Double Stout - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Merkur

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the tap room in San Deigo

Beer pours a nice, rich, dark brown color.

As far as smell, nothing really to detect. Just a bit of slight roastiness.

Beer tastes slightly bitter on the initial taste and then hops take over the back end. A bit too hoppy for an imperial stout, in my opinion.

Mouthfeel was a bit on the thin side.

Overall, an OK Imperial stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 16:37:47 | More by Merkur

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pours a nearly pitch black body befitting of a good stout. I really like the head on this, aside from its underwhelming retention. Due to an aggressive pour, the head starts off four fingers tall with a lighter tan color and a vibrant bubble show at first. Lots of sticky, spiderweb lacing is left on the glass.

S: Very chocolaty! Lying underneath all the chocolate are notes of coffee, dark fruit, roast, and earthy hops. Could almost pass for a roided-up export stout.

T: At first sip, hops waste no time coating the tongue with an opening piny bitterness. Afterward, the chocolaty goodness pops back up. There's a weird lactic acid twang throughout that clashes with the hops; both end up being the dominant flavors over the nicer notes of coffee, dark fruit and chocolate, hurting the overall balance. While it's far from bad, the taste is incredibly disappointing after such an amazing smell.

M: The body texture has a weird combination of hop resin, acidity, and stout stickiness with a medium body. These traits never seem to fully mesh, creating a stout that's pretty difficult to drink. Dry finish and lower carbonation.

O: A textbook example of a beer's smell writing checks it's taste can't cash. I think this will be a lot better with a fresher bottle or on tap, but right now, if I want a hopped up imperial stout, I'll stick with Victory Storm King.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 21:25:08 | More by ThisWangsChung

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to BgThang for this one.

This beer pours a dark black with a little port that shines through the edges. The head is a collar of tan which leaves behind a delicate lacing.

Smells a bit watery with cocoa malts and an afterthought of fruity sourness.

The flavor begins with a touch of milk chocolate that dry out a bit bringing in a roasted ashy fruity sourness. I can't pin down what kind of fruit, but it's really quite bland. I'm surprised at how utterly devoid this one is of anything that catches my attention. It's kinda like the guy you've worked with for 15 years that you still haven't caught the name of.

Feels clean and pleasantly dense with a nice tickle of subdued carbonation.

A pretty easy drinking beer. Not much to disappoint or excite.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2008 06:32:51 | More by DarkerTheBetter

mikehblack

California

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours completely black with a nice fat espresso head. Lacing clings to the glass.

S- Roasted malt, a little chocolate. Not much else going on here.

T- Dark chocolate, espresso, some roasted character. Slight bitterness from the chocolate.

M- Very smooth and creamy. Coats the mouth and I can hardly taste the alcohol. Easy drinker.

O- A pretty standard and well-balanced imperial stout that represents well for the style but doesn't provide much beyond that. Great mouthfeel, however.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 03:28:51 | More by mikehblack

TTAmod

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

One of the kings of the west coast IPA brews a double stout...how is it?

12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass.

A: Typical. It's dark...very dark brown with an almost non-existent tan head.

S: Smells of chocolate, espresso, and charred malts.

T: In my opinion, this one is throws a bit too much of the strong coffee and burnt malt. There's an overtone of smokiness, as well, which seems a bit out of place. There are some hops to balance it out on the back end, but it still finishes with a strong bitter coffee taste.

M: Mouthfeel is good, though. As smooth as can be.

O: The taste doesn't really do it for me, but the rest of the aspects of this beer are pretty good. If you're into the intensely bitter coffee stouts, this one may be worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 06:01:28 | More by TTAmod

CaptYellow

New York

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Jet black. 2/3 head falls to full layer of crema.

S: Espresso. Caramel-like sweetness.

T: Heavy, heavy espresso. Hint of caramel.

M: Chewy. Started out with a clean finish, but began to lag heavily on the tounge.

D: One's enough (to share!)

O: Buy again? No. Recommend it? Yes.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 13:06:25 | More by CaptYellow

pmarlowe

California

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tulip glass.

