Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.04/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 1.3.13

A - Crystal clear medium orange with a huge cream-colored head with good retention.

S - Hoppy grass, then some pineapple and orange citrus.

T - Belgian spice then hop citrus overtake all the other flavors.

D - Great carbonation with a light body.

O - A nice mix, Belgian then tons of West Coast hoppy IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 05:58:58 | More by HuskyinPDX

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.64/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Green Flash Le Freak has a thick, spongy, cream-colored head, and a brilliant, bubbly, yellow-golden appearance, which has a gray-yellow descending cloud in it once the bottom of the bottle is swished and poured in. Some thick, splotchy lacing is left on the sides of the glass. The aroma is of pine oil (hop oil) and grapefruit. The taste is the same, with sweetness, sugar, lots of bitterness, some biscuit, and bread crust. Mouthfeel is slimy and medium, and Green Flash Le Freak finishes dry, sweet & sour, and delicious. After ten minutes or so, the alcohol punches the drinker in the brain. This really is Le Freak. Wonderful!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 17:12:35 | More by RonaldTheriot

bound4er

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Turbid amber appearance with a white, puffy two finger head. Laces well.

M. Belgian yeast, fruity ester, spicy malt.

T. Palate mirrors the nose pretty closely. The yeast gives off a nice tropical fruitiness. Malt comes into play through it breadiness. Finishes with nice hop bitterness

M. Medium body, refreshing carbonation.

O. Not something I want to drink more than one of in a session but very tasty nonetheless. My reference Belgian-style IPA is Bedlam - this stuff is pretty close.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:01:42 | More by bound4er

Alchemist

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was very pleased with the both the aroma and taste of this beer. I drank this not knowing the style was a converging of Belgian and IPA. I think a true testament to this beer is that it was obvious what was being attempted as you drank it. I think they accomplished this beautifully.

For a 9.2% beer it went down easily with a nice hop aroma and a huge hop forward taste. This for me was a very hop dominated beer (not a bad thing). If you are expecting a malty IPA this isn't it. A nice amber color with decent head retention completes the picture.

Overall, a very nice offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 22:02:44 | More by Alchemist

Keyportnick

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A-pours a golden amber with a haze. Strong white head that fades and rests a thin a layer on top.

S-very strong bready tones from the Belgian yeast and malt. The hops are pretty much no present in the nose. More Belgian than iipa.

T- strong Belgian sweet bready malts. Hops kick in with bitter dry grass and dull citrus

M- big body with a light carbonation. Finishes sweet and dry

O- one hell of an interesting combo here. Trippel takes the cake as far as the blend goes but the hops are sneaky and tasty too

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 02:34:46 | More by Keyportnick

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle, no date, I'm assuming it's pretty fresh since its only been in this market for about a week, poured into NB Globe glass
A- Pours a very hazy orangish yellow with thick, maybe slightly off-white head, great lacing and good retention
S- Has a definite aroma of a Trippel, banana, Belgian yeast, sugar, fruity, candy. Light malts and grassy hops in the background
T- Taste features more bitterness than expected from the nose, balances well with more Tripel flavors from the nose. Sweet and hoppy.
M- 5.0. Best part of this beer.. Big, Smooth, juicy and a little creamy in the mouth, bitter and "zesty" as the label suggests as well, flavors coat the mouth but its very drinkable even at 9.2%
O- This is a damn fine beer, Deliciously drinkable, not much I didn't like here, has a big, diverse body and combines the great flavors of a Trippel and an IPA. Looking forward to having many more of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:25:10 | More by BasterdInABasket

jera1350

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Burnt orange color that is slightly muddy looking. Massive head of foam that leaves lots of lace clinging to the glass.

Huge fruity and hoppy nose. Smells more belgian than american. Lemon and belgian yeast esters fill the nostrils. Like a hopped up belgian style brew which is supposed to be the aim I guess.

The taste is more belgian also, but the american hops are not to be outdone. Really tastes like a tripel at the base with tons of belgian yeast characters. The hops are big, but low on the bitterness scale. More fruity and piney with citrus also. Medium amount of sweetness with a citrus peel finish.

