Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

kylehay2004

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two finger head with nice lacing on a cloudy orange with golden hues body. Grapefruit citrus hops, light pine resin, caramel malts, breads, herbal hops and standard belgian yeast. Flavor follows very nicely with excellent belgian character in the yeast with your prototypical mix of herbal, earthy and citrus hops for the style. Pineapple and orange peel for citrus hops. This one is overly carbonated though and medium in body. Overall a great representation of the style in my opinion even though it is supposed to be an american IPA and trippel hybrid of sorts.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:21:46 | More by kylehay2004

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass

A: Light amber with a half finger head of eggshell white that quickly dissipates.

S: Hoppy, light fruits, floral

T: Interesting blend. Piney hops. Peppery with floral blends. Light grapefruit. Also cloves and banana. Smooth hop finish.

M: Thick with high carbonation.

O: So unusual but so good. The combination of a Belgian trippel and an IPA is daring yet tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 19:38:10 | More by brewskifan55

ElSid

California

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

The Beers of California

#9

Freshness Date: None

A: Hazy golden in my snifter topped with about a finger and a half of bone white fluffiness which fades leaving a film on the glass

S: Spice and powdery, biscuity maltiness with highlights of banana and possibly even pine.

T: This brew is built on a biscuity, powdery, fresh baked bread maltiness that lends this brew a wonderful chewiness. Strong black pepper and clove appropriately paired with hints of banana and peach. The hops are bittering adding also some notes of lemon citrus and pine needles. Nice warming alcohol finish.

M: Chewy with good linger and moderate carbonation

O: Green Flash's version of marrying Belgian and California style brews. A brew which at first may confuse and overwhelm the palate, but remains interesting, exploring new flavor combinations, and creating a style of its own. Although a brew with good ideas, it is far from perfect and I am interested to see how California breweries build on this style of Belgian / West Coast blends.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 02:53:54 | More by ElSid

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours cloudy orange with a finger of sticky foam. Aroma is full of spicy yeast flavors, phenols, clove. Certainly smells Belgian.

First sip is... thick, viscous, extremely hot, spicy, with a big bitter finish. This is like a Belgian barleywine. Yeast dominates the front, but there is a substantial hop presence. Unfortunately, it is washed away by the harsh alcoholic flavors, and the strong lingering bitterness.

This is an ok beer, but it is just too hot and spicy right now... needs some serious time to mellow out.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:47:01 | More by FickleBeast

theveganbrewer

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gorgeous beer! Can see right through it. Clearest beer I have ever seen. Bright fluffy white head that leaves clouds of lacing, unique. Dark straw with orange color.

Smell- You can smell the yeast upon uncapping. Totally overwhelms any hop aroma. Belgian yeast with a peppery, banana aroma and a little funk. Little hop aroma.

Taste- Nice assertive bitterness that interacts with the peppery yeast very well. It screams to me I'm Belgian and I'm an IPA. Very distinct. Slight alcohol taste.

Mouthfeel- bitterness that coats teeth and gums. Well carbonated. Smooth but bitterness lingers for a while.

Overall, one of my favorite beers of all time.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 07:00:34 | More by theveganbrewer

vfgccp

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Great off-white, fine bubbled head. Great lace and retention. Light gold body.

S - Grape, orange, black pepper, bread crust, yeast, a touch of banana, and a light funk.

T - Bright, bitter grapefruit marmalade. Bready center. Leafy green bitter finish. Delicious.

M - Nice carbonation. Great medium/full body clings to your palate.

O - A fantastic beer. A great take on combining the best of a triple with an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 14:15:39 | More by vfgccp

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

this is exceptional and very different. it pours hazy glowing blonde with a tall and delicate white head with great retention. smells like a hop bomb, which is to be expected with green flash beers. there is also some really spicy belgian yeast in the nose thats got some peppery funk to it. the flavor is deep. it starts off like a big sappy ipa with oozing citrus hops and an alcohol sting. it is quickly mellowed and enhanced at the same time by the yeast, which rounds out the hops into a full meal of flavors. a lot of stuff dances around the mouth, but the hops just keep coming back. this is a monster of a beer, fresh as can be. feel is good, bright carbonation and a medium body thats made heavier by the sticky hop quality. overall this is a great beer to share, totally unique and very strong. paired will with some ash cured goats cheese and spicy nuts. give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 23:41:44 | More by StonedTrippin

BB1313

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a very hazy bright golden, fluffy white head which fades, but leaves nice lacing and retention. The aromas are full of bubblegum and banana. Very pleasant, but the hop aromas aren't present. I'm also picking up some lemon zest and orange peel aromas. The flavors are very crisp and sharp. It does have a subtle earthy bitterness to it. Very rustic. There's a touch of black pepper giving it some spice. I still feel the yeast dominates the hops. I wish the hops shined more. The bitterness is definitely there, but the hop flavor is lacking. Mouthfeel is on the heavier side. It's slightly sticky and syrupy, but has the right amount of carbonation making it a pretty smooth drink. There's a touch of heat, but nothing boozy.

