Double Stout - Green Flash Brewing Co.

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

haddon

Kentucky

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

had on-tap at Pazzo's in Lexington, KY.

The beer pours black in color with an impressive mocha head. Can't get a real feel for the appearance since it came in a cold pint glass from a bar.

Intense roasted malt and coffee aromas to this. Plenty of dark chocolate aromas. hint of smoke & licorice. sweet notes as well.. perhaps brown sugar.

The roasted malt flavor is powerful with a hop note. Strong coffee and dark chocolate flavors with a bit of licorice. Lots of sweet milk chocolate on the end. This is exactly what I've been looking for in a stout... strong on the malts & hops that doesn't crowd out the sweet notes. Perfect!

Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Interesting that it wasn't fuller considering the ABV & all the flavors going on.

O: An outstanding stout. perhaps my favorite to date. Green Flash is a strong brewery that keeps kicking out great beers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2012 17:33:36 | More by haddon

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark dark brown, as close to black as could be. A nice full finger of rich chocolate colored head, decent retention, thickish tan outer ring remains. Solid lacing.

S - Roasty and bold bitter/dark chocolate aromas. A little smokey/ashy too.

T - Roasty/smokey and bitter, sweet bitter chocolates at the back end. Pretty simple but pretty bold and delightful. Slightly boozy

M - Medium bodied-Full bodied, appropriate carbonation. Almost a sipper

O - A nice bold flavorful double stout, definitely a fan. Should be a fun 64 oz's.

Serving type: growler

04-05-2012 21:33:14 | More by MacQ32

Brent

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Double indeed - a ton of malt crammed into this beer. Poured tar black with a thin mocha head. This is all about the deep roasted malt, but it manages to balance sweetness with enough hops to hold it all together. The alcohol is there, lurking in the background, but never moves too far to the forefront to be distracting. A worthy entry in the class.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 18:58:29 | More by Brent

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Double Stout is a delicious and no-frills kinda Stout. One sip delivers all the moderate and balanced flavors with a high level of drinkability.

Pouring an onyx-black color and with seemingly bright clarity despite its darkness, this handsome ale develops a thick and moussey light tan head that retains until the final sips and laces with rings around the glass that denotes each sip (surprisingly fewer rings than I would have thought).

Milder than expected aromas of true roast and malt gives elements of coffee, cocoa, heavy toast, and cream. Low lying caramel notes, no fruity esters, and no apparent spices leave the nose simple, pure, and all about the malt and roast.

Very clean flavors carry the dialogue of coffee and malt with deeper notes of French roast varieties, malted milk, bittersweet cocoa, and a touch of vanilla. Slight smoky sweetness of caramel and phenol give a bit of intrigue and becons a pairing with barbecue. No real fruitiness or caramel sweetness of English Stouts make this beer a very yeast-neutral, clean, and malty-dry flavored beer.

Full bodied with creamy malt textures, but without the heaviness or weight that's associated with sweeter versions. Rich from start to finish with somewhat marshmallowy texture- the creamy maltiness makes an impression throughout. A dry roasty finish closes the beer with a long linger of coffee and cocoa bitterness.

In an odd way, this beer makes brewing seem too easy. Immaculately balanced, simple profile, and exquisite execution makes the beer seem perfect as is but still making me want more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 16:53:53 | More by BEERchitect

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

jegross2

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing the <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2743/41626">Green Flash Double Stout</a> from Green Flash Brewing Company.
Score: 91

12 oz tap pour served in a St. Bernardus Watou chalice/goblet glass at the Lincoln Park beer geek bar The Local Option. The picture I took at the bar came out horribly, so I am using a stock photo from a liquor store's website.

Appearance: Pours a totally opaque jet black color with just under a finger of creamy tan/mocha head that settles into a thick ring around the glass and bubbly clump in the center. Average lacing. 4/5

Smell: Burnt/roasted chocolate, dark fruit and light coffee. A very pleasant smelling stout, but nothing unique or overly complex. 4/5

Taste: This is a very chocolate-forward beer. Tons of roasted/burnt chocolate flavors throughout. A nice blend of bitter dark and sweet milk chocolate coat the palate. Increasing amounts of raisin/fig/dark fruit sweetness on the mid-palate as the beer layers. A little alcohol is noticeable (8.8% ABV), but the booziness is not "hot" -- just detectable. Finish is lingering bitter, unsweetened dark chocolate, with an increasing amount of fig flavor as the beer layers. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation. Finishes dry and bitter for most of the beer. Halfway through the glass, the finish stays dry, but becomes bittersweet.

Overall: A very solid imperial stout that I could easily see myself returning to again. While it's not innovative or standout in any regard, the Green Flash Double Stout is a delicious chocolate-forward stout. My only gripe is the detectable alcohol, though there was not enough booziness present to ruin the beer. There was enough, however, to warrant grading down the taste rating from 4.5 to 4.0 between first impression and last sip.

Recommendation: A solid chocolate-forward beer for malty stout lovers, and a good starter imperial stout for casual beer drinkers.

Food pairings: Steak.

