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

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.26/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Super stoked to receive this from joemcgrath27 and even more stoked to find out that I can grab a few more locally after a recent release that hit the LCBO.

A - Pours a nice golden colour with a copper hue, finger of head with decent retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Nose is dominated by sweet citrus, pineapple, and a hint of caramel.

T - The pineapple and citrus hop notes dominate alondside a heavy doe of bitter leafy greens that linger alongside the caramel malts. There's a touch of Thrills gum flavour with a hint of citrus rind of the finish.

M - Medium bodied, smooth, and a touch of dryness.

O - Delicious hop bomb that loads up the palette with fresh citrus and pineapple hop flavours. This stuff is fantastic and is by no means underrated. I'm hopeful that this brew becomes a regular locally, because its certainly one of my favourites among the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:01:35 | More by andrenaline

jibbyvonjibb

California

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

A: Copper color. Clear. Fluffy head.
S: Bright fresh citrus, especially grapefruit.
T: Some malt sweetness. Sight tartness. Fairly clean finish.
M: Medium body, on the lighter side for IPAs. Creamy texture without oiliness. Medium carbonation.
O: Well balanced IPA. Would be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison with my other favorites, like Alesmith and Russian River.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 22:02:12 | More by jibbyvonjibb

Rast

Maryland

3.86/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle as Butler falls to Marquette off a wacky last second three point hook shot heave.

Pours a beautiful light amber with a massive head. On my second pour into the glass, I took as aggressive a pour as possible, and for a brief moment, there was literally ALL head in the glass. Woah. The nose has more going on than I can properly parse apart, but the bottle text hits me in the lane with an assist: pine, florals, grapefruit (rind!). Having been properly educated, I can detect these widely varying smells. The taste is equally complex: strong hop bitterness with the individual flavors rotating on a wonderful beer merry-go-round. The ride doesn't stop with the swallow, and really keeps going for quite a bit. Impressive. Not as sessionable with all the intensity of the bitterness, but certainly an important IPA experience. Keep this one spinning.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 03:33:09 | More by Rast

Samuel906

California

3.84/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Ultra hop bomb. Looks amazing... The thickest heaviest head i have ever seen. It clings in clumps on the side of the glass. This is one of the hoppiest beers i have had. Sticky, resenous, chewy. Super dry. Not much citrus. True to form ipa; less "drinkable" than pliny, dryer than 90 minute, but still great.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 22:45:26 | More by Samuel906

mnphish

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz, bottled on 2/4/13 and served into a pint glass. It pours clear light amber with a massive head.The nose is dominated by sticky resinous hops and pine. There is a subtle aroma of caramel malt, citrus, and other tropical fruit in there as well. The taste is of bitter pine and light notes of citrus and grapefruit. It is followed by a balanced caramel malt backbone. The mouthfeel is light to medium with perfect carbonation. This is exactly what i'm looking for in a West Coast IPA. Very bittersweet, not overly fruity, nicely balanced, and very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:23:27 | More by mnphish

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled Feb 12, 2013

Beer is copper coloured with a moderately-sized white head.

Smell is hoppy, with pine and citrus notes. Orange and grapefruit are present, but the pine is strongest for me.

Like the nose, the taste is hop focused, with a strong pine presence, as well as a bunch of grapefruit. There is a toasted flavour, not quite sure whether it is from the hops or the malt. A bit of sweetness from the malt, and a hint of caramel, but quite a bitter beer. Good.

Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation. Oily.

Overall, a very good IPA. Glad that the LCBO brought in a fresh batch and hope it continues to do so!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:17:25 | More by jrenihan

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap in a pint glass.

A- A true amber color, 1- plus finger head with staying power that leaves super-sticky lacing.

S- Citrus, pine, a bit of caramel and tropical sweetness.

T- Citrus, grapefruit, lemon rind. There are herbal notes and pine.

M-Good body and carbonation, oily, sharp hops, dry finish.

