Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

plaid75

New York

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

On draft at The Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a medium sparkling copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured mentholly type yeast esters and an herbal hop.

The taste consisted of upfront yeast esters followed by a potent herbal hop.

The mouthfeel was toward the drier side of the style.

Overall a BIPA that leans heavily toward the Belgian side.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 22:31:11 | More by plaid75

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Burnt orange colour with a bit of haze. A vigorous pour resulted in a large, fluffy cap of off-white bubbles that settled to a short, dense layer of foam and left behind lots of clumpy lacing. Big hop aroma. Bracing pine hit my nose first, powdery and grassy notes soon followed, then gave way to fruit tarts and mild citrus. Floral and perfumey as it warmed. Not much in the way of malt could plow through that hoppy onslaught, but there was a bit of yeast and perhaps bready character in the background along with an indistinct spiciness. Hops were much softer in the flavour and played well against the combination of pear and apple up front and the spicy alcohol notes in the finish. Bitterness was restrained yet always present, letting the rest of the flavour come to the fore until the finish where bitterness was more dominant. Sweet tart and citrus (orange peel and lemon) flavours added depth, as did bread and yeast. Pine appeared in the lingering hoppy finish with some herbal notes. Lots of complexity here, especially as it warmed and the alcohol became more prominent. A little more than medium bodied, ample carbonation but still very creamy in texture with very fine bubbles. Dryness built up over time and warmth was there from the first sip. A very drinkable mashup of American and Belgian characters. I quite enjoyed this beer from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2008 02:07:49 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Batch #1 on tap at the Toronado, in San Diego and again at Cole's, in Buffalo.

Golden and orange tones are blended into an assortment of soft-hued pastels - the delicacy and balance of this synthesis is quite emblematic for a beer that sets out to fuse two distinctly archetypal brewing traditions. Although clarity is impeded it isn't entirely obstructed. The haze also fails to repress what is a very healthy looking glow.

Its lean, peachy coloured overlay is firm and durable. Despite the only modest proportion, it manages to embalm the glass like a mummy; strips of white are wrapped around and around. Le Freak certainly doesn't look like much of an aberration; instead actually, all indications show signs of a really well crafted beer.

The aroma isn't funky like I braced myself for it to be. I could possibly be convinced there was use of brettanomyces, although I know none were used. No, this bouquet of soft fruit (pear and apple) is the indication of an authentic, time-tested Belgian strain of yeast. It should go without saying that a proper yeast is the most important aspect of making a Belgian-type ale.

Here's where fruit will start to come at you from all angles. First, overwhelming and aggressively so from the hops. This is definitely West Coast style: it has all the juice, peel, piths, rinds and otherwise citrusy character you can soak out of hops. This produces flavours of banana, pineapple, grapefruit, melon, lemon zest, and cantaloupe.

The second source of all things fruity and flavorful, Belgian yeast, is far more subtle. It has the suggestion of fruit through its esters. It concentrates more on the orchard fruits (rather than citrus) and tops it all of with a smack of buttery vanilla, tons of white pepper and a pretty generous dose of barnyard funk.

The brewer considers this a "Belgian-style tripel meets San Diego imperial IPA" and it's still a bit of a mystery to me how, given if that's exactly what they set out to do, Green Flash could pull off something so well balanced. American hops are obnoxiously in-your-face aggressive whilst Belgian yeast works with subtlety and elegance. In theory the two contradict...

Yet in this beer both somehow go about their ways independently and do nothing to compromise the other. If there is one anomaly with Le Freak it would be how well the quintessence of both Belgian and American brewing has been merged. Green Flash must be commended for this. The result is something smooth and tremendously gratifying to drink.

I was very happy to learn Green Flash has decided to brew this one again. 'Le Freak' was definitely no miscreation; it happened to be one of the most ingenious, praiseworthy and admirable brewing aspirations I've had the pleasure of drinking. Mission accomplished Green Flash... now do it again!

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2008 20:20:09 | More by biegaman

Brad007

Vermont

4.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful amber-blonde color with a frothy head into my glass. Nice presentation!

Hops burst from a cannon, right into my fucking nose. There's also yeast spice and a bit of sweet, buttery malt.

Wow, where to start? There are two layers to the flavor in this beer. The first layer is full of sweet, chewy malt with a spicy kick at the back. The second layer is chock full of hops on a strong grapefruit kick, followed by alcohol heat. Put the two together and BAM, you get Le Freak!

