Flash!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2007 22:18:26 | More by Halcyondays