Cost: $7 for a 12 oz tap pour or $10.99 for a four pack of 12 oz bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 18:08:39 | More by jegross2

jjboesen

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This review is based on a recent visit to Alewife during Baltimore Beer Week 2010.

This looks like the quintessential stout: tar black color with a thin crown of beige froth. It is the proverbial glass of oil. The lacing smears the glass rim is splotchy and loose. It possesses a potent nose of cocoa powder and enough molasses to indicate the inevitable sweetness to come. The cocoa powder noted above reappears on the palate, but is supplemented by a sloppy malt blanket that subsides into a toasty finish.

Green Flash brews one sweet and potent stout; a very brew from the West Coast stout. I simply must make a trip to San Diego one day.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 22:08:39 | More by jjboesen

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is attractive in this one, with some milk chocolate, light coffee and some underlying vanilla. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but delivers more complexity than I was expecting. I pick up some nice licorice, with some dark chocolate, more coffee and a hint of leather and tobacco. The sweetness is not overdone with this one, and drinkability is quite good. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, with a fairly long, fairly smooth finish.

Nothing extraordinairy here, but this is a very solid beer from the folks at Green Flash.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 19:59:30 | More by johnmichaelsen

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

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on draft 10/13 at The Green Leafe Cafe
Served in a pint glass

A: This beer pours an opaque black with a 1/2 inch of medium brown head. Head recedes at a moderate pace leaving sheets of lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is huge prominent roasted malts, they really dominate the nose. Notes of chocolate and coffee accentuate the malt presence.

T: Taste is big milk chocolate at the forefront. Roasted malts come through and dominate the middle with the milk chocolate blending nicely with the roasted malts. The back end of the roasted malt taste has the notes of coffee that come in and finish this beer out.

M: Medium to fuller body, moderate carbonation. light creamy body with a sticky finish.

O: Goes down very easy, very tasty, somewhat filling, well hidden kick, very good representation of style. Ahhhh - a fantastic stout to sit back and if you can hang with the ABV, enjoy for a little bit.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 22:50:16 | More by Jayli

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

A: The beer pours black in color with a rather impressive two fingers of tan head.

S: Intense roasted malt and coffee aromas to this. Plenty of dark chocolate aromas with a subtle earthiness. Perhaps a hint of smoke, same thing for licorice. A bit of molasses and toffee for sweetness.

T: The roasted malt flavor is quite powerful with a slight bitterness and earthy hop note. Lots of strong coffee and dark chocolate flavors, maybe a bit of licorice and burnt sugar. Subtle sweetness on the mid-palate.

M: Medium bodied with smooth, medium carbonation.

O: A very tasty beverage. Another solid beer from Green Flash.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 22:57:12 | More by womencantsail

drabmuh

Maryland

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

For some reason this is my 2200 review. Beer is served in a small snifter. Beer is black with a thin tan head of small bubbles, no lacing low carbonation.

Aroma is malt and alcohol, sweetness mostly.

Beer is medium bodied and much better than I expected, overall the beer is malty and sweet with a nice finish, not too bitter, not dry, good throughout. I'd have this beer again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 16:23:01 | More by drabmuh

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours jet black, looks silky, short fine head is a tan color like coffee with cream in it.

Smells of dark roasted cocoa and hints of coffee sans coffee acidity, along with mild smokey aromas and maybe some caramel malts.

Flavor follows, a tad smokey but mostly a roasted flavor with some chocolate and caramel, maybe some vanilla, and a hint of breadiness to it as well. What little bitterness is there is coffee-like, again sans acidity. Rich to be sure, but not overbearing.

Medium feel with mild creamy carbonation.

Really good stout, hides its potency well and is just delectable across the board. Particularly enjoyed the addition of coffee flavors while avoiding the normal acidity that tends to come with that. Not my favorite stout ever, but certainly up there and would definitely try again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 00:50:02 | More by Cylinsier

HopHead84

California

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

8/6/2011

On tap at Green Flash.

A: Black in the glass, with a huge foamy dark brown head. Retention is excellent and there is a lot of lacing left behind.

S: Pronounced dark chocolate with licorice and black strap molasses. Coffee is well integrated and there's an earthy roasted quality. No evident alcohol.

T: Lightly sweet with a moderate earthy bitterness. Lots of dark chocolate balanced by roast, coffee, and molasses. Alcohol is well hidden in the flavor. The finish is smooth.

M: Full body with an upper moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, and sticky.

Overall: A really nice Imperial Stout. Robust and balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 03:11:19 | More by HopHead84

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

mrkun

California

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the brewery

A: Black with some purple reflecting around the edges in the sunlight. Minimal head and lacing.

S: Nose is primarily roasted malts with some coffee notes.

T: Taste follows the nose with coffee becoming more prevalent as the beer warms. The aftertaste is roasty with a bit of hoppiness.

M: Light carbonation and medium body.

O: A nice imperial stout that is well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 16:51:49 | More by mrkun

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I enjoyed this in a tulip Nitro tap'd at Al's of Hampden.