A: Pours black with a big, pillow-y two fingers of sand colored foam which fades rather slowly. Lacing is quite good.

S: Mostly roasted malts, some sweet chocolate, and almost a kind of citrus-y tang.

T: Again, roasted malt and some smokiness, a tinge of coffee, followed by a fair amount of hoppiness. Slightly bitter on the finish.

M: Medium bodied. Relatively high level of carbonation (for the style) makes for a not-the-smoothest mouthfeel. Heat from the alcohol is noticeable.

O: A simple and enjoyable enough stout. Enough said.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 05:04:20 | More by pmarlowe

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours jet black with a brown head. In the aroma, a light coffee roast. In the taste, a dry coffee roast and mellow pine hops in the end. A small hop bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry, mellow coffee roast in the aftertaste. Lack of nose, but nice mellow hops all the way through.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 14:07:42 | More by OWSLEY069

TSJ4000

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What a really nice stout. I was expecting a lot of bittering hops coming from Green Hops Brewing Co. but this was well-balanced. Sometimes too much hops is too much hops. This was a really nice stout though. It was jet black and lacking a thick head but delicious, refreshing, and very full flavored. Something more than a chocolate malt ale that a lot of people brew as a stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 23:20:19 | More by TSJ4000

Sam21

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 11/09/12. Poured into snifter. 

A- Pours thick and dark with a health light tan head. Great retention and beautiful in the glass. Brooding with excellent appeal. 

S- Mild. Chocolate and a strong fruit note reminiscent of cherry. Powdered chocolate. Cocoa nibs. It's a balanced chocolate forward nose, but not overly complex - for me. 

T- Sweet dark fruit up front with cherry hard candy, prunes, and raisins that are enveloped in chocolate. Again, balanced, moderate intensity, with a nice slow sweet finish. Hop bitterness is present and adds a refreshing finish to the sweetness. It enhances the cocoa nib bitterness and coaxes balance out of it all.

MF- Full, creamy, and smooth. Really wonderful. If the body was heavier, the body would be world class for this balanced profile. Still, really wonderful. 

O- This is a smooth drinking imperial stout. The alcohol is hidden, the flavors are balanced, and the experience is excellent. I prefer a more expressive imperial stout with more charred roast notes, but this beer hit its mark. 

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 00:24:21 | More by Sam21

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark, pretty much black, not much in the way of edges even. It looked flat off the pour, but a dense cap of dark tan bubbles rose to coat the surface. Some stickage, good head retention. Big sweet, malty aroma with lots of toffee and caramel, roast and milk chocolate notes along with some licorice. Sturdy bitterness with hop notes appearing towards the end. Caramel up front with some chocolate and roast throughout, anise in the finish. Overly phenolic though, a little out of balance. Mild warmth with just a hint of alcohol in the flavour. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Overall, not bad. Fairly drinkable for a relatively big beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 01:33:09 | More by DrJay

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bored from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- nice black in color with a 2" dark an head. Big blotches of lacing cling to the glass.

S- roasted malts, chocolate and pine.

T- lots of chocolate, some roasted malts and big pine finish.

M- medium body and carbonation. Slightly thin, not real creamy like others per the style.

O- good imperial stout. Almost a black ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 02:52:29 | More by kawilliams81

kagent777

Utah

3.55/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A recent pick up while in Florida visiting the family. Poured into my CCB snifter. No date on the bottle that I could see :(

Appearance: Pours thick and very black with a thin but frothy head.

Smell: Roasty with a smack of herbal hops. A touch of cocoa and coffee with a bit of char. Pretty balanced and inviting for a dark ale.

Taste: Taste follows the smell. Bitter more than sweet chocolate, with only a bit of coffee flavor (grounds). A pervasive mineral/metallic smell jumps in. Very solid roasted barley character in this one.

Mouthfeel: Not the thickest Stout that I have sampled, but it can hold its own. The carbonation is more assertive than I usually find in this style. Which leads to a pricky acid sort of feel.

