Double Stout - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.46/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a dark brown color with a frothy, brown head. The scent is of malts and other robust aromas. The texture is silky smooth like a well made barrel-aged stout. There is a complex concoction of malts, grains, and hints of spice. Rather well made and a great find. This is a stellar stout especially considering the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:41:56 | More by Lemke10

GbVDave

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a DT tulip.

A: Pours a sinister looking black with a creamy, dark khaki colored head that rises to about 1 1/2 fingers before it melts away to a thin skim and irregular ring. Only a few tendrils of lace were left behind.

S: Holy crap! Does this smell good! Plums dipped in caramel and dark chocolate lead into some more savory dark fruit, burnt malt, cocoa, campfire, espresso, and milk chocolate covered cherries.

T: Sweet over-ripe dark fruit and caramel mix with both milk and dark chocolate, rum drenched raisins, dark roast french press coffee, fudge brownies, cocoa nibs, dry roasty nuts, and a spicy tang from the hops and/or alcohol.

M: Equal parts thick, gooey, and sweet mixed with bitter, prickly, and with an ashy dryness. Plasters itself to everything in my mouth with a peppery dark fruit tang.

D: Man oh man. If there is such a thing as a sessionable Imperial Stout, then this is it. The alcohol is totally non-intrusive and the complexities of this only increase as it comes up to temp. This is a great stout!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 00:28:39 | More by GbVDave

Naugros

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Typical stout look: used motor oil, thick mocha head that reduces to a thick ring and bubbly film.

I have encountered very stouts that smell this damn good. Sweet bourbon with none of the bite, like one mellowed by age. Chocolate is also present, but not the fake chocolate smell some of the stouts brewed with chocolate can give off. The roasted malts help accentuate both odors.

The bourbon is mitigated in the taste, which is a shame. It brought an amazing balance to this beer. But the chocolate does take over and plays with the roasted malts bringing a grittiness to the silk of the beer. The bitterness lingers even after the beer warms to room temperature. This is usually logged in the debit column for a stout, but in this case is a nice remembrance of the bourbon that was in the nose.

Overall, this is a really nice stout with some great flavor elements and incredible balance. Green Flash certainly knows the chemistry behind brewing.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 01:55:38 | More by Naugros

acevenom

Louisiana

4.48/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 5/22/2012.

Poured into a pint glass. Pours black like motor oil with a tall, tan head. the head retains very well, dissipating very slowly. Plenty of sticky lacing is left behind on the glass. There are aromas of dark roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee. It has the typical imperial stout smell that really opens up as it warms. The alcohol can also be picked up in the smell. The dark roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee flavors blend very well together in the mouth. The roasted malts leave a light aftertaste. There are also some hops in the back end, which balance some of those big flavors. The alcohol is well-hidden, but becomes more apparent as it warms up. The flavors become bolder as the beer warms. The body is medium to full with some carbonation. The finish is dry. The beer is creamy, though a bit on the thinner side of creamy. This helps the drinkability, but this is still a sipper. This is an excellent beer. While it's not quite as good as Old Rasputin, this is still a solid imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 17:13:42 | More by acevenom

SacoDeToro

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Beachwood BBQ.

The beer poured jet black with a dense dark brown head.

The aroma of the beer was of roasted coffee, dark caramel malt, and some mild dark fruitiness.

The flavor of the beer began with some intense chocolate notes that flowed into a burst of coffee-like roast. Almost like fresh brewed espresso. The finish had a great medium caramel malt sweetness that gave a smooth finish. The hops were assertive, but were well balanced with the roast characteristics. Some mild dark fruit flavors were present as well.

The mouthfeel was creamy and the body was full. The beer finished reasonably dry, which made it very drinkable. The carbonation was dialed in nicely.

This was an outstanding stout with an amazingly rich roasted coffee flavor that I really loved. My only criticism is that GF doesn't often introduce new/rotating releases like this one. Of course, they're awfully busy keeping up with the demand for West Coast IPA.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2008 23:02:27 | More by SacoDeToro

jminsc76

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

At Father's Office in Santa Monica (a.k.a. FO1) and upon seeing Green Flash's Imperial Stout on tap I knew I had to go right to dessert. The head is big, thick, and creamy, with a light brown contrasting the dark impenetrable body. As the head dissipates, creamy lacing spirals and sticks down the side. Not a lot of brown tinge when I agitate or tilt the glass. The look and the smell scream Fresh batch! Fresh batch!, with aromas of strong coffee and slight carob. Not overly intense though. It's still fairly cold, so the bouquet may increase in strength as I progress.

