Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

emmasdad

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Another double IPA from Green Flash, and although I was unimpressed with their bottled imperial IPA, I was eager to give this one a shot (mainly based on my love for the IPA and red). Again, I was disappointed. Poured a fairly clear orange-amber color, with a fairly solid white head. Big hoppy nose (shock!)--grapefruit, orange zest, weed leads to a body that is similarly overrun with hops, along with a little malt, apparently in an effort to keep this one balanced. Like with the IIPA, it doesn't work. For whatever reason, Green Flash's IIPAs just don't work for me, although I generally love the style as well as pretty much everything else Green Flash brews.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2010 22:08:20 | More by emmasdad

roundthewaygirls

Virginia

3.16/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

poured into a tumbler

A: copper/orange color. no head. moderate lacing. chill head. rich color, but unassuming.

S: piney green flash hop profile. citrus. notes of a light, clean malt.

T: hops, y'all. extremely bitter. made me say "wooo." some faint citrus, specifically lemon in the finish. it may be the piney resins that give the beer a green tea quality.

M: the mouthfeel is as balanced as could be asked from a beer called "palate wrecker." the hops are sharp and overwhelming upfront, but the beer finishes clean and smooth.

O: pretty distinctive green flash hop profile kicked up a notch. interesting, but not as enjoyable as the imperial ipa. a little too in your face. palate wrecker, indeed.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 03:57:10 | More by roundthewaygirls

sukwonee

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A: Looks great. Lots of lacing, 2 finger head, burnt orange color.

S: Very typical west coast DIPA smell. Piney, grapefruit, citrus, but I smell some onion?

T: Man... too much hops... it does wreck my palate... (in a not-very-flattering manner). Not a fan of how this beer tastes. Yucky after taste too.

M: Good amount of carbonation, medium thickness.

O: man... this beer doesn't taste very good. I love hoppy beers, but man... this isn't good much at all. It's painful as you're swallowing it. Give it a try, but I bet you won't keep seeking for this (like me).

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 05:48:45 | More by sukwonee

mulder1010

Australia

3.2/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bomber poured into a globe glass

A-- Poured a clear, golden orange color. Moderate aggressive pour resulted in a three finger eggshell white head. Took it's time in receding, leaving a good amount of lacing on the sides of the glass. Good half ring and soapy streaks. Head finally settled to a good half finger of thick foam.

S-- Boiled pineapple, bubblegum, lots of pine, resin and hippie lettuce. Malt? Who needs malt with this! Powerful, straight at you nose.

T-- Grilled, honey covered pineapple, more bubblegum and a whole pine tree. Very thick and ripe candied and stewed orange and pineapple in the back of the taste.

M-- Full bodied would be an understatement. Over the top might best way to put it. Low carbonation? Yep. Oily and coating. Over indulged on pine I think. Palate raping, dream crushing and just plain over the top like a Nicholas Cage movie.

O-- Good looking and smelling. Rest is crazy. Not a session beer. Slow sipper while pondering why go to these extremes for the sake of going there. One dimensional and goes from first gear to 4th.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 12:25:34 | More by mulder1010

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured chilled in standard ale glass

A: carbonation a bit weak; good floral head, with microbubbles; copper color; good lacing
S: wow--floral hop bomb aroma; a tad bit of orange
T: dominated by an insane amount of hops; overly flavorful/intense; this is cute as a gimmick, but the finishing hops are way too high, and it is not balanced against the malt; it is complex and flavorful, though
M: heavy mouthfeel

I won't get another one of these, appropriately named

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 21:19:42 | More by Arithmeticus

VaTechHopHead

California

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, couldn't find a bottling date/code

A - Deep orange/light brown and crystal clear. Quick fading head and little lacing.

S - Semi-fresh hops but a nice Earthy and floral aroma. Quite fragrant but not too over the top like many beers of this style.

T - Mirrors the aroma with semi-fresh hops that are sticky, taste of pine, sap and fresh cut flowers. Flavor sticks to the palate well and has a chewy feel to it. Aftertaste is very Earthy and piney and lasts.

M/O - Medium body that is well carbonated and nice viscosity. Easy to drink but not a sipper. The floral taste lingers for a while. Overall I was honestly expecting more but I prefer the West Coast IPA over this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:00:12 | More by VaTechHopHead

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - deep golden-red hue, inauspicious enough start. Creamy manila head with gluey, sticky lace all around.