O- Another big time IPA that hits all the right buttons for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2013 00:32:35 | More by NiceTaps

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.11/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- pours a golden amber color with some ruby hue, slightly hazy with a two finger white creamy head that seems to remain forever with some good lacing

S- citrus and pine hops, some tropical fruit, a bit herbal and earthy with some caramel sweet malt

T- oily and pungent hops with notes of citrus zest, pine, grapefruit and floral. The finish is herbal and dry with some grain and and just a touch if sweet malt. Long linger.

M- nearly full bodied with lively carbonation, creates a bubbly and foamy mouthfeel with a smooth and creamy finish, just a bit of warmth at the end

O- hops dominate this one, and quite complex and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 02:13:57 | More by Treyliff

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Green Flash West Coast IPA has a very thick, frothy, cream-colored head, a mostly clear and bubbly orange-golden appearance, and a lot of heavy lacing left behind. The aroma is of sweet, citrusy, piney, hop oil and malt. Taste is of sweet bread, strong, piney hops, grape fruit, sugars, and general fruitiness. Mouthfeel is medium and oily, and Green Flash West Coast IPA finishes mostly dry, mellow, and rather drinkable. Overall, this is a most excellent India Pale Ale, among so many other wonderful ones out there, and I think every beer fan should try it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 12:43:53 | More by RonaldTheriot

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.71/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Green Flash Brewing Co. - Green Flash West Coast I.P.A. - 12fl oz bottle

This one here was another one of my "bucket list brews".

Look - Pours copper with a full, foamy head that dissipated within five minutes or so. Phenomenal lacing. Negligible carbonation but some.

Smell - Grapefruit, citrus, and piney, resin hops.

Taste - Biting carbonated pop with malt followed by a wave of "oh my" smooth hops. More hops creep in after, bitter grapefruit on the second round.

Mouthfeel - Bitter hops and grapefruit take over here and sit. Over time it gets better and better and the complexity really shines through. Smooth in terms of booziness, undetectable. Great drinkability.

Overall - This is a good IPA, would definitely recommend to fans of bitter, citrus hops.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 11:43:14 | More by JMScowcroft

JG-90

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle into glass

A - Cloudy dull orange/brown color. Large off-white slightly creamy head that recedes to a thin layer on top. Moderate lacing down glass.

S - Citrusy hops, mostly oranges in the nose with some grapfruit, floral, and bread

T - Explosive hops and citrus flavor. Lemon, pinnapple came out much more in the taste, along with orange, grapefruit. Finishes with a nice caramel/nutty malt, sweet floral, and a touch of bread that balances it out very well. I really like how it hits you right a way with a ton of citrus but still balances out, more than i've seen with most west coast IPA's at least.

M - Heavy feel, medium-high carbonation with a very crisp finish

O - This is an awesome beer. It has to big hop profile I want in a west coast IPA but is still very nicely balanced

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:19:57 | More by JG-90

alexgash

Connecticut

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

12 oz. bottle. Bottled on 6/23/12. Consumed on 7/28/12.

Beautiful dark golden orange. Two fingers of thick, creamy, light beige head. Great lacing and retention. Big hop nose. Very resinous, dank, and piny. Also some pineapple, mango, and grapefruit. Whiff of sugary cotton candy malt underneath all the hoppy goodness.

Toasted malt quickly turns to herbal hop bitterness. Dank, resinous, and herbal hop flavors soar. Fruity malt with hints of caramel, cookie, and candy sweetness. Still, this beer is dominated by the hops and they steal the finish. Dry, with lots of lingering dankiness. Yum. Medium-full body with a thick, creamy feel. This is a great one.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 19:47:33 | More by alexgash

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bomber on a recent trip across the border. I didn't see 6-packs available.
Anyway, smells like a classic west coast IPA. Fresh Am. hops with citrus and light fruits. Pleasant and pleasing.
Mmmm, not that's some smooth bitterness. Hops flavors pushed, but not too excess (for many). No resin quality. Super long finish of bitterness and hop flavor. Hops flavors are more grassy with only hints of the citrus noted in the aroma. and holding more pine here.
Tons of lacing from the nice head. Pretty clear and golden in color. Hints of sweetness from the malt show in time (mmm that's nice).
Really well carbonation. Big enough to to lend a nice softness without any sharpness.
Definitely a worthy beer for the top 250. The finish just lays on the tongue forever with a more grapefruit quality showing in time. No unpleasant notes in this one. Lots of complexity and the flavors grow and change throughout the drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 18:56:54 | More by garymuchow

teromous

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Slightly hazy iced tea colored body, with a slim white head. Leaves lacing on the glass.

