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

Imstillthegman

Delaware

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

This IPA pours a clear dark copper color with about an inch of eggshell colored head. Nice lacing rings the glass after each sip.

The hops dominate the aroma with pine beating the citrus to the front. Malts are present but you have to search for them at the end. It's hard to keep my nose out of the glass.

Taste is almost identical to the smell. Pine is the big player here with a lighter grapefruit flavor peeking out in the end. Little sweetness is noticed, but it has to be there somewhere since the hop bitterness doesn't overpower my tastebuds. Yup...there it is... right in the middle and easy to miss.

Medium body with a very slick and creamy mouthfeel to it. Some dryness on swallowing but little of the normal prickly feeling I get from some hoppy beers. Almost like warm velvet in the mouth, if you can imagine that.

I will have to get more of these, since I only picked one up on a trip through VA. Next time it will be a sixer at the least. Very enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2006 23:53:24 | More by Imstillthegman

tonistruth

Nevada

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

A- burnt orange copper in color, fluffy two finger off white head with good retent, settles to ring, lacing on glass

S- citrus & pine, all hops

T- citrus/fruit malt sweetness up front shortly before hop bitterness comes in and hammers it home. Bitterness continues through aftertaste. Sour pine, grass, toasted malt flavors. Earthy and slight, slight citrus aftertaste.

M- smooth with a great body, crisp, good carbonation, dry finish & aftertaste

D- Very well brewed IPA. Not my favorite IPA, but this is a must try for hop heads. Distinctive taste compared to other IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2006 06:07:33 | More by tonistruth

WeymouthMike

Massachusetts

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

This is what I would expect of a West Coast IPA, hoppy but not overhopped leaving you picking resin out of your teeth like some West Coast DIPAs, nothing wrong with that either. This one left a head that hardly receded as I sipped, as the liquid went down the head clung to the side to form more than what I would consider a lace. This would be one of my go to beers if it were a local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2006 21:57:17 | More by WeymouthMike

Illinick

Pennsylvania

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

A: Amber/orange in color with a big, thick, fluffy white head that retains nicely throughout. Nice glass clinging lacing.
S: Grapefruit pulp with medicinal/herbal and piney hop smells. Spicy notes as well as some bitter citrus pulp.
T: Follows the nose with a huge hop bite at first derived from grapefruit pulp and medicinal hop flavors. The pineyness comes out and leads to further spice flavors and a dry and warming finish. Some citrus pulp notes throughout. Definate huge hop flavors!
MF: Light medium that finishes dry with a slight alcohol warmth.
Overall: Definately a West Coast IPA. Hops, hops, hops, with little detectable malt balance. The hops, grapefruit pulp and medicinal flavors really overpower this brew. A good brew for hop heads, and even though I am in that category I like to see a little more balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2006 23:41:39 | More by Illinick

FuzzyGuy84

Virginia

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

Beautiful amber color with very low amount of head. A slight, hoppy and fruity smell with a touch of sweetness. Taste is very hoppy (even for an IPA), but with a very pleasant and surprising citrus undertone. Slightly sweet but not overly so, I found this to be very unique. After drinking the entire glass, it may be a little overly hoppy/spicy, but nevertheless an excellent IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2006 17:19:33 | More by FuzzyGuy84

rowew

Colorado

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

Presentation: 12 oz short bottle. Same label design as the rest of the Green Flash offerings. This is the 3rd of 3 that are available in CO now (Nut Brown and Extra Pale are the others).

Appearance: Pours reddish orange with lots of haze, a big head that is pretty solid. Good retention and lacing.

Smell: Lots of hops - piney with a bit of malt sweetness.

Taste: Very much like the aroma - quite a bit on piney hops with just enough malt to almost balance it out, but not quite.

Overall impression: A nice beer for hopheads - definitely the best of the 3 Green Flash offerings I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2006 21:53:32 | More by rowew

Beaver13

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours a copper orange with lots of miniscule floaties. The head is huge and rocky off white and retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is a huge piney fruity hop blast, yum!

The flavor is sweet malts and melon initially, that are quickly followed by a big hop bitterness that lingers through into a sharp bitter ashy aftertaste. It is medium bodied.

Overall, an excellent IPA! This is right up there with Titan and Stone for me. It a bit unbalanced to the hops (especially in the aftertaste) which keeps it from being top notch (Two-Hearted). I'll definitely be getting this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2006 02:40:41 | More by Beaver13