Mouthfeel is essentially the same as the taste. A complex combination of all flavors.

Crazy fucking beer but I love it! Some may deride projects like this but chances are, they're too close-minded to meet Le Freak!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 03:45:45 | More by Brad007

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Golden-bronze with a fluffy off-white head, excellent retention, good lacing.

S: Candied pineapple, mango, tangerine, banana, clove, nectarine, pine, cotton candy. Awesome. Seems perfect for a Belgian IPA.

T: Tangerine, nectarine, pine, grapefruit rind, steelie grass (I'm guessing Amarillo & Crystal), cloves, candied pineapple, nice spiciness, pleasantly assertive bitterness, alcohol is well-hidden. A little more IPA than Tripel.

M: Moderate to full body is smooth with some hop acidity and a dry finish.

D: Quite drinkable for its strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2008 16:39:29 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Since Belgian IPA is such a broad category- basically meaning any Belgian style to which lots of hops are added- more specifically this beer is a highly hopped tripel, and man, there are indeed a lot of hops here. Very much a beer to have fresh. Pours a very hazy golden, edging toward orange. Looks almost like a hefeweizen, except for the head which is very finely beaded, pure white, pretty thin, but leaves some okay lacing. Smells extremely herbal from the hops- there is almost a thyme-like aroma to start, followed by more herbal notes and some late tripel swweetness almost obscured by the hops. Tastes marvelous! More of that herbal forwardness, also with thyme notes, married well to the Belgian tripel notes with some sweetness and clove and coriander spice notes with a long tangy finish. Firm and crisp in the mouth. Really one of the best Belgian style tripels I've had.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 23:17:34 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful golden amber in the Affligem chalice. Nice foam and lacing. It's certainly a big hoppy beer but it does swing both ways. Rather sweet, and probably more of the Belgian sugar. Even tastes a little like the recent GF Rayon Vert, with the big dose of Brettanomyces. So there are plenty of Belgian tastes with a lot of the off-center bitter-sweet.

This has a lot of the Imperial IPA character, with the malty richness and huge hops. Very bitter aftertaste. Overall it's just too much of the bitter hops but the yeasty and bacteria flavors are quite forward. On the coarse side and quite sharp. 22 oz bottle from Mega Liquor in Hemet.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:32:32 | More by mactrail

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.58/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 from dqderrick .... This brew has been on my radar for a while.. and much thanks goes out to Derrick for the great trade... poured into my Chimay goblet.

Very pretty meringue like head.. tons of Belgian lace.. woow! no kidding.. very nice... the brew is very hazy.. golden orange.. sorta glows.

There is a ton of stuff going on in the Le Freak.. loads of esters and phenols... spicy for sure with orange peel.. very complex... slight pink bubblegum and banana.. I am very impressed at this point.. and I haven't even taken a sip... maybe a little bit of solvent alcohol.. but not bad at all and it actually lends to the overall complexity.

Flavor is remarkably complex too but is very different than the aroma.. huge expected triple flavors but punctuated with a fair amount of SoCal hoppiness. clove and white pepper.. orange and lemon.. a thorough bready sweetness that never separates but more binds everything together verging on perfectly.... the finish takes minutes.. amazing.. this reminds me of Midnight Sun Wrath but with a great "freshness" quality to it...

I've had quite a few Green Flash brews over the last year or two.. but wow.. this is far and away my favorite.. I need to get more of these in a big way.. simply a lesson in complexity and balance.. I am soooo impressed. Cheers... I wish I could get you guys locally.. but again.. Wow! Thanks Derrick!!

4.5/4.5/5/4/4

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 08:49:39 | More by JohnGalt1

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured yellow-orange with a three finger white head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, sweet alcohol, fruit, wheat, fruit hop, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, wheat, spice, spicy hop, earth, and alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. There was a lot going on in this one in both the aroma and flavor, however they didn’t all seem to work together in my opinion, but rather against one another. This really hurt the overall brew in my opinion. There was definitely a lot of spice going on here which was nice blended with the fruit tones, but the alcohol came along and wrecked it all. Too bad. Worth trying to judge for yourself.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2012 11:01:14 | More by thagr81us

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Split a bomber with a friend. Hazy golden yellow, made sure to swirl in the sediment.

S. Piney hops, and some trademark belgian yeast. Hint of fruits.

T. A very nicely balanced brew that bastardizes two styles wonderfully. The hops are resinous, piney, slightly earthy. The malt is light. The yeast causes the dark fruit to come out, but it doesn't finish sweet, if anything a bit dry and bitter. Alcohal is well masked by all the other dominate flavors.