Aroma - pungent, herbal, minty, pine resin. Not a grain in sight.

Taste - a brief bit of orangey citrus up front, pineapple too. The rest of the beer is built for max IBUs. So bitter I almost can't define related flavors. There are some entry notes of resin and grapefruit rind, but it quickly becomes white noise with the overpowering bitterness. On the other side, some abv heat returns some flavor to the palate, and some warm citrus notes help define the ending. I rather like the opening and closing, but the middle is a bit of a task.

Mouthfeel - not as big a body for a DIPA, giving it some added crispness, a nice touch for the style. Not especially smooth from the hop oils, in this case I don't mind as it allows the bitter to wash out faster and the more citrusy flavors of the finish to arrive that much faster.

Drinkability - glad I had a chance to try it. I know a few hopheads on my block who I'll try to grab a few more for, but one and done for me. DIPAs are a tough style for me - I find many I don't necessarily care for, but I can't stay away from the style. The audacious use of ingredients with such generous abandon has a certain allure I keep coming back to.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 04:41:04 | More by brewdlyhooked13

vandemonian

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Green Flash Palate Wrecker wasn't hoppy or bitter. Maybe I got an old batch. I checked the date and it's only a month old. Hmmm, weird.

A: Clear orange colour and a 3 cm head that lasts very well. 4.5

S: Chlorine aroma with a little bit of sweetness. 3.5

T: Spicy with some maltiness. Almost salty. This isn't very bitter or hoppy. Maybe I got an old batch. 3

M: Low carbonation. 3.5

O: 3

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:32:33 | More by vandemonian

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - pours a hazy light orange with some yellow highlights towards the bottom of the glass. Only a sliver of white foam yet leaves some spotty lacing from swirling.

S - strong and interesting aroma. Very dank. Lots of candied orange peel, pine needles and green leaves. Hints of tropical fruit as well such as pineapple and possibly even some bananna peel.

T - sweet caramel notes up front. The crisp hop bitterness comes quickly and melds with the sweet notes for a very intense candied orange peel flavor. Sweet and bitter notes mingle and consume the palate well past the finish.

M - medium bodied. Creamy texture. Carbonation is mediumand.very crisp.

O - personally I felt this was a bit too sweet and not quite balanced. Yet an interesting DIPA overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:56:45 | More by Teleweizen2

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with no freshness dating of any kind poured into a tulip pint.

Slightly copper-hued orangey amber body with a small slightly beige head of 2 fingers. The head subsided quickly down to 1/4 finger and the proceeded to linger for quite some time, like an embarrassed man hanging around outside the porn section of the video rental store while trying to work up the nerve...

Shockingly malty.
Surprisingly well-balanced... Very bitter, but not over-hopped in the aromatic/flavoring department.
The flavor is rather bready sweet, like reminiscent of an amber ale... Kinda chalky maltiness. The hops are predominantly citrusy with grapefruit leading the pack.

The body is pretty oily and medium feeling.

Overall-- very bitter... I just it were more hop-forward in terms of flavor. Not bad, but nothing here to set the DIPA world ablaze with excitement. It does an adequate job covering the alcohol level.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 03:44:32 | More by AleWatcher

Willytee3

New York

3.3/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

As the name would suggest there is not much complexity here, this one is a straight hop extract experience.

Pours a dark amber with dark orange hue, has a thin head with a slick and oily ring.

Smells of cleaning fluid like an orange citrus pine sol, with a rotting wet leaves pungency.

Tastes of extreme hop like extract, very one dimensional, dry almost goes full circle to a cardboard like pucker.

Feel is medium body trending toward a thinning by carbonation and killed by the alcohol overall.

IMO a complete failure of a DIPA by this otherwise favored brewery. There is no subtleness of craft here. I always look for a positive note from an an otherwise committed to the craft entity.
I could see this beer as still being able to deliver a hop experience after/during smoking 2 or 3 cigars!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:00:19 | More by Willytee3

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

3.31/5  rDev -21%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Speigelau IPA glass. Hazy dark copper/light amber. Vigorous side pour gives way to a foamy 2 finger white head. Decent retention and lacing.

S- Big citrus and floral hops. Grapefruit, tangerine. Sweet caramelized/honey comes though.

