Double Stout - Green Flash Brewing Co.

sethcroisant

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

02-09-2013 06:20:05 | More by sethcroisant

tbone1384

Wyoming

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-19-2013 01:14:36 | More by tbone1384

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.4%

05-18-2013 20:21:12 | More by schopenhauerale

Toadhopper

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-18-2013 16:51:04 | More by Toadhopper

kojevergas

California

3.03/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

8.8% ABV confirmed. Bottled: 09/25/12. That makes this about 8 months shy by my count. Self-identifies as a Double Stout, but it also includes the confusing epithet "Black Ale." 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with uninteresting label art, good bottle design, and blue branded standard pressure cap acquired at a local SoCal beer store and served into a Mitchell's of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given its current ratings.

Served cold, straight from the fridge, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger dark milky tan colour head of good milky lightly creamy complexion, nice soft appearance, good thickness, and pretty good (~4 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a nontransparent opaque solid black. Not quite a jet black but close; quite dark. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Lacing is light and uneven. A spot-on appearance for the style, but little stands out. You have to bring a lot to the table rise to the top of this style, and there's just nothing unique or special here.

Sm: Dark malts, caramel, peat, cream, the lightest hint of weak coffee (lacking roast or anything of interest), vague light molasses, chocolate malt, and the lightest hint of roasted malt. Nowhere near enough roast. The chocolate and coffee aren't at all evocative; there's no depth here. Not very impressed with the malts either. No hop aromatics are detectable, nor is any yeast character or alcohol. An average strength aroma for the style, and rather muted. Not bold or confident; very timid - not a good trait for an imperial stout. It's not horribly inviting as a result. No overt flaws, though.

T: A pretty run-of-the-mill dark malt build with some light smoked malt and chocolate malt. Coffee presence is minimal. Overly bitter. Lacks roast, a key flaw. Light peaty bitterness on the climax isn't at all satisfying. No yeast character, hop character, or alcohol comes through. Oats seem strangely out of place here. Caramel. It's quite a malt bomb all around, with none of the good aspects of a solid imperial stout. Very underwhelming. Timid. Badly balanced - in particular that naked grainy bitternes. Touches of molasses don't do this any favors. Badly built and constructed. Not a fan of this one.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Too slick for the style, which requires more body, coarseness, and dryness. Oats lend it a strange smoothness and almost acrid astringency. Too thick for its lack of flavour depth and/or diversity. Decent carbonation. Below average execution for the style. Doesn't suit the flavour profile well. Chewy and grainy.

Dr: A very subpar effort from Green Flash. One of the more underwhelming imperial stouts I've had in awhile. Almost everything good that I look for in beers of this style is not present here. I wouldn't get this again and I wouldn't recommend it. Really disappointed in this one. Somewhat drinkable but very underwhelming. Hides its ABV decently.

Low C+

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 05:50:53 | More by kojevergas

da_beers

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a beautiful black, with a tan head of almost two fingers. Decent lacing.

S - Chocolates, espresso, sweet malts all hit right away. Some roasted scents from the malts as well. Has a bite to it on the nose, but also a sweetness from the malts - I dig the smell.

T - Has a nice bite at the front from the hops, then evens with a smooth warmness, followed at the end with the espresso. Roasted/smokey chocolate notes dance around the palate as well.

M - Not as full bodied as some stouts I've had, but has a nice smoothness and warming qualities.

O - Overall decent stout, definitely not Green Flashes best brew, but not bad at all. Worth a try and I overall enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:27:10 | More by da_beers

MtOrion

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-15-2013 19:38:49 | More by MtOrion

OregonGrown7

Nebraska

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-15-2013 19:36:41 | More by OregonGrown7

Zbeetleman

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-15-2013 03:22:41 | More by Zbeetleman

jkball01

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -27.5%

05-13-2013 16:36:45 | More by jkball01

snaotheus

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a big snifter. Bottle says "02/05/13" on it, but it's not clear to me if that's a best by, sell by, or bottled on date. Tasting it at home on 12 May 2013.

Pours black with a light tan head, fair amount of carbonation. Basically opaque. Smell is rich and roasty, a little bit of coffee. I get something slightly nutty out of it.