Close to a full body with lots of pillowy soft carbonation sweeping across the tongue. Very smooth with a drier finish.

Wonderful take on a belgian IPA. Really more like a true belgian tripel with loads of american hops added. Typically, this style just has the belgian yeast, but this one adds the sweetness and malt/candi sugar flavors that are found in tripels. A very tasty beer that stands out for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 02:53:39 | More by jera1350

jjchristiano

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hops and Alcohol.
One of the hoppiest beers I've tried and the ABV is 9.2%.
Appearance is a little murky as I poured into a wine glass and there was active yeast still bubbling away in the glass. Drank it at temperature in the 45-50 degree range which was just right. smell and taste are a perfect match in this beer as the very hop flavor you anticipate is what you get. No other off flavors to surprise.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 05:08:49 | More by jjchristiano

magictacosinus

California

4.6/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

About time I picked up another Green Flash brew. This one looks intriguing for the Belgian beer fanatic in me! Poured into a snifter from a 22oz bomber.

Produces a fabulous golden yellow, orange toned color, complete with a head that sticks around for a surprisingly long while considering the ABV. The head is creamy and yeasty, and large bubbles appear at the top, especially during the process of sinking. In fact, this whole thing is quite delightfully bubbly, almost in the way that champagne is. There's a good yeasty tone in the center of the beer, and it seems pretty dense, especially considering the massive alcohol leggings going on here. Is it a tripel or a Belgian IPA though? A combination of both, it seems! Fun stuff.

The aroma is, as expected from the description, a combo of zesty citrus (especially on the orange/clementine variety) and fruity, full-bodied Belgian yeast strands. For that matter, it pretty much reminds me of two of my favorite styles (the West Coast IPA and the tripel), and in this case, it's a true match made in heaven. Unsure still how this will hold up in the flavor. The boozy notes come off quite strong, but not as much as the hops or yeast. I can barely gather any malty aromas right here, but perhaps its for the best. It smells pretty terrific as it is, as it is quite fresh and flavorful overall.

The flavor definitely expands what I was trying to find in this beer, however! Other than the obvious dry hopped bitter flavor at first, it's quickly replaced with fruity aromas ranging from orange to sweetened lemon to candied sugar. Tripels usually have a ton of dried hops in them, but in this case, the West Coast variety from Green Flash is earthier, more on the zesty and grassy side, and also the malts are slightly sweeter as well. However, the yeasty flavors and thickness are as great as any good tripel I've had from Belgium. It's truly stunning how close they've gotten the style down in this case. There's an undeniable freshness that permeates throughout, and it tastes as such no matter how much it sits around. The alcohol is quite present, but there's a smoothness amongst the dryness that makes this a fine drinking experience indeed. I also enjoyed adding the yeast to this by the end, as it thickened the experience, but definitely reduced the hoppiness!

Fantastic job once again from the people at Green Flash. If this weren't such a hybrid, I'd say this is one of the best tripel-styled beers in America. However, the better news that because it's a hybrid recipe, it's a beer that's *unlike* any other I've ever had! Excellent stuff, and will definitely buy more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 07:27:36 | More by magictacosinus

Takahiro

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a duvel glass for the tasting

A: clear, deep golden, with thick melengue-like foam
S: yogurty yeastiness, that reminds me of Belgian-saison yeast, bit of strawberry
T: fruity candi flavor (can't describe actual fruit) upfront then quickly transition to hop-flavor and bitterness which linger on the tongue.
M: soft and silky smoothness, light on the malt side. the bitterness is relatively sticky
O: nice Belgian pale with hoppy twist. very good

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:59:03 | More by Takahiro

BeerManDan

California

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

There is at least 1" of white foam against an hazy golden orange color in my clear glass. The smell of spices, fruit and mild pine filled the nose with a pleasant aroma. The taste of cloves, banana and alcoholic fruit put a surprising finish to the "zesty brew". This has a great balance of components in on 12 fl. oz. bottle. This is a #1 brew from Green Flash. I'll be back for more!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 23:50:54 | More by BeerManDan

UnkleFester

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a golden orange with over two fingers of foamy white head that sticks around, this one has an excellent lacing.