It's been awhile since I've had this, and I recalled it being a hop bomb, but apparently that isn't the case.

This reminds me more of a traditional Belgian IPA brewed overseas than some Americanized interpretations. The hops don't shine like with Sumpin' Wild and Raging Bitch. So if you like Belgian IPAs with balance, this is great. If you're looking for a hop flavor forward Belgian IPA, this might not do the trick. Either way, this is a well crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 23:15:28 | More by BB1313

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours amber orange in a teku glass. Thick white head that lingers well and dissipates to a nice ring with tons of thick sticky lacing.

Smell has stong belgian character. Lots of clove, cinnamon and banana.

Taste follows the smell well. Lots of cinnamon and ripe fruit. Sweet malty smoothness up front. Bitterness comes on very late for me and linger a long while. Aspirin comes through in the finish. Very complex beer that changes its character frequently.

Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied.

Overall this was different and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:41:08 | More by TrappistJohnMD

tylerprince

Colorado

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

Enjoyed a fresh bomber poured into a pint glass. Ate a nice guacamole and green chile burger and downed this bad boy.

Pours a hazy orange/straw color with a thick off white head. Head subsides into a foamy cap and then into a frothy lacing.

Smells like a Belgian IPA. Toasted malts, subdued citrus, fruity esters of banana and clove, hints of tobacco and aspirin. Complex and gives the immediate impression of a well-balanced beer.

Tastes like it smells. Hits the palate with toasted malts up front, which gives way to copious fruity esters and grapefruit, which linger with a pleasant bitterness. Bitterness eventually gives way to a chalky and toffee-like flavor. Alcohol is extremely prevalent and hits with the esters.

MF is medium bodied with enormous alcohol presence, which is quite pleasant. Resins are prevalent and stick to the teeth for minutes after the last sip. Despite the bitterness and the above traits, I found this quite drinkable.

Overall, this is a delicious Belgian IPA that stands out in a field of clones. As this genre becomes more popular there are plenty of half-assed attempts out there; this is not one of them.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:10:35 | More by tylerprince

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy golden color with 2 fingers worth of head that recedes to a thin cap within a couple minutes

S: Definite chalky Belgian yeast, light fruits, some banana and clove, toasted malts, light hops, and light esters from the alcohol

T: The Belgian yeast brings the usual suspects of fruitiness, especially banana, plus clove and chalkiness. The hops impart quite the bitterness brought about by citrus rinds and earthiness. The alcohol is noticeable, but melds nicely with the flavors. Gets very bitter towards the end, which doesn't make whatever is left for flavor very enjoyable

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Chalky and sort of rough around the edges

O: I really like the attempt at the hybrid style, but it just finishes too bitter for me. The bitterness really detracts from wanting to take another sip, regardless of how complex this beer might or could be. Just a little too muddled for my taste

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 19:15:48 | More by BEERMILER12

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.76/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Into my chalice:

A: hazy orange/amber body that leaves a half finger foamy white head appears that lasts for a good two minutes before dieing. No carbonation is seen rising nor any lacing was left

S: some clove, banana, combined decently with some citrus and floral tones. Hops are pretty subdued.

T: dominating clove with fairly strong banana, citrus and floral tones are less defined. The alcohol is very hidden.

M: medium and well balanced - not too watery, but not too heavy, just right. It has a dry finish. I would say this is fairly drinkable.

O: this isn't a bad brew, however I'm still finding my bearings on the "Belgian IPA" style. Yes, this is good, I'm pretty sure I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:10:04 | More by kangarooAdam59

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is hazy orange with a tint of amber. Three fingers of dense, buttery head dissipated very slowly.

Smell: Mostly Brett funk from the Belgian influence and orange/grapefruit citrus and floral hops from the American. There are also hints of granny apple, caramel, toffee, and clove spice. The nose is not overpowering, and none of the scents dominate, but it is a very enticing balance.

Taste: The hops make an immediate impression; I could feel the bitterness flow through my mouth as I took the first sip. It is not overpowering, though; it leaves a nice lingering residue and compliments the mostly floral flavor. The citrus notes become more prominent as the beer warms, though. I want to say the funk is hidden but I think it offers a hint of farmhouse. What is definitely hidden is the alcohol: there is zero hint of the ABV. It has a dry, metallic finish.

