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

sideshowrob

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was one of the better imperial IPA's I've had in a while. The color was a bit on the light side, and very well filtered, which left me somewhat suspicious at first. The nose was great, with lots of piney and sweet resin notes. The taste was great - this is the type of beer that first got me hooked on big IPA's - a big west-coast style that's all hop and no balance. Stuff is hop juice. Mouthfeel was good, a bit undercarbonated and almost flat though. Very drinkable. I still don't really think it was a 9%er. Had this stuff on Tap at Friscos in Columbia. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2006 19:32:51 | More by sideshowrob

BeerRun13

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pors a super clear deep gold color with a solid/sturdy, bubbly cream color head. Fades a bit and leaves awesome lace.
Resin hop aroma. Pine, citrus, and something I would have to describe as almost pungent or musty... but in a good way. Reading the lable, this may be one my first encounters with sumit hops, but not sure.
Hops galore in this one. Pine for sure, a touch of citrus, and a flavor that mirrors that other quality I got from the nose. Sweet mid sip and a big bitterness that washes it down. Bitterness grows as you drink.
Medium to full bodied. Nicely carbonated. Oily and slick.
I know that one of these days hops are gonna kill my taste buds, but I love 'em. This one is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2006 22:10:43 | More by BeerRun13

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to doppel07 for breaking this 22 ounce bottle open...
Appears a transparent, light orange with a small white head. Tiny speckles of lacing are left aound the glass.
Smell is of skunky, sticky marijuana, spicey, earthy, citrus, bordering cat piss, and intense spiced grapefruit.
Taste is sweet, spicey, citrus, earthy, bitterly hopped, woody with a grassy rawness.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, bitter, mildly sweet, and semi-dry.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2006 19:45:46 | More by weeare138

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 650 mL bomber from my 2006 Secret Santa, nvsblman.

A: The ale is a copper red color with a small wispy head that laces well.

S: The ale has a very pungent hop aroma. I pick up some grapefruit but it is overpowered by the pungency.

T: The ale has an interesting taste. The intense hops in the nose pop up in the taste too. There is a bit of grapefruit hops but there is a lot of bitterness that doesn't fit in with the grapefruit. It has the effect of making the whole beer taste bad. I think that the hops are a little too overloaded, not paired well together.

M: The mouth is dominated by the strong, intensely bitter hops.

D: The drinkability is limited by the higher abv and a taste that is too bitter and unfocused. Stick with the West Coast IPA for a nice hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2006 03:22:24 | More by akorsak

jwc215

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours golden amber with a lasting, thin white head that leaves some traces of lacing down the glass.

The smel is of pine. My Christmas tree should smell so piney - If I were not in the same room, I would have thought I was standing to close to it. Slightly musty.

I should have known from the smell - pine - can almost taste the sap and everything. Some sweet malt ties the piney hops together, but hardly balances it out any. Some citrusy hops try to emerge but are held back by the overwhelming pine. The alcohol is noticeable, but not as much as expected for abv level.

Creamy body. Feels full. A slight acidity, almost metallic, aftertaste left on the tongue detracts a bit.

There is something of a smoothness about it, and plenty of hops, but the overwhelming pine, slight mustiness, and acidity make this fit the "mediocre" category for this style pretty well. Not a total loss if you are into pine, but I won't be getting this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2006 18:24:53 | More by jwc215

phisig137

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light amber/ golden color, with a one finger head from a vigorous pour. Decent retention with no lacing, just a small ring of foam in the glass.

Aroma is outrageous. Pine-sol. Seriously piney hops, along with some grassiness, combined with a decent level of alcohol present in the nose, makes this smell like floor cleaner. This is definitely a love it or hate it smell. I think it's pretty good, and leaves me curious as to the flavor.

Unfortunately, I'm let down here. Tons of hop flavor, but not well integrated at all. Very little malt presence does not help this at all. The different hop flavors clash quite badly, leaving you with an unpleasant bitterness that is harsh and metallic. Mouthfeel is fairly full and creamy. Drinkability is pretty good for the alcohol.

I've got to say that I've very disappointed in this. The Green Flash West Coast IPA I really enjoy sometimes, this one just doesn't do it at all. Very unbalanced, harsh hoppiness, with no malt to back it up. Their standard IPA is much better. For that matter, their barleywine is a far better DIPA than this is... I won't be buying it again...

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2006 02:03:18 | More by phisig137

Beaver13

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear golden amber with a big frothy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is strong piney and peppery hops with a little charcoal and doughy malts underneath.

The flavor is kind of a mish-mash. There's some sweet bready malts, a little fruitiness (melon) and a good amount of hops (piney, peppery and floral). It ends with some harsh bitterness and a little sweetness and a weird aftertaste. The flavor profile is just not very smooth and the flavors don't blend well. The mouthfeel is medium with some harsh carbonation.

Overall, this was a bit of a let down. I like their IPA, so I was looking forward to this, but it was not as good.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2006 07:37:27 | More by Beaver13

DogFood11

California

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter it forms a fluffy white head that leaves some sliding lace. Orange outer shell and copper towards the core but fairly light overall. Pretty good lacing that is coat like and sticky.

Piney as a mu fucka. This is my third bomber out of the case and I admit I went into it thinking it would be a doubled up version of their west coast IPA. Kind of like when I and others have gone into Sierra Nevada IPA thinking it must be a hoppier version of the pale ale when they are completely different and independant of eachother. This is the same in that it doesn't reflect any of the attributes of its IPA. The verdict here is that its hop profile couldn't be farther from its smaller product. This offering is huge in RAW PINEY HOPS!! Its very raw and somewhat musky, but at the end of the day the pine needles take over. Wet towel malt profile is a complete afterthought but its hiding in the backdrop.

