Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This came at the recommendation of Robert, the beer guy at Spec's in the Woodlands, and he has turned me on to some pretty good beers so far, so I just blindly took his word for it on this one. Looking at the score, I am glad that I did. Let's see what this one has to offer.

Appearance: Pours with a huge head and tons of carbonation. Though you can tell that the beer is pretty clear, there are so many bubbles rising that it looks cloudy. I know that this will settle down eventually. The head was pushing 2" when I first poured it, and it hadn't changed in over a minute. After drinking half the glass, there is a thick wall of lace left on the glass that looks very Belgian.

Aroma: The foam is making the aroma a bit hard to identify in the beginning. I can get a bit of hops, and bit of sweet toasty malt with some caramel thrown in there, and some already obvious alcohol. I will come back to this once it settles a bit. Coming back to the aroma, it gets a bit more intense as it has warmed up, and the alcohol is getting to be a bigger player. I guess the hops are coming out a bit more too, so it is starting to favor the Pale Ale side here.

Taste: The flavor is very smooth and well blended. There is a good bit of hops up front, so they were put in the kettle late, and are accentuating the Pale Ale aspect of the beer. The malt is very firm in its toastiness and there is a good bit of mouthfeel giving you a little bit of cream to coat the throat and keep the alcohol from being so noticeable at first. The beer is well balanced in the finish, so much so that it is hard to tell who is in charge. I think that I am going to say that the hops win in the end, but not by much. They make the beer a little dry on the back of the throat, and by the time the alcohol cuts through the creaminess, it gets a little dry on the palate to linger after the sip.

Opinion: Overall I have been really happy with this beer. It has a different experience in flavor, and really favors a Belgian Pale overall and would compete with any of the best of them in my opinion. That said, it isn't necessarily my favorite style, so I doubt that I will feel the need to go back here, but it was a good experience and I am glad that I took Robert's word for this one. He's racking up credits, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 07:54:36 | More by SkeeterHawk

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

Jamison85

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-13-2013 01:35:13 | More by Jamison85

Gww1864

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1%

05-12-2013 21:18:53 | More by Gww1864

ryanpj

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1%

05-12-2013 21:16:17 | More by ryanpj

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1%

05-12-2013 17:58:38 | More by mikeburd1128

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Sierra Grille. Beverage had a great and orange-copper appearance with a rich, frothy head. Aromas included smells of yeast and hops. Wish I could have pin-pointed the fruit aroma I smelled, but there was a nice ripe, fruit aroma to the drink. Taste was a good mix of fruits and hops. I felt like I could taste a flavor of pineapple and bready hops. Good mouthful of a medium carbonation that helps the flavors come out without being muted. Overall, a pretty good drink. Never tried too many Belgian IPAs, but this definitely makes me want to try more.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 14:09:29 | More by fitzy84

drinkAK

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-12-2013 00:30:56 | More by drinkAK

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

05-11-2013 06:28:23 | More by YobroitsJoe

ScottieD

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-11-2013 02:02:29 | More by ScottieD