S: Belgian yeast, cloves, spices and floral hops. Wow there is a lot going on here.

T: Upfront there is Banana, clove, and spices then it starts to transition to the IPA qualities citrusy grapefruit, orange and pine.

M: A medium body that is highly carbonated. The finish is surprisingly smooth.

O: My first beer from Green Flash I really like this one it's an amazing blend of the two styles. Refreshing complex and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:08:13 | More by UnkleFester

DocJitsu

California

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky, yet vibrant golden color with a nearly pure white head. Some white lace drags the edges of the glass. The aroma is inviting with creamy Belgian yeast and balanced tartness and sweetness. Mouthfeel is pretty full and not too dry, which is a criticism I have of a lot of Belgians. A little bready, a little raisiny, but not too much of anything. Get's a little spicy. The hops help that component. A pretty unoffensive Belgian. Very drinkable and mild despite its 9.2% ABV.

ADDENDUM: As beer gets a little warmer, the tartness fades and the sweetness from the grain expresses itself, making it a little more appealing.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:57:09 | More by DocJitsu

Mic-Lee

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two fingers of head minimum; big, thick, creamy and foamy. Nice caramel color, medium translucence. Smells of sweet Belgian yeast, bready. Bread and fruit flavors, spicy hops. Light bitterness. Creamy mouthfeel; smooth. Hides the alcohol extremely well, little to no boozy taste.

Overall: This is tasty. It has a nice hit of hops for a Belgian style beer. Overall, the Belgian flavor is the dominant one, so only get this if you’re in the mood for that, but it’s a nice taste that mixes well with the hops and it is definitely gulpable. Also, it is shockingly non-boozy for being 9.2%, making it a great beer to get a buzz from.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 00:28:31 | More by Mic-Lee

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I find it funny that this beer is listed on page 420. With the recent election, marijuana has been legalized in Washington state and in Colorado. The state of Arizona has also given permission for medical marijuana grow houses. Anyway, just a funny time for us to be drinking the beer on page 420. Does anyone know where the 4:20 thing came from?

The beer we are drinking is… well, a good one. Sheryl said, "Pick a good one." OK, I will. And I did. Tonight we are drinking a bottle of the Green Flash Le Freak, a huge Belgian IPA. I have had this beer before, and actually bought a case of it from Total Wine & More. They dropped the price to $3.99, so I grabbed a case. Can't beat that for an IPA that is over 9% ABV. Let's see what this beer tastes like.

In the Glass: It is thick, and has a nice orange color to it. It was poured right out of the fridge, and has a weak thin white head on top. The lace is nice, but quickly finds itself back on top of the beer. Probably because the bubbles want back in the best beer Green Flash makes! Well, their Palate Wrecker is pretty great, too.

Nose: At first, I smell flowers. It has a very nice aroma to it. On a second whiff I am picking up some dirty grassy notes on the nose. Like I said, it's ice cold, so I am sure the aroma is being masked just a little. But it has a nice aroma that you wouldn't expect from a 9.2% beer. You don't smell the booze at all.

Flavor: Oh. My. Goodness. This is a great IPA. It has all of the same characteristics that you picked up on the aroma, but then it leads to a dry, somewhat sweet aftertaste. But I will get to the aftertaste in a minute. Some tastings notes I read online talk about a citrus flavor, but I am just not getting much citrus here. The grass that I mentioned in the aroma is really obvious here on the palate. Yes, I like drinking grass. Lay off!

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is nice. Not a ton of bubbles, and while we are drinking this WAY too cold, the feeling on the tongue is totally worth writing home about. It slides across the tongue nice and cold, and leaves a thin layer of sweetness that I didn't expect. Then I swallow, and my mouth is still excited. This beer has a very nice mouthfeel that I wish more brews modeled themselves after.