Mmmm, the initial taste is a punch in the mouth of roasted coffee and molasses. As I was distracted by the pretty brunette passing the bar, wasn't paying attention when I took that first sip, so it kind of floored me (so did the pretty brunette, but it is FO1 after all). Explosive roasted flavors. Really gets you.

A little of the carob flavor I detected in the smell, but the aforementioned flavors seem to overpower any strong cocoa taste. Also don't taste too much of the maltiness some of the other BA members point out in their reviews, so perhaps repeated tastings either on tap or on bottle may eventually reveal the nascent malt.

Upon further sipping, the taste is almost overly sweet from the molasses, but the thick mouthfeel combined with the roasted goodness balances it all out. Full-bodied, refined, and very strong on the palate. It's also quite alcoholic, as my cognition of the outside world is quickly going numb. Ahhhh, a good Imperial Stout with an exceptional look, taste, and mouthfeel. Taste is foremost though. Good job Green Flash, and good job FO1 for putting it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2009 15:56:40 | More by jminsc76

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a really great Impy that is value for the level of complexity involved $8 Canadian in Vancouver. Big Black and very luscious with just the right complexity on the finish. I put this on par with Old Rasputin and Brooklyn with all the right notes tied up with a high level of drinkability. I will buy more of this to cellar as it is a style that can always do with some aging

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 18:56:26 | More by canucklehead

alpineclimber

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I brought this one back from a trip to Oregon.

Poured from 22fl.oz bottle into my St. Bernardus chalice. The brewed poured an abysmal black with a dark tan head.

Smell is of sweet maltiness, a light coffee note and a slight smell of alcohol.

Taste is of dark malted barley, mocha and finishes with a dark coffee bitterness.

The mouthfeel is perfect for an imperial stout, the brew is slightly syrupy in glass and this comes through in the mouthfeel.

This is an awesome imperial stout, if I could buy this locally I would have a number of bottles in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 01:22:13 | More by alpineclimber

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at 1702 in Tucson on 7/18.

A - Dark as can be, pretty much black. Medium brown, fluffy, pillowy, inviting head.

S/T - Very similar between the nose and the taste. Molasses, brown sugar, sweet malt, roasted malt, caramelized sugar.

M - Smooth, subtle carbonation, tons of flavor fills the mouth.

Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 04:16:27 | More by Gatch

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep and rich of the blackest brown yet to be seen.
Out of the bottle and into the glass looks of creamy silkiness.
A thick double dollup of foamy tan head sits atop this silky darkness.

Aromatics are rich, with deep roasted malts rich coffee nuiances and some bittersweet chocolate malts.

Rich tasting with good flavor. Lots of your prototypical flavors here. Rich burnt/roasted malts, heavy doses of coffee and dark chocolates.
Hop pop is light with some bittering to keep those malts in line a bit.

A rather thick drinking beer but smooth and creamy going down. A sweet/ bitter taste.

I think this is a very good beer with all flavors balancing nicely with one another. Alcohol is well hidden. Good for an evening in the fall.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 20:52:39 | More by micromaniac129

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a deep dark brown black body, with creamy almost purple head. Head is very short lived though.Lacing is ok. Taste is complex: chocolate, coffee,nice bite but not overpowering. This could be a dangerous choice, since the alchohol is not apparent, especialy for an Imperial!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 22:53:21 | More by CaptJackHarkness

felipe2toes

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a solid brown/black with a thin creamy light brown head. Head dissipates quickly into very thin froth floating in center of glass. Leaves a little bit of lacing on the glass as well.

Smells of chocolate and molasses and some alcohol/bourbon notes.

Tastes of cocoa powder/milk chocolate and roasted malts. There's a little bit of coffee bitterness throughout, but nicely balanced.

Creamy medium-bodied mouthfeel. Not too heavy for me.

Great overall beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 22:47:14 | More by felipe2toes

scratch69

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Black with a lingering two finger dark tan head. Nice amount of thick lacing.

Smell- Dark chocolate and roasted malt with a hint of booziness.

Taste- Dark roasted malt with some char and chocolate notes. No trace of the booziness that I detected in the nose.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied, smooth, and creamy. Perfect amount of carbonation for the style.