Drinkability: This is an excellent brew that is well worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:00:04 | More by TheQuietMan22

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Green Flash Brewing Company in San Diego, CA.

Pours a slightly murky honey orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, and spices. Taste is much the same with a very yeasty flavor and a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some solid aromas and flavors that make it easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 01:18:36 | More by UCLABrewN84

Kuges

Texas

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

22 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

Overall, this is a great beer. You get the greatness from being an IPA with the extra hoppiness, finished with the malty Belgian taste. I wasn't sure about this beer, but I try almost everything Greenflash puts out. This one is excellent, and definitely something I will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 22:55:39 | More by Kuges

forsakenpariah

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle -> tulip glass

A: Slightly hazy golden pour with a big fluffy head. Decent retention with lots of lacing. Beautiful beer.

S: Muted scent of some citrusy American hops and slight yeasty fruitiness, though the aroma is surprisingly faint.

T: The flavor is MUCH more aggressive than the aroma in the very best way. Lots and lots of American hops up front. Pretty decent bitterness with some sweet malts and lots of Belgian yeast character shining throughout.

M: Medium-heavy with lots of carbonation. Warming alcohol really starts to come out as the beer nears room temperature.

This is a very fine beer. There is a delicate sort of balance about it between very intense hoppiness and traditional Belgian malts and yeastiness. I will definitely be picking this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 19:34:49 | More by forsakenpariah

Nerudamann

Arizona

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – amber in color, clear, with about half a finger’s worth of foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell – floral aroma, with hints of clove. In general a bit like a hefe.

Taste – more bite than I was expecting at first. There’s the bite in the taste of the hops themselves, and then you feel the bitterness creep in during the middle. Cloves and a sense of muskiness prevails in the end. Slightly bitter, but pleasant aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced overall, not leaning too far toward the watery or creamy sides.

Overall – Not a bad brew at all. Very interesting and good-tasting.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 06:40:14 | More by Nerudamann

daledeee

Iowa

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A new brew from a new Member of the Iowa beer family.

Pours a nice dark gold with white head and great lacing.

Nose is medicinal, perfumy, hops, spicy.

Taste is a great blend of Belgian hops and some mellowness I didn't expect. I figured they would throw in some massive hops and some in your face taste once again. This one is actually mellow.

Mouth feel is velvety and lovely. Overall, I think this one is a repeater. It's not easy to categorize other than it goes in the category of "I like it".

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 00:32:37 | More by daledeee

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip, bottled in the middle of May. Pours an attractive reddish orange with a half inch of sticky white head, that leaves ample lace. Smell is clove, orange, bread, banana, pine, and grapefruit. Taste is big clove and orange up front, with grapefruit and pine in the powerful finish. Body is medium large, lots of carbonation, not very dry for the style, and very drinkable for the hefty ABV. This is an excellent example of a style that I am starting to love. I am not a huge Belgian fan, but when you give me the hop fix like Raging Bitch, Smuttynose Hormonuculis, and Le Freak I truly enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 16:07:36 | More by SawDog505

Momar42

Maryland

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip

A - hazy, straw color. Good head with moderate retention. Lacing evident down the glass.

S - Belgian bottle yeast and biscuits. Great smelling BIPA. Especially from the states.

T - bananas, yeast, sweetness. Great flavors indeed. Really hard to put this one down.

M - Great IPA mouthfeel. Yeast and carbonation blend well. Medium mouthfeel. Finishes extremely clean.

O - The more I drink from Green Flash the more I love them. This is a fantastic BIPA, only slightly below Rich Life from FFF. Super easily drinkable for a 9%+ ABV. Great fresh flavors and clean finish. Keeps you coming back for more. Wish I could find a 22oz bottle!!! Green Flash = most underrated west coast brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 04:12:47 | More by Momar42

IPA4LIFE

United Kingdom (England)

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Golden color with a huge fluffy white head that has massive amounts of retention. Beautiful beer.

S- Definite Belgian spice notes and a slight hint of earthy or dank hop notes. Clove and a little banana are the main aromas.

T- Interesting mix of hoppy bitterness and the classic spicy belgian yeast flavors. Also a touch of citrus or mango hop notes, but the flavor is dominated by the belgian yeast.

M- Ultra smooth, really nice.