Aftertaste: Nice. It's really nice. It has a quick finish that leads to the aftertaste, and it's so good, I don't even want to take another drink. it's not dry at first, but quickly my mouth feels like cotton balls. There is a super dry finish that literally leaves me licking the inside of my mouth for more flavor. But that's OK, because that dryness is what I hang on to. It hangs on for a few minutes, too. And all of those flavors that I am having along the way… the burp brings them all back to the center of the palate. I encourage you to burp on this one just to experience that flavor one more time.

This is a great beer, and even though I am a hop head, I would say this is a great place for a craft beer drinker to start when wanting to experience the true hops that a beer can produce. This one has a HUGE IBU, coming in over 100. There are some beers out there that do the same thing, hit triple digits… but they are always masked by the malt. Not here. Green Flash continues to impress me, and has done so again with the Le Freak. Bottoms up, people!

Le Freak - The bottle says: "ZESTY BREW"

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:34:53 | More by rickyleepotts

babaracas

Florida

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

Pours a hazy darker amber, dense offwhite head, settles slowly to a thin layer; spray of lace on the glass. Smell: bubblegum, pepper, medicinal, funky (horseblanket) whiff, lemon peel. Taste: a little grainy and funky, sweet-ish, some peppery and citric balance, then finishes dry with citrus rind reemerging. Booze note.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 07:25:01 | More by babaracas

mattbk

New York

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

A: Nice big thick head, orange/ruby, just a bit cloudy.
S: Subdued aroma, some subtle Belgian yeast, candi sugar sweetness, light citrus hops, maybe a bit musty, maybe a bit hot.
M: Medium mouthfeel, a bit low on carbonation, like that the mouthfeel isn't syrupy like the taste, but not too thin either. Nice.
T: Nice orange/citrus taste, the yeast coming through more in the aroma than the flavor, slight alcohol burn going down. Some sweetness too, a bit syrupy, but I don't mind it. Not out of balance. The alcohol is fairly faint for a 9.2% beer. Very good.
O: Solid Belgian IPA, like the orange/citrus thing, like the way the alcohol is well hidden, could be a bit more Belgian-y, the yeast is more prominent in the nose than in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:47:55 | More by mattbk

outdoor7or24

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.
A: cloudy-light golden copper color, some carbonation, nice 2 finger off-white foamy head that is huge, lacing is present
S: This is my favorite part of this beer, the belgian yeast, citrus, floral hops, tropical fruit aroma, peppery spice, some caramel malt
M: medium body, with a syrup like feel that coats the tongue but has a clean finish. I wonder if the hop complex contributes to the syrup like feel???
T: banana, belgian yeast, sugary caramel malt sweetness, then hoppy bitterness with a piney and citrus kick.
O: Solid beer that is big on aroma and taste, very impressive. I would buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:44:00 | More by outdoor7or24

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass. No bottling info, which indicates it is older than May when they started dating them (or it has been rubbed off to the point of no trace).

A - Pours a hazy golden with a thick cream colored head. The head is long lasting with irregular topography. Tiered lacing clings to the glass.

S - In a word, I would call the aroma "Belgian." Peppery spice, cloves, and plantains dominate. Cotton candy malts as well with a little floral hops presence.

T - Starts sweet with big belgian flavors. Banana and coriander along with the candy malts form the nose. A little bit bitter on the back end with some drying hops and the slightest alcohol astringency.

M - Lively carbonation lasts for the duration, despite my slow sipping. Clean, dry finish and a medium body.

O - Another solid beer from Green Flash. They impress me in a variety of styles, perhaps none better than their belgian offerings. This one has big belgian flavors, improved upon by the hop additions. A little bit more expensive than I would like, but a very solid beer I will probably get again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 00:57:12 | More by NoLeafClover44

rundocrun

Iowa

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

A - Body is a pale coppery honey color. Three full fingers of billowy head form. Ridiculous retention and lacing all the way down the glass.

S - Subtle grassy, fruity notes. Belgian yeast definitely has a presence here too. THere is a hefty, bready aroma mixed with ripe berries - very Belgian.