Overall: Interesting mix of flavors, not bad but not my favorite from a style that is well represented elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:22:28 | More by kagent777

zac16125

South Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into a tulip
Bottled on: 9/25/12

A: Dark brown during the pour, black in the glass. 1 fingers width of mocha colored head which hangs around a good while before dissipating down. Leaves tons of really pretty lacing down the side of the glass.

S: I get mostly roasted malt aromas. Hints of coffee. Herbaceous/grassy notes. A somewhat astringent/acrid, almost sour character is there as well. Not impressed.

T: Follows the nose in that its mostly roasted flavors. I also get heavy cream, char, some dark fruits such a under-ripe plums. Not a lot going on here. Taste is pretty mild.

M/D: Wonderfully smooth. Carbonation is appropriately low. Its too thin, but even with that, the smoothness makes the mouthfeel very good. No hint of the ABV. Very easy drinking for an IS.

O: Overall, not a bad beer, but nothing special. I wouldnt actively avoid it, but I dont see myself purchasing this one again. Awesome lacing and wonderful smoothness bounce up the overall score.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:53:49 | More by zac16125

dedrinker

Kansas

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Opaque black color, no light at the edges with a thick foamy tan batter-looking head. Aromas of baking chocolate and roasted malts. Flavors mimic the aroma with the addition of a mild earthy hoppiness, and a warm alcohol presence. Fairly standard flavor here, but slightly lacking in depth, though it does have a full-bodied and soft mouth feel. Finishes with powdered cocoa and gentle roast. Not bad, but I probably won't ever be coming this way again.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 05:57:53 | More by dedrinker

david131

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- A deep, black liquid with just the slightest bit of light getting through the top when held to a light. The creamy brown head has some decent retention. I can't really ask for anything more.

S- Dark chocolate, coffee, and a bit of fruitiness. The roastiness and hoppiness are pretty apparent.

T- Roasty with a definite hop presence. A bit astringent with a strange off flavor on the finish.

M- A very creamy body with the perfect amount of carbonation. the finish is just a little odd, though. Dry and kind of astringent.

D- The hoppiness makes this a unique take on the style, but it is enjoyable. A bit of a sipper, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 04:12:23 | More by david131

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look - jet black with about 2.5 fingers worth of dark tan-colored foam that dissipates slowly.

Smell - fairly malty with subtle chocolaty hints and a note of roastedness.

Taste and Mouthfeel - bittersweet in general. Sweet at the beginning, and in the middle you can taste the syrupy/chocolaty tones, and bitter in the finish. Texture is pretty well-balanced, but leans toward the creamier side.

Overall - not a bad brew at all. Very drinkable, and decently complex.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 03:38:18 | More by Nerudamann

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark black pour, tan head, no real lacing.

Smell: Heavy roast, bitter coffee and chocolate, dark fruits, earth

Taste: Very heavy roast, bitter chocolate and coffee, smoke dark fruits. Very dry.

Mouthfeel: medium body, aggressive carbonation, very dry

Overall: Too bitter and too heavily roasted for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 03:52:25 | More by craytonic

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on tap at pope in philly

Pours a viscous black color with a big, frothy graham colored head resting on top. Plenty of patchy lacing left behind with some filmy retention.

Faint hop note in the nose with some coffee beans and chocolate notes. Pretty rich, tons of roasted malts, subdued alcohol tone.

Rich and full up front with plenty of roasted malts. Dark chocolate and coffee notes. Decent amount of sweetness with caramel. Finishes a little warm with a dash of hops.

Full body, solid carbonation, chewy and smooth on the tongue. Solid stout, not terribly complex, but something I'd probably drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2011 03:10:40 | More by xnicknj

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Two fingers worth of dense tightly packed rich creamy medium-to-dark brown colored head... Impressive retention... The color isn't quite black, but rather a deep dark rich brown... Very still... A good bit of lacing clings to the sides of the glass...

S - Subtle milk chocolate... Faint roasted malts... Light soy sauce... Just a hint of coffee... A smidgen of caramel... A nice mix of aromas that complement one another very nicely...