Overall- Great tasting stout. I would highly recommend this.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 20:27:12 | More by scratch69

tonistruth

Nevada

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- deep brown with a fluffy and creamy tan head, decent retent, looks great in snifter glass

S- tempting aromas of oats, roasted malts, and rich chocolate

T- roasted malts from front to back with dark chocolate throughout as well, sublte hints of roasted oats lie in background

M- fluffy and smooth, dry finish with slight heat

D- amazing double stout that warms well, smells phenominal, and tastes fabulous, highly recomended brew

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2008 05:15:59 | More by tonistruth

BJA

California

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into perfect pint glass

A: Black. Ebony. Completely black with two fingers of head that was a vibrant brown/black color (I have to get better with my descriptions of colors). The head lasted several minutes and left decent lacing on the glass as I drank the beer down. Not the stickiest lacing I have seen though.
S: Chocolate, coffee, roasted malt and anise. These scents blend well. The scent is strong.

T: Tastes a lot like the smells. Roasted malts (but not overly roasted: well balanced), dark chocolate (like bitter chocolate I think), coffee (of medium strength). I don’t get much anise in the taste. I also don’t think the taste is incredibly sweet. Maybe that is apparent when I mention the dark chocolate flavor.

M: This is a heavier beer but not the heaviest I have encountered by any means. There seems to be just enough carbonation to cleanse the palate a bit. I find it disappointing when beers of this style do not have enough carbonation to cleanse the palate.

O: Damn good beer. The nose remains present to the last drop. I find that impressive along with unicorns that can still manage to propel themselves into the stratosphere the next morning after a night of heavy drinking at a carne asada and pollo asado bbq. (Rabbit trail). I find the beer to be very drinkable and the high alcohol is well hidden. Too well hidden?

I love when beer is ebony. It probably skews my ratings in the appearance department, because I want to award 5s to those beers that accomplish this (with an equally impressive head of course). I originally wrote this review while drinking this beer for the first time. I have now had several (this is a different night; I am not hammered). My original interpretations hold up, and I continue to love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 02:38:30 | More by BJA

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into my seventh sun snifter. Pours an opague black not a trace of light. Light brown colored heading,looks like a root beer float kind of heading. Excellent lacing all the way through.

The aroma was very subtle but nice. Leave the big hops to IPAs. I like my stouts more of an English style I guess. Nice roasted malts notes of chocolate and coffee.

Taste was just the same. Heavy mocha, burnt tobacco leaf and a touch of brown sugar. Second wave brings a kind of fig quality to it and settles with a quick anise like heat in the finish.

Mouth is full bodied, excellent carbonation. I love the nice smooth velvety texture.

Well this one will be the last of 2011 tastings for me and what a shocker to finish with. Extremely easy going double stout and the 8.8% ABV is almost not existent. This just may win my suprise of the year for 2011.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 02:30:58 | More by TheFightfan1

tubeboy

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow what a nice stout. Pours pitch black with a tall toffee colored head that leaves a nice lacing. I smell roasted grains with a sweet hint of molasses and dried fruits. A very nice bitterness here that's balanced well by a rich sweetness. I really like the way this beer develops in the mouth. A very pleasing silky texture followed by a second release of carbonation in very fine texture. I would rate this right up there with Stone Russian Imperial Stout. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 22:27:43 | More by tubeboy

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz. bottle from Total Wine & More poured into 18.2oz. Samuel Smith's Pint Glass

A: This may be the sexiest beer I've ever poured. It's black as hell in the center with hints of deep soil brown around the edges. The head is a solid three inches of mousse colored thickness and is dissipating extremely slowly. Upon pour, I got that sexy, lavish drop similar to Guinness; you know, where it looks like sand churning in a shallow pool.

S: Coffee and cappuccino. No thinness, no alcohol, no chocolate or screwing around. This is malted cappuccino. Such a great aroma.

T: Imagine if steak tasted like an average stout, but the steak was charred. It's slightly grainy, but that char is awesome. Cappuccino on steroids. Hints of finely shaven dark bakers chocolate. Not sweet, but bitter. The beer isn't bitter, just the chocolate is.

M: Ugh! It's smooth as hell, slightly thinning, and a little oily. A nice, full hop tingle, but not too much. Not even enough to register until the dryness takes over my mouth post-sip, bringing me back for more. Really frothy. Not as thick as I assumed, but it's perfect. P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

OVERALL: Green Flash Double Stout is a sexy, classy, rough and tumble broad. Everything about it is about average and the textbook style areas are a hit. I suggest all of you bourbon stout lovers take a step back and see what a non-barrell aged stout is supposed to be like just as a refreshing reminder. This is the best non-bourbon/brandy stout I've had to date and the most stylistically perfect. Green Flash has always been a hell of a brewery, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

NOTE: Live review.
(EDIT:) Still massive amounts of lacing with only about eight ounces left. It's all there on this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 22:44:20 | More by RobertColianni

Brushkanna

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque dark chocolate brown
Carmel toastie light smell
Bitter chocolate black stout with a little alcohol vapor
Lighter mouthfeel for a stout but has a great aftertaste of dark chocolate and toast
Highly recommend its a great winter beer to warm you up

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:26:18 | More by Brushkanna

tprokop7

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a Yeti glass with BA's balberts and rbuckstar, from a Beirkraft growler gotten in trade with Jw347.