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

Domingo

Colorado

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

Glad to see more brewers sending their brews to Colorado! I recall seeing the Green Flash PA all over San Diego and a few days after I got back, my local store started carrying this.
Pours a dark golden color with some copper tones. I'd actually compare it to the "east coast" IPA's I've had rather than the slightly lighter west coast ones I've had. Lacing is as good as I've ever seen....coats the glass like a champ.
Smell is of bitter pine-style hops and grain. Not a ton of malt in the smell, but the hops smell is VERY strong.
Flavor starts off with a bitter hops bite, but it mellows into a maltier flavor quickly...only to finish with a hops bite, too! At 7% there's a little alcohol bitterness, too, but it's not overpowering.
Mouthfeel/Drinkability is only limited by your love of hops. If you like hoppy beers, this is your drink. I think the actual hop characteristics in this brew remind me a lot of Stone's IPA, but possibly stronger. However I think the maltiness is a bit more subdued in this beer, too. They're near equals just depending on what you like. I personally would like a little more malt to back-up the hops, but others might go the opposite direction.
This is a winner. If you're a fan of brews like Stone or Lagunitas, pick this one up, too.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 23:25:28 | More by Domingo

gbontrag

Colorado

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

Aroma: I'm surprised by the balance of hops and malt. I note the hops of pine, citrus, etc.
Tastes like fresh wild bergamot, greek oregano; horehound finish, all gliding slick-like on a soft malt stick. Big citrus afterglow: Grapefruit, orange, lime peels.

The thick light pastel yellow froth holds dense as long as it takes to sip the pint. Quilts the glass with lace like a mama trying to keep her baby warm in a blizzard.

Once my palate is deadened a little to the numbing hop kill I really appreciate the malt candy background. The mouthfeel too is lovely, rich and middling on the thick-to-thin spectrum. It poured with more body then I was expecting. A very pretty beer that exceeds some west coast IPAs I've tried.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 04:00:57 | More by gbontrag

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Thanks to bennetj17 for this west coast goodie.
Rust color with two fingers of creamy off-white head..1/2 sticks around and leaves behind some of the stickiest head I have ever witnessed.
Juicy fruit hops fill the nostrils...cotton candy, sweet caramel malt.
The taste is fantastic...incredibly thick with a huge blast of hops...the bitterness grabs the tongue and does not let go. A solid malt backbone tries to balance this out the best it can, but the hops cannot be subdued...actually feel the hops sticking to my enamel.
Sturdy mouthfeel and the carbonation is beautiful...creamy in the finish, thanks to the head that remains until the very last sip.
Ok...maybe not a session beer, but I would have to go this again and again if I had the chance.
This offering is as far as one can go without entering double IPA catergory.
So glad to get to try this one...everything I expected and more.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2006 00:50:32 | More by warriorsoul

bennetj17

Arizona

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

Slightly hazy and copper in color, the head is a nice half-inch with solid retention. The foam clings well to the glass and creates a fine lace. Aroma is sweet and citrus-like with a grassy hop flavor. Nice, but it could have been stronger. The taste starts out tangy and a strong bitterness is immediately detectable thereafter. The hop flavor is strong but not particularly well balanced by and malt flavor. I would have enjoyed more citrus flavor like in the aroma. The bitterness lingers strongly after the finish also. The mouthfeel has a light creaminess, and goes feels nice and smooth. Carbonation is subtle, not sharp. Overall this beer is a nice bitter hop selection, but needs more malt balance and sweetness to make it excellent. Very good...

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2006 01:09:43 | More by bennetj17

PeatReek

California

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a thick amber color with just a touch of haze, and a nice beefy layer of foam that's sticking around. Incredibly bold hop aroma, cascade-y and centennial-y and a couple others I can't quite nail -- strong pine notes over a thick base of citrus. Tastes like all those, with the lemon aspect coming out a bit more strongly in the flavor than in the smell. A little sweet at the outset and full-bodied, but finished with quite a stiff bitterness. A little over the top, in fact, even given the clear prominence of the malty sweetness. That's the only thing keeping this from supreme drinkability; the hop aroma really makes me want to come back for more each time I put it down.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2006 06:16:23 | More by PeatReek

ElGordo

Oregon

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

Pours a copper-orange hue topped by an inch or so of off-white head that subsides after a couple of minutes. Nice carbonation in the form of tiny, tiny bubbles that keep on coming for a while. Aroma of spicy, grassy hops, along with a hint of grapefruit and just a hint of sweet, biscuity malt. The hugely assertive hoppiness on the palate is offset just enough by the sweet malt to keep this beer from being over the top. The hops are grassy and bitter, with just a hint of anise lurking behind the scenes. Body is substantial and just a tad sticky, providing a good vehicle for the lupulin to coat the tongue. Strong, but quite drinkable. I'm glad I discovered the Green Flash.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2006 04:27:55 | More by ElGordo

mmmbeer

Massachusetts

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

12 oz. stubby with no freshness date. It pours a hazed copper with an inch of fluffy khaki head that sticks well, leaving big patches of medium to large bubbles on the glass. It smells like a west coast IPA, with tropical hops (grapefruit, mango) and dank, resiny hop oils. On the palate it is medium and quite smooth with a big tropical hop profile, contributing grapefruit, mango, and hop leaf, and leaving a healthy bitterness along the way. Despite the ABV, this is an easy drinking beer for those looking for a west coast hop fix and my only complaint is that it could have had more of a malt background. However, I will definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2006 19:30:33 | More by mmmbeer

germaniac

California

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

Pours dark, semi-clear copper, with a bunch of creamy, clinging offwhite head.

