Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Reino

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First of six reviews that are all possible because of a great first time trader, theWolfofMibu. Thanks man!

Appearance- Poured from a 22oz bottle with some cool artwork into my trusty New Belgian goblet. A bit over a two finger head rises up, off-white in color, and fairly resilient. Looking through the glass you see pretty large bubbles gripping the sides, but from the top it looks creamy and tight. It fights the good fight for a good amount of time, but gives in to its fate leaving a creamy skim for me to remember it by. There's a good amount of lacing, but nothing epic. The beer itself is a very full/dense burnt orange-gold with apricot and blond highlights surrounding it on all sides. The transitions in colors makes for a pretty beer.

Smell- This beer smells REALLY good. The bubblegum yeast jumps at you first. The yeast sort of smells like a banana, sweet pear flavored cotton candy. I don't get much in terms of hops, but what I do smell gives off a cousin cannabis hop aroma. There are underlying notes of clove and a tiny bit of coriander. The delicious sugary scents pretty much dominate, but with the hops trying to get into the party, there is this resulting smell of something I'm having trouble describing. It forms this cleansing, cool aroma, like a sweet spearmint tea or Vick's vapor rub. I'm probably crazy, but I enjoy taking big whiffs of this brew.

Taste- This beer greets me with leafy and spicy hops. The nose and the taste are on two completely different plains of existence when it comes to sweetness levels. This beer has a ton of shit going on. One sip starts leafy/floral, moves on to bubblegum, apricot, spicy pear and piny heat. The next sip leaves me with a completely different finish that is more earthy with a bit of citrus rinds and has much more pepper in the middle than sweetness. Just when I think I have somewhat of a grip on the flavors, it starts having malts in the finish. These malts taste like a very legit, whole wheat bread that was rubbed with hops instead of olive oil and garlic. I really enjoy what the finish has evolved into. The beginning to middle/end turns into a buddy-up session between pepper spiciness and leafy and piny hops. There is definitely sweetness in this beer, but it comes in flashes in the middle and is overshadowed by some awesome bitterness and the ever evolving finish. One thing about the finish is pretty consistent though, it's dry. The only touch of sweetness comes from a taste of grapefruit rind. This beer has a shit-ton going on. It would be a 5 if more sweetness was present. I'm greedy and would like to see more of the tripel sweetness that I usually bad mouth show up in the taste like it did in the nose.

Mouthfeel- Refreshing and cleansing with a good amount of carbonation and medium to light fullness. The 9.2%abv does not let itself be known on the tongue. However, this beer is very dry on the tongue. You'll want a glass or two of water after you're done with the bomber.

Drinkability- 9.2% bah, lies! This baby goes down smooth with little heat. The dryness does take it's toll, though. A bomber goes down no problem, but I think I'm ready to move on to something with less going on and that isn't as wearing on the tongue. Definitely keep the bomber to yourself, though. One pint would not be enough. Shit, I'm really torn on this score. Oh well, I'm getting buzzed and shouldn't second guess myself. A great beer. Worth trading for.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 04:58:11 | More by Reino

BrazilianAussie

Brazil

4/5  rDev -1%

05-24-2013 23:58:13 | More by BrazilianAussie

JWP

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-24-2013 23:16:43 | More by JWP

BradtheGreat7

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz brown Green Flash style bottle. Label is of traditional Green Flash style on their 12 oz bottlings. Poured this into a Belgian style stemmed tulip glass.

A - straw like golden with some haze to it. Pretty velvety white head blends well with the body color. The head finds its way to a steady and frothy ring of lace leaving good stick.

S - good Belgian style yeast up front. Yeast aroma is very well done. Lots of fruitiness going on with some citrusy and pine like hop aromas. Everything gets almost floral toward the back with the addition of funky spices and the yeast takes on bready notes.

T - this ale is definitely well hoped, but the style of Belgian yeast used sets everything in motion while controlling the hop bitterness. Big light colored fruits, resinous hops, citrus, bread like with some nice spices. Finish is zesty and semi dry, but the touch of alcohol Booz remind you it's a big brew.

