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

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

TaySuth

California

3.94/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving Type: Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Dark amber in color with a creamy head of medium density. Head retention was average with medium lacing.

Smell: Nice aroma with hops leading the way. Mostly citrus with a hint of pine. Nice pale malt backing up the hops. Judging by the aroma, I am expecting a well balanced IPA.

Taste: Well balanced indeed. The hops are strong with grapefruit as the most prominent flavor but the malt balances the hops very well. Not enough to overshadow the hops but enough to give the bitterness a backbone. Further into the beer, I am noticing the "hint of pine" building on the palate into a very nice and consistent flavor. Speaking of bitterness, this beer packs a welcome punch of fresh bitterness on the finish. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Slightly less carbonation than I would have liked to see but the body of the beer is just right with a medium heft to it.

Overall: I found this to be a quality IPA that I would not be opposed to quaffing again but I have had many more IPAs that I feel were better overall beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 00:58:21 | More by TaySuth

stephens101

Oklahoma

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

You get what you expect as far as the visuals;

a clean, well coiffed froth that keeps its demeanor.

Pale red in color,

the head slowly diminishes.

Oily, fruity and figuratively

I smell it.
I taste it.
I feel it.

it's been done a thousand times.

frankly I can't wait.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 00:24:14 | More by stephens101

XxNitExX

Nebraska

4.78/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into pint glass from 12oz bottle

A- Orange amber color with a big ol fluffy white head that sticks and retains very well.

S- Citrus Hops, Piney Hops, and a slight hint of a caramel malt

T- Piney hops, citrus hops, earthy hops, no idea why but this has all the hops flavors i love and isnt overly bitter. Could just be me seeing as what hops are in it. Has a great caramel malt backbone to even it out and hides the alcohol well.

M- Smooth. Thats all that can be said to describe this.

Overall this is a great beer. Has everyone anyone who loves IPA's would enjoy plus it wont set you back with bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 05:06:22 | More by XxNitExX

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.79/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Presentation: 12oz stubby, raised-letter Green Flash brown bottle, very simple label. Bottled 11/13/12. Finally, some dates from these guys! Excellent!! This is almost three months old, not ideal for an IPA, but certainly acceptable. Poured into a 16oz nonic pint.

Appearance: Orange amber hues (on the light side) with lots of tiny sediment in suspension if you screw up the last half-ounce of the pour. Capped by a creamy, eggshell head which shows nice retention and nice, sticky lacing.

Smell: Dank, herbal and piney hops lead, with a bit of citrus and just a touch of toasty caramel maltiness in the background. Simple, straightforward, and quite pleasant.

Taste: A bit of earthy, bready malt character and herbal, piney hops. 'Green' and dank. Not much in the way of citrus fruit, at least at this point. Strong, lingering bitterness...this feels tastes like the claimed 90+ IBUs. Like the aromas, not tons of depth, but lots of intensity.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied.

Overall: A no-frills IPA that's rock solid nonetheless. At between $8-9 bucks a 4-pk, it's not cheap, but if it's in date (the date stamping is an excellent addition) it's worth picking up.

B = 85

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:11:25 | More by BedetheVenerable

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into snifter.

A-Clear copper with a big foamy off-white head. Head stays for a decent period, but not terribly long. Lacing remains with big chunks on the side of the glass. Poured in some sediment that I wasn't expecting to be in the bottle.

S-Hops are very prominent with a hint of malt sweetness. There is also a nice fresh fruit smell in there too.

T-A slight hint of sweet malts followed by an assertive bitter hop kick. The mouthful actually manages to finish sweet with some fruity notes from the hops. Could be described as citrus, but almost has a melon-like quality to it.

M-Pretty full mouthfeel with low moderate carbonation. FInishes with a good combo of slightly sweet from the fruitiness and slightly astringent from the hops. This is very pleasant.