T- hop forward as expected. Borders on acidic, green apple type flavor. Very bitter. Name makes total sense. Could have used a lil more malt that I smelled. Some astringency, and a lack of continuity with the flavor.

M- Mid body, very dry. A little too dry maybe. Alcohol present. Creamy only for a second, then goes back to super dry.

O- Name make sense. Nice look/smell, but failed to come together in the end. I enjoy a really hoppy beer, but this one missed the mark.

Bottled on 12/17/12
Consumed on 5/11/13

$11 for a 4 pk

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 06:28:11 | More by Bosoxfan20

dedrinker

Kansas

3.38/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Murky dull bronze with minimal head.

Aromas of herbal hops, sweet malts and alcohol.

Flavor was much the same, and nowhere nearly as hoppy tasting as the Imperial IPA. Seemed like a barleywine kinda.

Full body and a sweet and sticky hop finish.

Definitely did not wreck my palate.

Serving type: cask

11-09-2010 14:11:54 | More by dedrinker

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a rich and hazy gold-amber with close to 3 fingers of thick, slightly yellow tinted head.

Smell. Big bitter citrus rinds, sweet roasted light grains, some cedar as well.

Taste. Big pine sap, oily bitter citrus rinds, some roasted lighter grains and a big lingering bitterness in the end. Just too much of a good thing here all around.

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with medium-low carbonation. Thick and a bit sticky.

Overall. I can see that this is meant to be pretty extreme and all, but it's really a bit much. Feels like my tastebuds are numb ...and I still have half a bottle left!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 02:43:19 | More by Rutager

mactrail

California

3.43/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear, orangey amber in the wine glass. Nice head. Carbonation is a little coarse. Mouthfeel is slick. Big hop smell.

Intense hop flavor and aroma, as you might suspect. Rather dry and tends toward astringency after a few sips.

Ridiculously strongly hopped, which I guess is the point. A little sweet, and plenty of malt as well. It's a pure hop intensity, fruity and resiny. Flavor keeps going and going. It's kind of like bitter candy. Definitely too much of a good thing, though it is almost drinkable. Hot with alcohol and spicy hop acids.

I wonder if anyone at Hamilton's has tried this out in the dog bowl. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Baron's Marketplace in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 05:43:32 | More by mactrail

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.45/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle shared by Thorpe, sampled alongside Deviant Dale's and Resin. All were a disappointing letdown in their own unique ways.

Pours a light clear copper with a thin foamy white head with ample lace. Exceptionally malty nose with mild citrus and grapefruit rind. Flavor is exceptionally bitter and dry, loads of resin and a robust malt presence as well. Bitter? yes. But also a little too sweet and sugary. Disappointing from Green Flash, particularly after Rayon Vert turned out so enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 23:42:00 | More by yourefragile

boralyl

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A - This beer pours a clear dark orange into my tulip. It produces a huge 1.5 inch fluffy, white head that has great retention and leaves tons of lacing.

S - The aroma has a lot of hop resin, pine, and grapefruit present. There is also just a hint of caramel sweetness detectable.

M - Medium in body with a slick oily feel from the hops resin. The carbonation is moderate and works well with the style. The oils stick around and coat the inside of your mouth.

T - The taste is pretty one dimensional. There is a little bit of grapefruit followed by a wall of bitterness that lasts through the finish. A faint caramel sweetness shows up in the aftertaste.

This beer is like biting into a raw hop, and not in a good way, unless you like a biting bitterness. There is certainly no false advertising, this will wreck your palate. It's worth a try, but this just wasn't for me, there are far too many complex imperial IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:24:23 | More by boralyl

Vec2267

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - orange / gold, clear, white head, great retention and lacing

S - pine resin, some sweet citrus/floral notes

T - pine resin, citrus pith, bitterness

M - medium, rich because of the blast of flavors, not syrupy

O - not enough balance, tons of hop bitterness without anything interesting/enjoyable

If you buy this expecting a balanced, enjoyable beer you will be disappointed. There are better hop bombs that manage to provide a more balanced, enjoyable experience. The best part of this beer is the smell.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 02:33:24 | More by Vec2267

dmatsui

3.48/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip from a bomber. Beautiful bone white 4 finger head with irregular head and lots of lacing. A swirl shows some alcohol legs. Surprisingly clear but still has a nice pale burnt orange.