Taste is coffee, sweetness, more of that roastiness. Not sure I can describe what I like about it, but I do like it.

Mouthfeel is rich and creamy. Overall, this is a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 20:28:11 | More by snaotheus

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours an oily black with a beautifully creamy, chocolate-coloured head. The head doesn't have the retention I expected from its density, but results in decent lacing and still a very good looking beer.

Aroma of roasted chocolate and dark malts has smoky barrel undertones. Although it's got great depth, slightly more subtle than I expected. Phenomenal flavour at all levels, from an initial milky sweetness to a coffee bitterness in the finish, this truly offers all the best of roasted dark malts. Well balanced but complex - a perfect sipping beer. Mouthfeel is like velvet, with the expected creamy residue and aftertaste. This finish lingers for an impressive length of time.

Another brilliant beer from San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 20:23:01 | More by hopsolutely

Kubrickx

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

05-12-2013 18:10:28 | More by Kubrickx

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.4%

05-12-2013 16:54:27 | More by mikeburd1128

havoc1

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-12-2013 06:41:18 | More by havoc1

ToddHolder

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-11-2013 01:24:56 | More by ToddHolder

TheBadger0289

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-11-2013 01:18:19 | More by TheBadger0289

tbryan5

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-10-2013 23:53:45 | More by tbryan5

SoCalBeerIdiot

California

4/5  rDev -3.4%

05-10-2013 18:29:07 | More by SoCalBeerIdiot

blknikon

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

05-07-2013 22:52:16 | More by blknikon

dalepryor

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-07-2013 21:01:19 | More by dalepryor

SamPowell

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-02-2013 00:45:13 | More by SamPowell

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: I can find no flaw with how this beer looks. Pours midnight black. Don't even try to look for light sneaking around the edges, it's just not there. Not even direct sunlight can make it through (OK, I used a high-power photography flash just for kicks, and it did manage to bring out a deep, red-brown hue for a microsecond, but that's cheating...) The head was a finger-plus of dense foam the color of espresso crema; it dissipated very slowly, and left lacing all around the glass.

S: Bready, toasted grain is the strongest aroma, followed by tart fruit. Also some coffee, molasses, and a hint of maple syrup.

T: Tangy more than malty from the start, although malty sweetness does show up about halfway through the sip. I detect grapefruit juice, then grapefruit rind. Some coffee, to be sure. Pine sap. Just a hint of fatty acid, but not for long. There's more grapefruit rind, fairly intense in its bitterness, showing up late, and it is rejoined by coffee in the finish.

M: Fairly thick and chewy, but well carbonated. Dryness bordered on astringent at the finish. Boozy notes were marginally present.

O: Perfect in appearance, good in taste. The dryness & bitterness of the finish were a little more than I'd have liked, but a very good brew all in all.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 18:05:25 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a pitch black with a nearly 2 finger rockey dark brown head with fair retention. Some lacing. Grains and a little coffee in the nose. Maybe slight hint of dark fruit aroma. Taste has some toasted almost burnt notes of malt. Some black coffee also. Boozy. Little off putting soapyness. Full bodied strong mouthfeel. Not my favorite stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:37:38 | More by Burkbom23

barczar

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yields an opaque onyx body with a frothy one inch mocha head that slowly dissipates, leaving sheets of holy lacing.

Nutty, roasty malt, coffee grounds, and dark chocolate form the initial aroma. Tar and tobacco add complexity, along with subtle dark cherry, vanilla, and molasses.

Flavor is initially chocolate dominant, complemented by slightly tart cherries. Roast character becomes evident mid palate, and carries into a fairly bitter, coffee grounds finish. Nutty notes and light floral hops emerge. Raspberries surface in subsequent sips. I'm burping malted milk balls.

Body is fairly thick and smooth, with carbonation unexpectedly spritzy. There's a touch of alcohol warmth.

The tart cherry/raspberry notes are slightly overwhelming, but it lacks the acrid character present in some roast malt dominated examples. Chocolate and roast character are in good balance, and coffee isn't over the top. Wish the carbonation were lower. Bitterness is slightly higher than I'd prefer.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:21:56 | More by barczar