O-Very balanced and spot-on for the style. A touch of complexity added with fruit. Great stuff, give me another.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:19:45 | More by Muhly

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz Bottled 1/21/13

A - Pour a clear copper color with a creamy beige head. Solid retention with okay lacing.

S - Bready malts, loads of fruity grapefruit, fresh green pine needles, fresh herbal hops, sweet pale malts. Very aromatic.

T - Sweet grapefruit oils quickly turn bitter, green pine needles crunched up, green herbal hop oils, very bright flavor and bitterness. Even with all the hops goodness a sturdy malt adds a sweet and bready backbone. The alpha acids really start dominating towards the finish creating a resinous bitter that sticks to the tongue and back of the throat. Finishes long, dry, and bitter.

M - Moderate smooth carbonation, heavy side of medium body, smooth lush feel with a dry finish.

This will satisfy any hop fix. Grapefruit and pine share the hop stage.
Lots of bitterness but also loads of hop flavor. A nice thick malt profile really hold this beer together with balance. A very well done IPA!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 23:00:11 | More by StaveHooks

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A- Bottled on date of 1/21- very fresh. Light amber color with an off white head that has a fair amount of lacing and retention. Perfectly carbonated.

S- A true highlight of this beer. Great citrus smell with strong hints of grapefruit. The floral hop aroma is powerful...in a great way.

T- Hop forward. Pine with citrus/fruit flavors up front with a warm, bitter finish. Very hoppy as we have come to expect from WC IPA's. Strong bitterness level (95 IBU), but finds a way to remain smooth and flavorful throughout with just enough of a malt base to avoid an astringent flavors.

M- Medium to full bodied. Little oily. Dry finish

O- Quintessential "West Coast" style beer here. I know we have advanced craft brew to the point that variations of all beer styles are brewed all over the country to where there really is no "west coast" label, but i understand what GF is aiming for here and they hit the target. Fantastic ale that would be delicious any time of year. Near the top of its class for sure. Heck, even the burps taste good!

4 pack for $8.49

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 15:32:52 | More by Bosoxfan20

Jayman931

Mississippi

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

A: Orange color, with only a slight bit of haze. Nice Head that lingered a bit
S: NIce Citrus Spell...Little Pine....Pleasant.
T: Nice bitterness...hops...citrus..Not much malt (which a American IPA shouldn't have) .Overall...Really Good....
M. Decent Mouthfeel for a 7.3%....Above average

Overall really nice beer....Will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:39:50 | More by Jayman931

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 11/19/12

Part of the "Beers of Fame" list that I'm keen on ticking.

Served in a newly acquired DC Brau jar glass.

A: Poured an almost clear, citrus orange color, with only a slight bit of haze. The head was about 1.5-2 fingers and behaved like soap scum on the glass.

S: Pretty piny, but not too ridiculously floral.... much more resiny and bitter than anything.

T: Yep, just like I remember it: Bitter as hell, with a very subdued sugar component. This one gives the standard grapefruit a run for its money.

M: Like is stated, bitter, and with very little malt backbone (although for the hophead, that's probably a good thing). The head, much less lacing never subsided, even after several minutes. This one had more in common with krausen than the actual finished beer product.

O: Lubricant for the true hophead engine in all of us. My teeth are now stained with hops!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 19:15:34 | More by Chaney

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass, pours a copper amber color with a fluffy very light tan head that lingers leaving good lacing, hazy

S: pungent grapefruit peel and piney hops, lemon and orange zest, fresh floral smells, malt sweetness

T: intense bitter flavor up front primarily grapefruit peel, just enough malt to balance, finish is astringent pine resin

M: full bodied with good carbonation and a lingering aftertaste

O: a very good IPA, floral fragrance is the best part, it is intensely bitter, hop lovers only please

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 23:52:08 | More by M_C_Hampton

themind

New Jersey

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

In the World of IPA's it's an uphill battle for any brewery. Beers like Pliny, Hopslam and Heady Topper dominate an already crowded backfield. That said Green Flash can brew some beer and this IPA is good. I feel that there double Chocolate Stout is there best brew to date but this is a good offering for any IPA lover.