Notes: Love this brewery. I had to re-review this offering as it has grown on me and now I love this thing. My first impressions were that it was too raw but in the right mood this thing is a hop lovers dream. I can appreciate the quality of this. Double up that hop recipe for the west coast IPA and you'll have beer gold. For now though this brew has a time and a place where it fits perfectly. In typical Green Flash style the price is very reasonable.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2006 08:15:17 | More by DogFood11

Dukeofearl

California

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$4.99 for a 22 oz. bomber at LaBodega, in Riverside, CA., December 2006. The label proudly proclaims 101 IBUs.

Pours a golden-amber color, much lighter than many DIPAs I've enjoyed; this holds a moderate, creamy head. Last night I tried the latest Yulesmith offering (2006) and it had a massive root-beer float head that defines a proper DIPA head- this one comes no where close.

Aroma is fresh tart hops that are piney and grassy and herbal. Usually not my favorite hop stype (I like citrus fruity better), but here it works.

Flavor is bitter hops, strong, piney but with a semi-sweet citrus undertone that keeps it from being too much. A nice balance. This isn't objective and descriptive, but it is unlike the DIPA flavors I have had before, but it works. I like it.

Mouthfeel and drinkability- this one is lighter and thinner than many/most/all other DIPAs that I've had, and that may be against style, but to tell you the truth, I really like it this way. Big and bold but not overpowering.

Of the several Green Flash beers I've tried, this is my favorite. Good work- keep it up!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2006 01:26:28 | More by Dukeofearl

ElGordo

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is a bright orange color with golden highlights, topped by a creamy, bright white head. Awesome, huge, sharp aroma of hops, hops, and more hops. Assertive spicy notes of grapefruit, pine, grass, and dank cannabis. Really not sure I've smelled anything this hoppy that hasn't been passed through a Randall.
Palate is a bit more balanced, with the hops blending with lightly sweet caramel malt up front. The sharp, piney flavor of the hops comes through just before the swallow, with a flourish of grapefruit appearing right before the hoppy, fairly alcoholic finish. Almost like chewing on some Simcoe hops, I think.
Body is rich and a little syrupy, which tends to be the case with some of these DIPAs that verge on being hop wines. Still, very drinkable, although the 9% alcohol asserts itself about halfway through the bottle. Maybe find a friend to share this one with.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2006 04:49:30 | More by ElGordo

Ego

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

double IPAs are all the rage, stealing the covers of BeerQ and Vanity Lager magazines...

eyes...
light caramel color with an orange tinge, a nice, condensed white head, retention is good as well as the lacing. a nice looking beer but nothing "wows" you.

nose...
super pine, REALLY pine driven, to the point of almost smelling like a cleaning product and/or fresh cannabis (so I have heard), the malts really have to fight to be detected but some hints of sweetness escape this alcatraz of tree shaped car freshners. kind of a one trick pony, it lacks the depth of some other DIPAs

taste etc...
yep, it's bitter, the carbonation is a bit deceptive, almost prickly but a touch creamy and slick, once you get used to the bitterness it is a pretty mild ride, the alcohol is well hidden (not perfectly though). It's a bit thin but the hop oils help to smooth it out. The flavor is much like the smell, pine to the wazoo, it;s tasty enough, but doesn't distinguish itself too much from other DIPAs

verdict?
not bad, worth a try but don't expect to be blown away. unless you like to suck on pine needles all the live long day (you freak you)

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2006 03:34:44 | More by Ego

sacfly

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz, no fresh date.
Pours a clear golden color with a huge head of small/medium off white bubbles. Sharp, perfume pine/herbal aroma. A touch of lemongrass and… chives(?). Taste is smooth and well balanced between the bitter hops and sweet malt. A touch of garlic(?) in the aftertaste with a lingering clean bitterness. The garlic and chives take over as it warms. I happen to like both, but I’m not sure that is what I would go for in a beer… Odd, but enjoyable for me. Not for everyone. The label states that Summit and Nugget hops were used. I am assuming the Summit hops are giving it the onion/garlic character. I never got that from Nugget. 22oz was enough. I almost got sick of it at the end.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2006 00:50:21 | More by sacfly

Terp96

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have been wanting to try a six of the West Coast IPA for some time but recently spotted this bomber. Being the hophead that I am, I jumped right into this one instead.

Not much to the label. No dating but it does mention that it is a "San Diego-style IPA....It's all about the hops!" It also mentions that the beer weighs in at 9% ABV and 101 IBUs. Bring it on!

The pour is nice with the right amount of carbonation (not too much) and a decent head that was gone by mid glass. Color is a bright amber and suprisingly clear. Maybe not bottle conditioned.

Smell is fantastic. Very piney and almost gin-like. You can detect a small amount of citrusy aroma as well. The description on the bottle says that this beer has a "unique blend of Summit and Nugget hops." You get the feeling that this is a huge hop bomb.

Taste was fantastic at first. Very hoppy, peppery and bitter. Like the smell, the taste is very piney with a hint of citrus on the back. There is also a slight sweetness that lingers but not enough to balance out the hops. There is not enough of a malt presence.

Mouthfeel was decent. Very peppery on the tongue and very dry in the finish. However, the lack of a malt presence makes this beer seem thin and one dimensional. "It's all about the hops!" No kidding.

All in all, this beer is very drinkable if you love hops. I can get past the sub par malt presence because of the hop aroma and taste. The 9% ABV is masked rather nicely as well. I will go back for several of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2006 22:29:40 | More by Terp96