A - Jet black with a dark brown 2-finger head that dissipates quickly.

S - Roasted malts dominate the smell, followed by notes of bitter chocolate.

T - Sweet and chocolaty, with a nice roasted finish.

M - Just a little sticky, like I found with the LA Serpent's Stout. Other than that, the carbonation is pleasant and the beer is smooth.

D - This is a great beer overall, and I wish I could get more. I'm reaching for another glass right now...

Serving type: growler

05-04-2008 20:20:05 | More by tprokop7

dqderrick

California

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A
Looks like a shot of espresso. Makes me want a shot of espresso. Minimal head with a little lacing.

S
Sweet chocolate. Very light roasted oats... grains.

T
Doesn't taste quite as sweet as sweet as it smells. A great double stout flavor. Yum. It is definitely sweet.

MF
Very smooth. Little bubbles on the back of my tongue on each sip. I long for a creamier stout.

D
Very worth it. I'd keep one in the fridge for a change of pace once in a while. I could drink a bomber by myself no problem... and then some.

PS. Referring to the bottle photo... NOW THAT is how you take a photo of a beer bottle. Damn, nice bokeh.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 03:55:12 | More by dqderrick

Riverwarrior

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

S = Rich coffee and dark chocolate dominate without being too powerful, yet very inviting.

T = Incredible! Bold coffee and semi-sweet baker's chocolate upfront. A wave of molasses is next and before the sweetness has a chance to become cloying, here comes the roasted coffee bitterness to level off the sweetness and provide a balanced finish. No alcohol detected in the taste.

MF = Rich, thick body with carbonation being between low and moderate. Very creamy and smooth.

Overall, this is one the best stouts that I've tasted. It has it all...sweetness, coffee bitterness, and is very easy to drink. I will be keeping this one on hand. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 10:50:07 | More by Riverwarrior

joepais

Maine

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A huge thanks to duffmanrob
For sending this one along in the black booty BIF

I split this one amounst some friends and into snifters the brew produced a good two finger tan head that stuck around and the lacing was great. The body was a typical stout black.

O my this was a surprise I got some huge chocolate notes from the nose. Truly memorable in a lot of ways I really didn't expect to much from this brew but it did surprise me.

The flavor was nice a chocolaty with a light roasted bitter not as much hops as I thought I would find coming from a west coat brewery even that was refreshing for a change. The body was perfect for a stout with great carbonation.

Like I said this brew was a surprise. I did miss this brew when it was gone, and it was better than a top 100 brew that we cracked in the same sitting

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 17:18:09 | More by joepais

obywan59

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The last of my triple play for the evening.

Pours brown, but darker than the Mendocino. Pitch black in the glass. Thick, brownish head. More dense and chunky than the aforementioned beer. Spectacular thick lacing.

I don't think I've ever used the word fruity in describing a stout before, but on capping the bottle, that was my primary impression. A bit of pineapple early on. Later, more traditional stout aromas of rich coffee and milk chocolate, but the fruityness remains. It smells like bon bons.

The taste is also a bit fruity, but less exclusively. Here it's more coffee and dark chocolate with bitterness rising in the end.

Full-bodied and warming.

An excellent stout. It's a bit too strong to be considered sessionable, but it's an awesome sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 04:46:02 | More by obywan59

ralree

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful dark tan head on this one - very poofy and full. Pitch black color. Head retention is awesome.

S: Surprising amount of hop smell for a stout. Rich chocolate notes.

T: Wonderful chocolate flavor with great northwest hop notes. This is a winner. Bitter flavor permeates the nice wood-fire burned toast flavor. Very drinkable. Alcohol barely detectable. A nutty aftertaste.

M: A little overcarbonated, but not much. Thick and chewy - coats the mouth nicely. Pretty oily. Non-astringent and full-bodied. Well-done.

D: Drinks wonderfully. It's pretty rich and filling, but for this style it's great. Not one you would have with a meal for the most part, but would be great with some cheese or by itself.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2008 23:45:04 | More by ralree