T - Lightly roasted malts... Very light notes of caramel and chocolate... Marshmallows... Some faint hoppiness on the finish...

M - Slightly lush to start... Medium to full bodied... Surprisingly thin... Almost zero carbonation... Dry... Fairly uneventful and uninspired in terms of mouthfeel...

D - A respectable Imperial Stout... Definitely on the meeker end of the category... Kind of a boring brew... Solid appearance and solid aroma, however everything else is slightly disappointing, but not off putting in any way...

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 03:02:27 | More by philbe311

chinchill

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz distinctive brown bottle served in a snifter.

A black, opaque brew with a short-lived tan head, More than ample lacing left on the glass.

As expected, the aroma is dominated by dark roasted malts with a nice hint of dark chocolate. The flavor profile is a little marred, IMO, by a slight sour note. Very long-lasting flavor of dark malt with a hint of hops.

M: Medium-full body, leaning towards full, with good carbonation. Smooth but with a bit of crispness or light bite.

O: a rich stout favoring lots of heavily roasted malts. Lacks complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 22:53:58 | More by chinchill

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 10/16/08. Bottle. Pours black with a luscious thick brown head the color of a chocolate milkshake. Aroma of rich sweet malt, roast, and coffee. Flavor of nice coffee and roast with some wheaty, bitter hops in the finish. Nice stout, approaching an imperial stout with its strong mouthfeel. Rich, not particularly flavorful, but still a good drink.
7/5/7/4/15 (3.8/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 19:19:07 | More by LilBeerDoctor

SolomonGrundy

California

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

So they're calling this a double stout on their website, and it's 8.8% ABV...It'll pack a wallop, for sure...for some reason I always fell like the ABV in stouts is higher than advertised. Oh well....Inky black with only the faintest rims of a head. Very little lacing, so far this is par for the course. Huge chocolate malt and roasty aromas. Very robust. Some barrell aging-ish smells, like smooth bourbon, way in the back. Has a "creamy" smell to it...Nice, sour roasted malt bite upfront in the flavor profile. Lots of espresso bean notes. Alcohol is apparent in the finish. Long, longer, longest finish. Very nice in its bitterness. Very dry stout, but also well balanced. This also has a beautiful round finish...kind of flows from bitter to creamy back to bitter...Very lovely beer....La la la LOVELY, as Mike Muir said...Well done, and mid-range on price at $5.99/bomber, so drinkability suffers a little from the price. Not sessionable, but dangerously good. Find and drink folks...find...and...drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 01:44:30 | More by SolomonGrundy

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a very dark, completely black brew,. The head is a tan, soapy consistency. It's a wonderfully aromatic stout...roasted...smokey, dark fruit skins, charcoal, coffee...dates, wood, slightly burnt grain. Sharp taste: sweet, with a touch of astringency from the burnt grain...full in flavor. Some warmth, but no real alcohol note. It's a full, jagged, but very engaging brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 21:50:26 | More by Suds

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Opaque black with a thumb sized, bubbly brown head on top that stays well given the abv. of the beer. It eventually settles as a thin lacing with some sticking to the sides as well.

Dark roasted malts and cocoa with a strong helping of chocolate and an earthy, nutty aroma with stronger than expected sweetness. There is definitely some sugar and even some dark fruits, perhaps a hint of cherries too with a little spice.

Coffee and roasted malt flavours to begin along with some dark cocoa and rich chocolate, all of which is complimented with some background sweetness and a little bit of fruit. A nice, well rounded flavour.

Medium to full and quite creamy to begin with before finishing a little grainy and definitely dry with medium to strong bitterness levels and moderate carbonation and a very slight hint of alcohol.

A nice stout with a good, subdued fruity twist towards the end that was unexpected. The beer is a good one but by no means a great stout and probably a little strong for me to seek out again without it really blowing me away. It was pleasant enough and drinkable.

1001 Beers: http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 11:27:48 | More by flyingpig