S: Catty scent predominates the overall character, along with a little bit of almond.

T: It has some resinous (tree sap) qualities, along with a woody bark and mossy note to the flavor. There's a bit of tannin quality to the beer as well, like you'd get from certain roasts of coffee or a good tea. It is very tea-like.

M: The mouthfeel is relatively smooth compared to other AIPAs. It's not completely dried out either, and seems to coat the mouth a bit.

O: Overall I thought the beer was nice, but it wasn't spectacular. The flavor was partially there, the scent was partially there, but it just didn't feel complete. It felt fairly mellow and I would have liked a bit more flavor and character to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 15:58:49 | More by teromous

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

KTCamm

New Jersey

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

Served on tap at Ginger Man, South Norwalk CT. Served in a tasting glass, but enough to get a feel for the beer.

Pours dark amber, almost bronze. Heavy foamer, creamy looking. Lots to lace. Deep resin nose. Firm bitter taste, but oddly light hearted about it. Holds and resides on the tongue. Subtle sweetness contrasts. Smooth all around. A very efficient IPA. Never notice the 7% register.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 23:33:44 | More by KTCamm

flydudehsv

California

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

22 ounce bomber. Orange gold color. Small sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity, sweet and citrusy. A medium bodied IPA. Malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are grapefruity, citrusy and floral. Medium bitter IPA. Nice balanced. Nice sweet malts. Good west coast IPA. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. Really good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 07:40:07 | More by flydudehsv

Hendry

Vermont

4.29/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is a good quality IPA, but not one that really stands out in the crowded premium price $11 four pack arena.I was recommended PALATE WRECKER from Green Flash but the store I was shopping at didn't stock it.

Sort of a copper color that leaves a lasting two finger head, the nose is pleasant but not exploding with the citrus tones I was expecting, and the flavor followed the somewhat muted hop aroma. Not overly malty, and a bitter dry aftertaste that is very good but not outstanding either. Decent lacing in the glass and overall a darn good IPA, but lacks the tropical fruit blast that I have come to crave.

For the sheckles, I think Ballast Point Sculpin IPA delivers a superior IPA if you are into the hoppier citrus nose and aftertaste more than the even balance of hop & malts. Based on the overall quality of the West Coast IPA, and the experienced palate of my hop mentor, I will give Green Flash Palate Wrecker a try and see if that one suits my taste more than their West Coast IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:58:26 | More by Hendry

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.73/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Outstanding amber pour with hops coming right out of the bottle. This was my second Green Flash beer and this one was almost at exciting as the previous one.
The hoppy nose was intense but so very agreeable.. The citrus also was coming right out of the glass.
The first taste was overbooked with Hop and Grapefruit but oh so very very good.
The body was full and round along with a good amount of crispness that balanced the entire beer.
The end stay with true hoppy taste and feel.
love it!

03/13/13:
Another re tasting. I always love tasting new beers when they become available to our store.
I think this is one of the better ways to really digest the beer and come up with its strong points as well as its weak points I am happy to say, that I loved this beer today as much as I did the first time I had it..

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:57:51 | More by rdilauro

Pegasus

Texas

4.29/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Golden orange with a touch of haze, atop which is a massive, dense cream-colored head, which retains superbly. The lacing is thick and glass-coating.

Aroma: Massive, over-the-top pine tar hops, backed by quite sweet caramel malt. While the malt aroma is sturdy, let there be no doubt that the hops take precedence.

