Green Flash Imperial India Pale Ale - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Odubs

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured at a very respected beer bar, The Moan and Dove, in Western Mass. One finger large bubble foamy head that sits atop a reddish orange body color. Both a friend and I had it simultaneously, and his laced in parallel lines that tapered off as it went towards the bottom of the glass. A sight to behold.

S - I think we are all adult enough to say it - this beer reeks of a certain type of herb. It is at once staunch and powerful, intensely fruity and flowery. It is pungent, to be sure. Some citrus ethers that belie the alcohol content.

T - Big citrus fruits. Grapefruit is most pronounced with its bitterness, and even though I found the taste a bit two dimensional, it tastes very, very good in those dimensions. My friend also mentioned a ginseng-like taste that lingered at the back of the throat. I marveled at the dry hopping, just crisp and flowery.

M - Dry and punchy. A hop bitterness that hits you up front, right at first, then cascades in the mouth down the throat. It is a very clean beer, and by that I mean I found it crisp and well balanced through the initial perception to the after taste.

D - I don't think I would want too many. Even one was enough. It is just a huge hop beer, straight up, so much punch and clarity, but at 9% it is a little bit too much to kick back on. I really appreciated it for it's straightforward commitment to what it is, but it is a beer to marvel at once in a night; have your friends take a sip to experience it, finish the rest, and move on to something else. You will surely remember it in the morning.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2008 07:28:57 | More by Odubs

morgenw

California

4.93/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Drinking from a batch that was bottle the 25th of June and this is exceptional. This is truly the West Coast IPA on steroids. The nose was heavily infected with hops. The taste was extremely bitter, I was really hoping for this in this beer, because past bottles haven't been anything special. This was the first time that I was able to find a batch date on the case that it came from. I can only speculate that the others were not as fresh as this. This was AWESOME!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 06:54:30 | More by morgenw

brent281

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The color and clarity of this beer for an imperial IPA are amazing.

The way they use these high alpha acid hops is extremely creative. I don't think i have ever seen a lighter IPA, let a lone an imperial IPA than this version. This is one of my new favorite beers.

For 9%+ ABV its very drinkable and could probably consume a few. The hops don't totally destroy your taste buds and its welll balanced.

The aroma is above average but it had an unbelievable POP it could be one of the best overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 02:26:21 | More by brent281

SquirrelBoy22

Washington

4.97/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of my favorite IPA's of all time. Crush fresh hops in your hand and it will smell like this beer. I love this beer so much I went to their garage about an hour or so away from San Diego and told them they need to sell this in Seattle as we LOVE IPA's! They have started sending it to us!!! I bought a case of it from them at the "pub" to bring back and had to pull all sorts of stuff out of my checked bag just so I would be under the 50 lb limit. Oh yes, it is that good!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 09:19:17 | More by SquirrelBoy22

No1Smitty

California

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz Bomber Poured into a 20 oz Glass

A- Pours a rich copper red with a thick whipped peaks two finger foam.

S- Smells like a pine tree with hints of citrus.

T- a very bold flavor of hops with a smooth feel over the tounge. Can detect some citrus and or grapefruit.

M- Definetly not a light feel. A heavy mouthful yet enjoyable.

O- I love Doubles. And this one does not disappoint. The experience of drinking is great
I will definitely drink again as it is in my wheel house of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 03:20:15 | More by No1Smitty

ortango

4.98/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My favorite. Signed up just to add a rating to this awesome ipa.

A: not copper. its golden yellow, almost amber.

S: a bit floral, with a nuggety aroma. F'n great.

T: amazing. totally a stoner's beer, really! tastes like nuggets, just like it smells. Being a 9.5%, it's so covert, you don't even notice alcohol.

M: Thick head then a smooth beer. Not thick, but definitely not watery.

Overall: Top notch stuff. Pop the bottle and chase that smell. I've been hooked on this stuff for along time now (years).... the only substitutes i like are maybe Ithaca flower power, troegs nugget nectar, or a good hoppy barleywine ---- all else has been a let down. Even if it's not your favorite i would challenge you to find a 9.5 abv as discreet as this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 04:36:00 | More by ortango

JoeBlow

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Orangish-yellow, turbid like a wheat. Kinda pretty. The turbidity doesn't bother me. Nice thick, soapy head which sticks around for a minute and laces a little bit.

S: Fruity hops. Strong and green smelling. Smells about average for an IPA.

T: The first taste is good. A nice sweetness bursts with the initial hop aroma. The hop taste is less aromatic than it smells. The sweetness is stabbed in the belly by a sharp, resinous bitterness (like earwax). Okay, I can deal with that. As it goes down, the bitter turns to a burn as I taste the 9.4% ABV. Not all high alcohol beers do this. My mouth is still hot well into the second sip. About halfway through the glass, the aroma disappears, which was the main part I was enjoying. Now I am left with the sharp bitterness and an almost syrupy sweetness without a lot of malt flavor. Weird. Is it too bitter or too sweet? It's much like a debt ceiling debate between republicans and democrats. You wan't to root for one, but end up hating both. The flavors just don't work well together.

M: Nice at first while the aroma is there. Then is becomes a resinous syrup at the end that you wish would maybe thin out a little. Like a tar-burn on your skin that you can't wash off.

Low drinkability. I had difficulty choking down an entire pint. I drank it slowly enough that I was slurring before it was gone (yeah, I'm a lightweight).

IPA is not my favorite style to begin with, but some I enjoy much more than others. I would say this is a little better than most I've tried. I enjoy the aroma more than the taste, and I've smelled better. The bitterness is overpowering. I'm sure many hopheads would disagree. Overall, not a bad beer, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:39:41 | More by JoeBlow