The color is 8 ball black with a nice creamy medium tan head which has a miniscule bead. The lace clings in a sheet, the stout is opaque no way you can see through it. The smell is nice, but a little light for the style - a pleasant amount of cocoa, coffee and slight smoke is present. The feel is very good - I normally am not a fan of nitro tapped beers, but on this hot day in the mid-90's the lighter body is a plus with creamy, not heavy body and moderate roastiness with some hop or dark grain bitterness, probably both actually. The alcohol is mild for the style which I like and the finish is bitter and semi-dry.

I like the flavors this beer has, nice toasted and chocolate malt presence with some coffee flavor and an invigorating amount of piney hops that lets you know this is a West Coast stout. It is hoppier than most American stouts, but fits the double stout moniker and has a gentle amount of caramel in the taste to lessen the impact of the hops and dark grain. Overall I really enjoyed this I consider it a decent example of the style without going overboard with hops or roasted malts a very clean and enjoyable brew.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-09-2011 18:42:04 | More by Slatetank

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Green Flash Double Stout on cask at The Pony Bar, Hell's Kitchen, NYC.

Appearance: Beautiful cask head, very frothy, carbonated and bubbly. Great retention and decent lacing. Black color with sludge-like brown tones, sort of like the Gowanus Canal: not quite brown, not quite black, but nothing can live in it.

Smell: Lotta hops, will make you sneeze! Grass, open fields. Roasty, nutty nose. A tad woodsy. Nicely complex (but not quiet).

Taste: Some chocolate, sugar, wooden beams in a smokehouse. Burnt marshmallows at a campfire. Dry finish, graham-cracker-like graininess. Roasted s'mores. Autumny taste. Late August, boy-scout campfire, wheatfield aromas from afar. Too anxious to wait for the marshmallow to roast, you eat the chocolate and graham cracker, not caring for the whole s'more to be done.

Mouthfeel: Woodsy, dry, reminds me of KBS! Full flavor, medium body and carbonation. Well balanced, creamy, not too boozy. Sweet dry finish, like licking tree bark.

Overall: Nice! This feels like a mixture of Black IPA and Imperial Stout. Drinkable, only the dryness might hurt it, but otherwise delicious.

Serving type: cask

05-19-2011 00:51:49 | More by DoubleSimcoe

kindacold

Virginia

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

Pours BLACK with a thick tan head that lasts for a few minutes.

Smells heavy and sweet with chocolate and coffee notes, and a bit of alcohol.

Feels thick and slightly syrupy, but surprisingly smooth.

Sweet tasting with a bitter aftertaste. There are strong chocolate flavors with coffee undertones. Alcohol presence is noticeable.

Feels sticky and remains a little bitter in your mouth after swallowing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 04:46:13 | More by kindacold

eric5bellies

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank on tap at Monk Fremantle.

A - Pours the classic ebony colour with acreamy tanned head that stays the distance.

S - Plenty of caramel and expresso aromas with chocolate also present.

T - Chocolate a bit more present than the smell, but creamy expresso flavours are the dominant flavour, the sweetness is also a real credit to this brew in that its so very well balanced.

M - Full body and medium to light carbonation.

O - A very fine big stout, treat with respect.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 13:26:24 | More by eric5bellies

socon67

New York

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with some foam retained on top. The smell is of roasted malt, cocoa, and toffee. I found this surprisingly good; I've known Green Flash for DIPA's but this was a treat. It is medium bodied and has a wickedly potent finish.

Definitely a stout worth trying again.

Serving type: cask

04-10-2011 00:26:59 | More by socon67

nickhiller

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: motor oil colored, a wisp of dark brown head, thick rings of lace.

S: cocoa powder, vanilla, red apples,

T: sweet and fruity for a stout, I'm calling it red apple and then a bunch of dark stuff: bitter chocolate, vanilla bean, espresso.

M: full bodied, slippery, sweet and bitter finish, deceptively smooth, there's not even a hint of the alcohol.

D: yummy, like drinking an espresso chocolate milkshake.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2011 01:00:14 | More by nickhiller

Jesse13713

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - A clumpy sort of 'eyeball' looking froth that has multiple layers. It has a rich caramel froth and laces well to the glass. The beer itself is dark brown to black.

Smell - Smells heavily of vanilla and chocolate. There is a slight coffee smell as well. Smells roasted.

Taste - An insanely powerful chocolate taste. A delicious fizzy spicy burn like bourbon and cinnamon. A nice balance between bitterness and smoothness. For some reason, I taste light cucumber in this; although I;m sure that isn't an ingredient.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability - Easily drinkable for an 8% stout. Perfect to sip; but you could also drink it quickly if desired.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 03:30:27 | More by Jesse13713

chumba526

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appears pure black with a dark brown head.

It smells slightly of vanilla, a bit smoky and a bit coffee like.

It tastes of roasted and smoky malts. There is a bit of a coffee and chocolate flavor. The beer has only a bit of sweetness to it. The beer ends with a bit of a bitter flavor.

The beer is very smooth and there is a moderate low carbonation to it.

Overall a great example of a dry double stout. I cannot really say anything bad about this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2011 22:44:38 | More by chumba526