Smell is definitely hoppy. Lots of citrus, like fresh cut grapefruit soaked in orange juice. Just a bit of malty backbone, way down deep.

Hops aren't as over the top in the taste as they were in the nose. Resiny citrus with straightfoward bitter kick. Malt presence is minimal, but it does provide some mellow caramel flavor towards the finish. Not as crisp and clean as I like my IPA's, but still a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 22:27:53 | More by germaniac

monkeybutler

Vermont

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

Appearance is burnt orange with excellent lacing, good carbonation and a wispy white head.

Smell is all citrusy american hops. But for the slight malt backbone, I'd be hardpressed to distinguish this beer from a recently cut grapefruit. From cracking the cap to the end of the pour, prepare to be assaulted with citrus.

The taste doesn't belie the smell. Tons of citrusy american hops, but with a more pronounced maltiness and another layer of underlying hop bitterness. It's very well put together.

The bitterness stays with you a bit, which isn't a terrible downfall, but it can be overwhelming- which is why I don't give it such high marks on drinkability.

Overall this beer is a can't miss in the pantheon of west coast ipas and dipas.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2006 02:50:18 | More by monkeybutler

nickss

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Has this beauty in Richmond after a long day of interviews.

Pours a grogeous coppery amber hue with a generous 1/2" resilient head.... the head itself is predominantly rocky in appearance.

The aroma is filled of grapefruit and orange zest... they fill the nose... yay simcoe hoppiness! My only desire is that the aroma was a bit more pungent.

Huge simcoe presence in the taste... loads of grapefruit and pine resin, coupled with citrus rinds.

Big rich mouithfeel.... moderate carbonation amplified by bittering hoppiness.

Imminently drinkable... absolutely a fantastic beer, and the first I have had from this brewery. Looking forward to trying more of their in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2006 01:57:54 | More by nickss

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy iced tea and orange color with a soapy, clingy light beige head. Very good retention. Very floral, spicy, somewhat piney and candy-like in aroma, attention mostly focused around the hops. Well, there's no false advertising going on, this is certainly a "West Coast I.P.A.". Predominantly hoppy and bitter, however, some tea-like malt sweetness comes through mid-palate, adding some depth and a further bit of toastiness comes through nearer the finish. But the obvious attention-getter of this ale is the hops and their orientation to the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. Playful carbonation accentuates the long, bittering finish on this one. I could easily put away a few and take a hop nap.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2006 03:14:48 | More by crookedhalo

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

asabreed

New York

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

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Light copper yellow with moderate bubbles floating to the top. Lots of sloppy and sticky lacing all over the place with no set pattern ahead of it. Head stays at about 1/2" as I drink.

Smell: Beautifully gorgeous and insane piney hops, an attack on the senses that I love. The slightest amount of malt sweetness is in there, which balances the fantastic hop sprawl.

Taste: This is intense, balanced, flavorful, and risky. For all those attributes it succeeds. The finish is dry, with a ton of piney hops by the end. Lots of flavor, lots of malt, but then again, tons of hops. I'm loving it here with this.

Mouthfeel: A lot of carbonation that initially masks the flavors, which I also like. It's almost a delay to the goodness that quickly, after the hop mask. But the carbonation sinks into a creaminess that's nice after the bubbles subside.

Drinkability: A hophead's dream? Maybe, yes. A West Coast IPA? Indeed. I'm a huge fan of this and I'll definitely be buying it again. As I said, it's intense, flavorful, and, quite possibly, not for the faint of heart. In that case, you may want to think about it, or you can take the chance. When can I get some more Green Flash? I hope the other styles have as much going on as this does.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2006 04:03:34 | More by asabreed

GreenWBush

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My parents brought this one back to me all the way from the Papago Brewery in Arizona. Thanks!

This one pours out of the bottle a deep bronze, with a slow-churning head that creates an absolutely gorgeous meringue effect on the top of the glass. This fluffy beer-cloud leaves a remarkable trail of stick to the glass.

The nose is all shades of hops; fruity, citrusy, zinc-y, metallic, and green/herbal. Completely one-sided, but completely appealing.

The taste is more of the same, a dank hop-slap of insane bitterness. While this does go over-the-top a little bit - my mouth was aflame with alpha acids - I did enjoy this much more than some of the even more unbalanced IPAs I have been drinking. Hop burps could be ignited.

A slight astringency (batteries, pennies, metal) takes away from this and sends it towards the hop-tea pile of West-Coast IPAs. Still, an intense change of pace that I could definitely enjoy from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2006 15:45:23 | More by GreenWBush

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

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle from hoppedup as part of BIF 25*. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1" beige head above the somewhat cloudy amber brew. Pillowy head lasts nicely, with plentiful sticky lacing. Aroma is malty sweet with strong fruity and piney hops. Taste is the fruity/piney hops indicated in the nose, with a light undercurrent of grain, and closing with licks of pine all over. A bit over the top for me, but then again, that's the west coast way sometimes. Mouthfeel and drinkability are acceptable for the style. A bit harsh at times, but a nice over-hopped IPA if that's what you need.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2006 00:19:48 | More by ppoitras

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