O- Pretty smooth, with an interesting mixture of flavors, but it isn't a world-beater. Good mixture of flavors. Overall, I like it, but I'm not in love with it.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:37:32 | More by IPA4LIFE

acevenom

Louisiana

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice. Pours hazy golden with a large, white head that dissipates slowly. Plenty of sticky lacing is left behind as the head dissipates. There are aromas of citrus and piney hops, but these are not very strong. There are sweet malts and Belgian yeasts. Having just had a tripel, I can see where this is an IPA meets a tripel. The hops are forward in this beer, but not like they are in typical West Coast hop bombs. There are flavors of citrus, bready malts, caramel, pine, and good Belgian yeast. It tastes like the perfect marriage of a Belgian tripel and an American IPA. The body is medium to full with good carbonation. There is a dry finish to this beer and this is highly drinkable. This is an excellent beer. Green Flash has yet to disappoint me.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 00:14:50 | More by acevenom

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

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

Split a 2oz bottle... Poured into a duvel glass.

A: pours a slightly hazy golden orange with an obnoxious three and a half finger head that takes a while o dissapate, leavs a bunch of soapy looking lacing.... Would given the appearance a 4.5 if it wasn't for the unsurdly large head, and it was a gentle pour.

S: Belgian yeast right up front, which makes me question how much I'm gonna enjoy this one, I'm not a big fan of yeast heavy Belgians, I get a good amount of bannana and a touch of clove, along with a light citrusy, breadiness.... The Belgian yeast deffinatly seems to be the most dominant force in the aroma department.

T: yum... The hops deffinatly jump out a lot more in the flavor then they did in the nose, I get light Belgian yeast notes blended with a nice west coast style citrus or ward hop profile and a bit
Of a bitter pine bite on the finish, the yeast seems to just balance out the flavor profile and contribute some nice belgian fruity yeast notes of bannanna peel and a touch of clove, but they are in no way as dominant as they were in the nose.... A very well balanced brew. Belgiany and bready up frog blending into
Citrusy and piney hops.

M: medium bodied with medium carbonation, and a nice dry slightly piney bitter finish. Nicley drinkable and refreshing considering the abv.

O: a nicley balanced Belgian ipa, I was nervous at first but this one really pulled through, a great hybrid of two styles, if you like Belgian ipa's this one is a must try.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:32:55 | More by PeterIngemi

jmerloni

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - A rich, hazy, golden color. Head is very substantial, bright white, filled with a ton of tiny bubbles that makes it look reminiscent of sea foam. Laces very well on the glass with a thick, sea-foamy film.

S - Cloves, big yeast profile, pineapple, honey-molasses malts. Pretty bold aromatics.

T - Hoppy. Big yeast profile detected on the nose is there in the taste and the floral cloves and sage spice flavors are embedded really nicely into the yeast profile. Bananas here as well. Malt is there more in the front of the palate while a nice, clean, hop bite finishes the sip. There's something about Green Flash's inherent, natural taste - as in, the uniquely idiosyncratic flavor of the brewery itself - that is seriously just so pure and clean tasting, almost in a way that is antique, even antediluvian. I'm such a huge fan of the brewery's inherent, idiosyncratic taste that all of its beers seem to have. Every brewery has one of those tastes and their's is just godly and mystical.

M - Surprisingly heavy for a BIPA. It could actually be considered chewy in my estimation. Sip stays together pretty well. Carbonation is spot-on.

D - A great beer, overall. As with every offering from Green Flash, I'm very impressed. They might have overtaken Founders as my favorite brewery with this one. It's a brewery that really just gets it. Drinking a beer from Green Flash is like watching a movie from your favorite director where the director is on point with his usual, familiar aesthetic, where he is expert, and where everything is exceptionally bold but never overdone. I recommend anyone with similar affinities to try Green Flash's Rayon Vert - it's like no other beer I've ever encountered.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:17:09 | More by jmerloni

MagicJeff

Georgia

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

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a snifter

A: Nice fluffy gold, slightly hazy; aggressive pour leads to over an inch head. The beer looks great, but what impresses me the most is the head that retains throughout the beer. Lacing all over the glass afterwards

S: Citrus, but a lot of ripe banana and clove. Maybe nutmeg? Some pine and caramel. A lot going on here.

T: To me, it tastes more like a belgian ale at first, then out of no where you are hit with the citrus taste of a west coast IPA. I taste banana, orange, slight grapefruit/lemon, and pine. Alcohol warms the palate on the back taste, which ties in great. The Belgian yeast ties it all together--very balanced beer, and after a glass or two, one picks up on the subtleties.

M: I'd say medium bodied due to the intense carbonation, yet extremely refreshing in this 95 degree Atlanta heat.

Overall: Haven't had a Belgian IPA in some time, and this one was a great find. The 9.2% ABV is an afterthought with this one, very drinkable after a long day at the office. Definitely recommend and will pick up this and more Green Flash brews now that they are available in ATL. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:52:42 | More by MagicJeff