Caramel-esque notes up front and a decent hop spice. Definitely some strong bittering hops. Not very citrusy.

Hop spiciness comes through nicely while a persistent bitterness dominates the palate. Not much citrus characteristics. Malt bill is understated, resulting in a strong booziness. Some rindy, pithy flavors come through, but the bittering hops take charge in this Socal brew.

Mouthfeel is spicy, dry, bitter and hot. Slightly oily.

Overall, it is very reminiscent of the Green Flash West Coast IPA. There is a hint of copper, and that spiciness is persistent throughout. A nice heavy double, but not a citrusy as one would expect.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:48:58 | More by dmatsui

teromous

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very nice transparent body that is a medium shade of copper. The head is a small fluffy white pillow that leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

S: Very catty, and a bit of herbal tea. Not very complex.

T: Very strong grapefruit rind, accompanied by a faint caramel sweetness. There's not a whole lot of hop flavor, but there is a ton...and I mean a ton of bitterness.

M: The mouthfeel is very strong and commanding. There is no way to drink this without knowing it is there...a real kick in the face, and it lives up to the name "Palate Wrecker." The body is medium and leans toward full-bodied.

O: Overall the beer has impressive bitterness, but unfortunately lacks the complexity of hop flavor. It's not really a beer that I would recommend, but it has a novelty appeal for being extremely bitter.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 17:09:41 | More by teromous

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear golden color with a very yellowish head. Classic massive west coast nose, reminiscent of green flashes west coast ipa. Great lacing. Notes of fresh pineapple, citrus, grapefruit, with touches of peaches mangos and pine. Big full body with well blended flavors, the same that are on the nose. Hop bitterness is high. A little tart. Extremely drinkable at 9% but not a huge difference from green flash west coast ipa to this. Its very good but im not sure why the two exist side by side. Finish is a bit longer on this one though if your one of those people that like those hops to line their teeth.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 02:58:04 | More by jtierney89

chugalug06

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Holy cow! Massive hop scent smack floats though the air upon opening... Yum!

iHuge! foamy white head rises from the hazed orange brew. Lots of yellow and some reds. Nice lacing too, A+.

Huge Cascase nose on this brew, almost overwhelming and too much. Strong pine and mild citrus.

Overly bitter, very little smoothness. Lots of bitterness remains long after brew is gone. This brew is like drinking pine sap. WHOA, slightly overwhelming. Good carbonation and no heat.

Slight mess of a brew, but a west coast hop bomb nonetheless. Flavor is overwhelmingly bitter without enough sweetness or smoothness. Recommended, but for only the biggest of hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 00:13:52 | More by chugalug06

BrianGaynor

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter at the Lockview in Akron, OH.

A: Almost a red-orange color. Much darker than a traditional IPA that I'm used to.

S: dull, leafy hops smell. Nothing to write home about with the scent.

T: mild hop taste. Surprisingly good taste considering the dull smell.

M: you cannot tell that this beer is 9.5% ABV when you drink it. I could easily drink a couple of these. Quite easy on the palate.

O: I enjoyed trying this beer. Would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 16:49:40 | More by BrianGaynor

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

luckily, when Green Flash releases a new beer, at least you can tell whether or not its fresh. If you buy it within the first few weeks its been in your area, well its relatively fresh, if you don't.... good luck.

pours a clear copper with a huge off-white head that sticks around for a while and laces in chunks.

weaker than expected aroma. lots of piney, woody hops... some bitter citrus hops, and plenty of caramelly, biscuity malts behind that.

woody, citrusy, bitter hops collide with the malts reminding me of fresh Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada, yet not quite as complex nor smooth. alcohol harshness and a slightly harsh bitterness really do make this a palate wrecker.

medium bodied with ample carbonation and an alcohol harshness throughout.

well... its decent. not worth the cost for me, though. kind of falls between an IIPA and a barleywine, but there are many examples of both styles I enjoy more.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:54:33 | More by silentjay

mikeyodell

California

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Red-orange/ deep amber in color and transparent, very pleasing. Head retention and lacing pretty good as well.

S- Spicy and boozy, piney and sweet with a mild citrus

T- Hops over malt and a bit astringent

M- Quite carbonated- helps to make it a little bit more drinkable; coating and lingering towards the end

O- Starts out a little weak but punishes you in the end. A good and dynamic one this is.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:45:58 | More by mikeyodell