M. Medium bodied, a bit prickly on the palate.

D. This is a very well crafted beer. Its not quite as strong as some tripels/DIPA's. Certainly a must try.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2008 16:26:48 | More by Stinkypuss

RoyalT

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - This is a super-cloudy light orange in color with a decent head.

Smell - This is very interesting. There are basically two bouquets to this ale. The first one is classic American DIPA. The big, stiff piney hops and rich, caramel-laden malt scream West Coast DIPA. But then there is a Belgian Tripel kind of aroma. It's behind the first one for sure, but I can pick up some fine Belgian yeast and some traditional Tripel spicing, particularly coriander.

Taste - OK, this is officially The Freak. It's like drinking two beers very similar to the notes I made about the smell. The American DIPA is more prominent and that yeast aroma hardly showed up at all, but there is some classic Belgian spicing to this beer that makes it a wonderful DIPA/Tripel hybrid.

Mouthfeel - This is bigger than medium-bodied but not full. It is exceptionally balanced and has some terrific carbonation. There is no real bitterness to the drink even though it is swimming in hops.

Drinkability - This is actually quite an easy-drinking ale. Again, at the risk of sounding repetitive, the balance makes this a fabulous offering. The various flavors work in perfect harmony and produce a big, giant beer with what could easily be competing flavors but that work incredibly well together and go down like nobody's business. Grean Flash pulled off a miracle with this effort - it is a unique beer that speaks to the boldness and creativity of the brewmasters. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 02:20:49 | More by RoyalT

largadeer

Kentucky

2.3/5  rDev -43.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Appearance: Hazy golden yellow with a small white head.

Smell: Estery funk, candy sweetness and hops of the herbal and citrus variety.

Taste & mouthfeel: Candy-like sweetness and fruity esters up front. A bit of yeasty funk is present in the background, lending some nice complexity until the abusively bitter hops begin to rape the palate. This beer has to have the worst balance of hops I've ever tasted - there's little hop flavor or aroma, while the bitterness is completely over the top. Midway through the glass my palate was numb and I couldn't actually taste anything beyond bitterness. Pretty ridiculous stuff, and not in a good way.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2008 23:26:44 | More by largadeer

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a bright orange color and a hazy consistency. There was a huge, foamy, long-lasting head. Great lacing.

S: A nice aroma of hops, malt, citrus, and some yeast.

T: Tasted of hops (not as much as I would have thought), citrus (orange), malt, yeast, and grassy hint. This is, in general a solid, focused flavor.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, this is a good, well made American version of Belgian IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 03:05:16 | More by avalon07

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clean yellow to orange-ish color with a white head. In the aroma, a dry candy sugar and small hints of hops. In the taste, dry candy sugar and a pine like hop presence. A small hop, but mainly smooth and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry Belgian like yeast on the aftertaste. Nice hop presence, with Belgian like hints.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2010 16:18:10 | More by OWSLEY069

gford217

Georgia

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

Bottle shared by a generous soul at the HMoG at the Brick Store.

Pours hazy yellow with a small white creamy head that dissipates slowly and leaves a little lacing.

The aroma was dominated by light fruits, with pineapples and lemons playing prominently. There was also a big bready malt aroma in the background.

The taste follows the nose with the light fruits and bready malt, but there is definitely a bit more spicy Belgian yeast than the aroma.

The mouthfeel is smooth but highly carbonated and very crisp in the finish.

This is a good Belgian IPA and maybe more of a trippel, but, either way, it's tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 03:41:06 | More by gford217

dirtylou

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, sourced from NORVA and deemed suitcase worthy

unleashed during cubs-cardinals game 2

appearance: cool label art...served in my de koninck chalice, bright tangerine-amber body, foamy white crest with very light lacing

smell: not as overpowering as it could be, juicy citrus hops, light traces of belgian yeast and sugar

taste: a dipa/tripel hybrid...i am having a hard time with this beer - its bitter and pungent and in the end it seems too sharp to let the tripel play a meaningful role. extremely bitter grapefruit, peppery booze

mouthfeel: prickly

drinkability: ok

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 01:04:44 | More by dirtylou

jrallen34

Illinois

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

Pours a dark honey gold, light tope head, ok retention, with AWESOME spider web lacing...A medium aroma of nice floral hops start to finish, not complex but alluring...The taste is what separates this here and introduces a whole new style of the blend of tripel and ipa that is advertisted. There is a nice floral hop start but a piney finish, its simply amazing and intriguing.