M - a definite Belgian styled ale. It has a lot going on and takes a moment to sort everything out as everything seem to hit you at once, but even with the 9.2% on the tag it's still a pretty damn enjoyable beer. I can't say its the smoothest I've ever had, but it does have a lot of drinkability to it.

O - it scores 100 based on pure uniqueness and the brewers ball size of even attempting to pull off a Belgian style ipa with a tripel lol. This is what I love about Green Flash.. The have the imagination to attempt something like this yet the class to pull it off. A pretty refreshing Belgian ipa. Something ill buy again no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 21:45:50 | More by BradtheGreat7

Michael_20P

California

4/5  rDev -1%

05-23-2013 23:17:01 | More by Michael_20P

DRTBrewster

Arizona

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

05-23-2013 21:47:23 | More by DRTBrewster

mxchap

California

2.5/5  rDev -38.1%

05-21-2013 04:07:19 | More by mxchap

johntfox

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-20-2013 22:20:28 | More by johntfox

CDCNAM

Louisiana

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

05-20-2013 16:20:23 | More by CDCNAM

Geno206

Washington

4/5  rDev -1%

05-20-2013 04:20:17 | More by Geno206

AdamP

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-20-2013 01:48:38 | More by AdamP

capnamerica

Arkansas

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

05-19-2013 23:53:24 | More by capnamerica

Glibber

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-19-2013 21:58:50 | More by Glibber

mc4z

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-19-2013 05:44:07 | More by mc4z

anteater

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-19-2013 01:26:15 | More by anteater

dwagner003

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-17-2013 13:25:31 | More by dwagner003

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Nothing better than walking into a gas station and seeing rows of Green Flash bombers; I’ve got to go to Missouri more often.

A: Pouring this into a Duvel tulip was a great idea, because Le Freak fits the Belgian pale look perfectly. Half-and-half white head and hazy amber body, with the foam looking nice and chunky as it slowly disappears. Bubbly lacing webs spread all the way around.

S: Pepper, ginger root, and white wine hop notes provide an uplifting aroma to a nose that broods with the caramel butteriness of American DIPA malt. It has a hint of age to it, almost old enough to provide an overpowering mustiness to the nose; however, the molasses and plum scent of Belgian candi sugar paint over most of the flaw with a hefty, in-style meatiness.

T: Candi sugar oozes tastes of plum and black cherry cobbler from the start, with a slight black licorice quality. A familiar hop pattern of pine and grapefruit make this distinctly American, exciting the palate to a momentary crispness as it melds with a slightly cheesy yeast funk. A buildup of brine sweeps across as the aftertaste hits, as bright, dry, and catty as any Belgian ale, but with a lingering note of biting fusel alcohol.

M: Try to swirl it around your mouth at all and you’re left with a frothy remnant of the beer you first drank – this is as softly carbonated as they come. A sign of bottle conditioning, sure, but a little crispness would help battle the thickness of the palate.

O: I’m left wondering whether I got all that I paid for. I know that Green Flash started bottle-dating recently, but it’s possible that the light yellow ink had been rubbed off, which is frustrating. Now, I don’t think every brewer should make their beers like Stone, with the “Enjoy By” date in huge letters on the label, but it wouldn’t hurt to date bottles in a manner that couldn’t be sabotaged by any bottle shop employee with a wet rag and a desire to sell old beer. At any rate, this is a beer that did pretty well with a little age on it. Though I wished it were fresher, I’m glad I got to try – because it was an excellent Belgo-American ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:34:20 | More by BarryMFBurton

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-16-2013 23:07:19 | More by Slatetank

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

05-15-2013 21:34:29 | More by KingEdward

Zbeetleman

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-15-2013 03:23:46 | More by Zbeetleman

jburd19

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

05-14-2013 22:58:48 | More by jburd19

4amepiphany

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

05-14-2013 05:03:57 | More by 4amepiphany

Tshack

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

05-13-2013 12:37:28 | More by Tshack

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1%

05-13-2013 10:44:06 | More by MDDMD

SadMachine

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-13-2013 05:07:09 | More by SadMachine