Bottom Line: Drink up! it's good!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 22:19:17 | More by themind

beerdrifter

Germany

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Mostly clear amber-orange pour with an off-white two finger head with great retention and crazy lacing. This is a hop bomb in every way. Huge hoppy, floral nose with tons of grapefruit, pine, and resin up front along with hints of tropical fruit, and perfume. The taste is complex and just as hoppy. Loads of bitter, resiny, mouth puckering goodness with hints of grapefruit, pine, fresh hops, orange peel, along with some subtle mango and apricot. The mouthfeel is thick and oily with a tangy, bitter, dry finish. With that said, there's just enough of a sweet caramel maltiness to add at least a measure of balance to this insanely bitter beer. Overall, this ranks right up there with all the elite hop bombs and truly lives up to its name.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 18:34:09 | More by beerdrifter

jera1350

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Copper colored with a rocky head of off-white foam. Lots of sticky lacing.

Incredible hop smell with loads of tropical fruits and pine resin. Plenty of citrus in here.

Huge hop punch in the mouth. Such an array of hops flavors and bitterness that last forever. Tons of citrusy grapefruit, mango, papaya, fruity. Some alcohol mixed in there with pine. Strong and in your face west coast ipa. Very little malt presence.

Crisp, clean, bitter as hell, yet refreshing. Ample carbonation.

The epitome of a West Coast style IPA. If you love hops, this is your beer. So happy to have had it and will go back again.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 02:08:03 | More by jera1350

dickroop

Maryland

4.26/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Green Flash West Coast IPA - This pours almost pure bronze w/ a touch of gold - it's a beautiful beer. A big pour, produces at big fluffy head that persists and pushes out the aroma - earthy hops, a little creek water.

The taste is a great balance of toasty malt and lots of piney citric hops. Tastes solid yet sophisticated, with a delightful lemon-zest note mid-palate. The finish again doesn't have have hop-bomb bitterness, retains the bitter & sweet balance of hops and malt. Excellent. The mouthfeel is great - seems like it's on the light side of medium, very clean. It's a very satisfying quaff.

Overall this is highly drinkable, flavorful, delicious. Negatives? Can't give any. 'Nuff said.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:26:45 | More by dickroop

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.01/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IPA had an impressive creamy head; solid texture and tremendous lacing. The color was normal IPA hue with and orangish/amber color.

The scent is floral pine, tempered hops, but not overpowering. Very light, sweet bouquet that typified the well constructed IPA.

I like the flavor, nice hoppy tones, pine resin and floral feels but no other fruitiness. Well done but not mind-blowing this drank with significant ease and satisfaction. Very well done but not so complex that it shouts a higher score

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:07:09 | More by KYGunner

BeastLU

Virginia

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

Drank on tap, and then in growler.

A - About a 1 inch head which dissipates and leave nice lacing. Clear dark orange copper color.

S - Quite hop forward on the nose which mellows after the beer is palated.

T - Huge hop flavor with no one hop standing out. Great harmony of citrusy, piney and a little floral hops. Enough malts to provide some balance, but mostly a beer showcasing its hop flavor.

M - Good Carbonation with a lighter mouthfeel for the flavor and abv of the beer. There is only a slight overly sweet after taste which I find common in this style.

O - Great beer. Typically my choice if it can be found on tap around town. Better than a good stand by.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 19:44:47 | More by BeastLU

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

Keyportnick

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a large tulip

A- Pours a straw golden color slight haze. Big white fluffy head and disappears to a thin covering that laces the glass nicely.

S- Notes of mild pine and light citrus. Wasn't as pungent as I was expect. Still very nice and clean.

T- Pine and resin upfront light fruit on the finish. Crisp clean malt profile

M- light body strong carbonation, medium bitter hop finish.

0- great hop forward ipa. The drinkability makes it a will buy again for those hot summer days.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 04:06:16 | More by Keyportnick