T - Up front there are lots of lush, juicy hop flavors. Just a touch of bitterness to go along with it. Mild tang and berry-like quality from the Belgian yeast strain. Undertones of hearty cereal grains and just a touch of bitter orange peel.

M - Thick! This is one big IPA. Very full body and subdued carbonation (I could actually stand for a bit more here). Finish is not dry, but not overwhelmingly sweet either.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:03:25 | More by rundocrun

BlackBearForge

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Le Freak pours a pale golden yellow with amber highlights and a foamy white head that subside quickly to a rocky froth leaving oily lacing on the glass.

The nose picks up citusy hops and pale malts with a hint of spiciness.

The flavor is aggressive with citrusy hops in abundance, full pale somewhat biscuity malts and an earthy/spicy background that builds as the beer warms. Nicely balanced between the three elements.

The body is medium and the prickly carbonation accentuates this aggressive beer.

A very nice take on the style, combining American double IPA and Belgian Trippel.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 22:52:47 | More by BlackBearForge

Beejay

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Holy Gigantic Font Batman! Been a while since I've been on, the screen is all sorts of huge..
Much thanks to Richard for this brew!

A: A light tan apricot color, mostly clear, with a nice off-white, pillowy head on top.

S: Hoppiness with an underlying sweet character. Touches of pine, but there is also orange and grapefruit peel. A touch of raisins, and perhaps brown sugar. Possibly banana or clove in there as well.

T: The bitterness is certainly present. There is a bit of banana, with grapefruit hop flavors dominating. A slight sweet caramel flavor, but it is barely perceptible over the bitterness.

M: Fairly thick, with pretty good carbonation. There is certainly an oily afterfeel to it.

O: Overall, I think it is over hopped, and the bitterness detracts from anything interesting that the yeast is doing for it. It's good, but it's hard to see this as anything but an overhopped beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 23:42:19 | More by Beejay

Cobrito

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, very slightly hazy golden with not much head action. The aroma is a combination of autumnal fruit and an almost barbecued pork smell. Slightly offputting but intriguing. But then bam, the first taste is a chewy, Thanksgiving stuffing, savory Belgian nougat, and then the citrusy, resiny hops kick in mid-palate. I find the combination to work very well--manages to combine the two styles in a way that both stand out equally and neither cancels the other out. Way better than Stone's Cali-Belgian. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 02:12:06 | More by Cobrito

CampusCrew

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nearly flawless beer.... beatiful beer... nice amber colorkng with huge fluffy white head... nice head retention. Huge aromas... the name fits the nose... freaky funky aromas.. lots of belgian yeast fighting with a huge helping of citrus hop presence.. medium bodied and green flashes best beer... atleast from the oned ive had.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 16:29:45 | More by CampusCrew

Immortale25

Florida

4.89/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had at the Local in coral gables, FL. Arrives in a duvel snifter.

A- Is overflowing in the tulip glass due to a hasty pour from the bartender. What results is a two-finger white head atop a medium amber colored body. What a crouzen. It slowly recedes down the glass with beautiful cobwebs of lacing following.

S- Tropical fruit aroma of pineapple and pear with some citrus hops trailing and amplifying the bouquet. Very apparent Belgian yeast that's rich and tangy.

T- Heaven. Yeast, hops and some spice all commingle to create a bittersweet citrus flavor that's irresistible. Inevitable pineapple notes plus grapefruit, tangerine and apricots. The grassy bitterness lingers on the palate and begs for more sips to which I quickly submit. Every ingredient and every taste seems to work in perfect unison delivering a knockout of taste.

M- Highly prickly and tight, especially in the aftertaste, but not overly dry. Medium-high carbonation and a malt body that's certainly strong enough to compete with an IPA which further constitutes its BIPA style.

O- In many aspects, this is the king of Belgian IPAs. All of the key factors are there: intense fruity bitterness from the hops; rich, somewhat chalky yeast character; complimentary malt body; vibrant carbonation. Truly a world-class beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:04:45 | More by Immortale25