A wonderful beer well worth trying with great depth on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 23:14:30 | More by jrallen34

Tone

Missouri

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

Pours a slightly hazy, gold/copper color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, yeast, hint of wheat, and slight citrus. Fits the style of a Belgian IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of hops, sweet malt, slight wheat, hint of coriander, hint of pale malt, and slight yeast. There is a strongly cloying aftertaste. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and body.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 13:54:28 | More by Tone

beertunes

Washington

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

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a hazy golden yellow with 1/4 inch of white head that dissipated quickly leaving a little more than light lacing.

The aroma is dominantly hops with some yeast and spice in the background. There is a notable citrus scent to the nose. The flavor starts out with a strong hop bitterness followed by some of the yeast/spice notes of a tripple and finishing with a combo of floral and bitter hops.

The body is good, substantial without being heavy. Drinkability is going to vary depending on individual taste, I split a 22 with 1 other person and that was enough for one day, although I would have it again.

Overall, a decent beer that you're just going to have to judge for yourself.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 20:42:36 | More by beertunes

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

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

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle received as an extra from a very generous soul in LA who goes by the handle of JRS. Thanks, Josh! You and Evan have hooked me up with some absolute gems!

A: I carefully decant this into my Duvel tulip, yielding a crystal clear orange beer with a massive off-white head with great retention. As the head slowly recedes, it leaves a ton of lace. Pretty awesome

S: On the nose this is surprisingly subdued on the hop front. I had this on cask a couple of months back and the hops were a riot. This time round, they're more muted with some citrus and orange notes. The spices do jump out, though, with clove, pepper and some floral notes. Intriguing. Swirling in the yeast adds a (surprise) yeasty complexity and evens out the balance fairly well

T: On the palate, this opens up with some moderate hop character that's quickly overwhelmed by the spicy characteristics from the yeast, incredibly aggressive it is. Tons of white pepper, clove and a strange anise-like astringency. There's some mild malt sweetness but it's overwhelmed by the spices (at least on my palate) Finishes dry and spicy. After I reviewed it, I poured the yeast and that does make this seem a little more muddled

M: Carbonation is pretty spot on and the body is pretty light and tripel-like. The finish is pleasingly dry but the spiciness is a bit much

D: The spices do hurt the drinkability but I'm glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 03:29:17 | More by DefenCorps

smakawhat

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Real interesting brew here, It appears almost red and pink, then the body color shows a nice orange amber and very slow rising carbonation coming up. Head is a nice bright white and clumpy with a creamy top.

Nose is really wonderful, floral, sweet Belgian candy, toast malts, faint chewy pear.

Taste brings a great hop push in the palate with a rich malt and sugar candy sweetness. Finish brings hints of pear but also lots of banana like esters. Bitterness and hop angle lingers real nicely and compliments everything nicely. Fruity angle comes out nicely, with a bit of mush and over-ripe tones. Crisp almost body but dense with the mushy-ness and sharp carbonation.

Fantasic brew here, love this take on Belgian IPA. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 22:04:36 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

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

22 ounce bottle. Served in a chalice, the beer pours a dark gold color with a tinge of orange and has a half inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both decent. Aroma is citrusy (grapefruit) and pine hops, cloves, and some tropical fruit. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like pine and citrusy hops, peppery spice, Belgian yeast and a bit of tropical fruit and cloves. Also has a good bitter hoppy finish. The taste does start off very hoppy, but it does balance out as the fruit flavor shows up more as the beer warms. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit dry and is well carbonated. Drinkability is good, the alcohol is well hidden and it's not hard to drink at all. I think this is a good overall brew, I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 22:12:01 | More by bluejacket74

tpd975

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice golden hue with a solid two finger head. Wonderful retention with some spotty lace.

S: Nice aromas of apples and touches of spice. A bit of Belgian yeast and a touch of citrus hops.

T: I really like this one. I have not really liked many of the previous attempts at this style that I have had. Nice sweet apple up front with hints of peppery spice. Touches of banana esque Belgian yeast come next. Bubblegum gets overtaken by bitter grass and grapefruit rind. Wonderful blend of Belgian Ale and West Coast IPA.

M: Medium in body with snappy carbonation. Quite bitter and dry in the finish.

D: Put the bomber down by myself without a problem. Wish I had taken this one home from Denver to share with the local tasting group.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 23:13:43 | More by tpd975