Taste: Opens with very sweet caramel, which is soon met and overwhelmed by strong, oily citric and pine tar hops. The relatively high alcohol content (7% ABV) is very well concealed While the sweet malt is ever-present, it is always in the shadow of the hops. Finishes with a strong and lingering hop flavor, with a late note of medicinal bitterness. As the beer warms, the malt becomes a little more prominent, although it remains secondary to the intense hop presence.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and very full, almost syrupy.

Drinkability/notes: Definitely one for the hop-heads, of which I am not one. Still, one cannot help but admire the craftsmanship that went into producing this beer,.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom-embossed short twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:51:03 | More by Pegasus

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy copper body beneath the foamy off white head that is slow to dissolve leaving a scattered sticky lacing clinging to the glass.

Fresh hop aromas of pine and citrus leap from the glass. Zesty aromas of orange, grapefruit, and pineapple accompany the the fresh woody pine.

The fresh citrus and pine hops coat the palate from start to finish. The woody pine notes and generous citrus of grapefruit and pineapple play well together and there must be a fair dose of malt to support the fistful of hops.

Medium to thicker in body with medium carbonation and a palate coating resin finish.

A fantastic IPA with tons of character to offer the senses. Not much Green Flash could do to improve on this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:14:18 | More by CHADMC3

rringler

California

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

A: Extremely clear, dark copper color. Pours with about one half to one fingers worth of white head, made up of small bubbles. The head dissipates rather quickly, leaving a partial layer of micro bubbles.

S: Healthy malts, but even from the beginning you get some floral/herby hops.

T: As it smells; big thick malt start that transitions to herbal hops. The malt start is not overly sweet like some IPAs, nor is the hop finish as assaulting. Pretty medium of the road here in terms of IPAs. Does an excellent job of covering the 7.3% abv without tasting boozy.

M: Medium to medium+ body; a little chewier and slower than other IPAs. Carbonation is medium to medium-; I'd prefer a little more.

O: A very good IPA. I had this on tap during a happy hour earlier in the week and it was excellent. I thus bought a 4-pack to more critically taste and review, and I'm a little disappointed with the bottle. It's still a very good IPA, but the tap pour was outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:13:23 | More by rringler

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.91/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured a solid two fingers of head on a hazy, medium straw colored body.
The aroma is a nice and bold grapefruit and lemon.
The taste is moderate to strong pine and lemon bitterness all the way through with a long finish.
The texture is crisp with a medium body and moderate carbonation.
Nailed it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:23:08 | More by Fatehunter

Fusion7777

Virginia

3.69/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I'll start this review with a caveat that I may have just gotten an old or bad batch and am definitely open to giving this a re-review, but what I had seemed like a hot mess. Poured an unfiltered orange brown into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Lots of sediment floating around and lots of bubbles trickling up. Large off white head with good retention. Aroma was dank and resinous. I could definitely tell there was a lot of complexity in the taste and that it was a well-crafted beer. However, it wasn't terribly balanced and it seemed like the bitter and piney elements were at war with the sweeter malt characteristics instead of bringing the flavors together. I could appreciate the number of different things going on but this particular bottle didn't live up to my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 20:34:38 | More by Fusion7777

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

@ Oude Magoon's Saloon, Somerville MA

Attractive looking beer: orange with a tight white head. Consistent retention and splashy lace from first sip to last. Came in a Green Flash pint glass and I'm a sucker for appropriate glassware.

Smells mighty fine. Grapefruit, pineapple and tropical hops with a sugary base.

Candied grapefruit and pine with a pleasant, lightly toasted backbone.
Not as flavorful as the aroma would indicate. There's plenty of cutting bitterness in there but the flavors fall short of expectation.

Long lasting flavor. I'm a slow sipper and I appreciate IPAs that taste the same from start to finish. Few do but GFWCIPA is one of them.

It is what is says it is: West Coast IPA. One of the standards of that subgenre IMO.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2013 12:39:09 | More by donkeyrunner