Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

HopsMalt

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

A: Nice clear orange / amber appearance with a full frothy head.
S: Citrus / spicy aroma.
T: Intense hop flavor which leads to slight malt flavor at the finish.
M: light mouthfeel with appreciable carbonation.
O: Very good IPA, I love the citrus and strong hop flavor. This is a very good IPA and I would love to drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 15:02:44 | More by HopsMalt

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

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

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into tulip glass

A - Small head, about 1.5 fingers leaves moderate lacing. Amber color, a bit clouded.

N - Typical IIPA scents of citrus and pine, lots of malt and hops

T - Sweet malt and lots of bitter hops. Citrus. Good amount of carbonation. More going on as it warms.

M - Really good, right amount of carbonation and decent balance.

O - I like it a lot. It's a step below Pliny, but not a big one.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 16:08:26 | More by IvoryFoxhole

BigN8tion

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

I was introduced to this beer at the Beer Store over on Second Street Pike (Philly Suburb) I was initially a little skeptical because I'm not really in to hoppy beers but this one is so well balanced with equal hops and malt as well as alcohol. Really tasty and fun to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 13:47:25 | More by BigN8tion

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled On: 01/29/13

A: Pours a copper color with slightly less than a fingers worth of head that fades quite quickly

S: Very hoppy. Get nice citrus and pine notes, as well as a solid malt backbone. Very nice balance going on

T: Again, very hoppy. Pretty dank, along with citrus peel, pine, and some earthiness. A semi-sweet malt backbone helps to hold things together, but in the end the hops prevail. Bitter throughout

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A palate wrecker, indeed! A bomber will give you your hop fix for a week, much less the rest of the day. I definitely wouldn't want to drink another beer after this, because I doubt I would taste it it very much as I'd want to. Averagely priced, and definitely worth a try

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:54:18 | More by BEERMILER12

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Green Flash Brewing Co. - Palate Wrecker - 1pt 6fl oz bottle

Look - Pours golden amber/copper with a small fizzy head. Good lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Citrus and pine hops, sweet caramel malt, smooth mix, mouthwatering.

Taste - Snappy, turns smooth, followed by two hoppy waves, pine and then citrus.

Mouthfeel - Sits heavy and earrthy, decent drinkability. The mouthfeel was not the best aspect of this brew. It really does wreck your palate, but it was not in a good way for me.

Overall - Great brew, a bit raw on the palate (as advertised) but not quite what I expected. I would recommend trying though as taste is subjective.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 12:06:45 | More by JMScowcroft

DrStiffington

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Looks great. smells pretty good, but I don't get much. Maybe it's me. The taste is the real draw, here. It's not called Palate Wrecker for nothing. Bitter, strong hops dominate here. Some citrus, but mostly just a hop bomb, in the best way. Usually DIPAs have a bigger malt presence. Not here. Mouthfeel thick and sticky. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 02:05:21 | More by DrStiffington

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

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

This was yet another beer that I picked up at Top Hops a few weeks back. I had never had this before and enjoyed all of Green Flash's other offerings that I had before, even if they tend to be similar to each other and to other beers from the Golden State. Amazingly, this one stood out to me, because of how smooth it went down and how hidden the alcohol was. This was indeed strong but it never felt it and everything worked harmoniously well together, which is rare for something as bold as a Double/Imperial IPA such as this.

Everything was solid about this, from the pour on down. A nice frothy head, radian apricot hue, and a bit of amber-like translucence combined for a nice appearance , before I took a sip. The aroma was that of pine, grapefruit, and some tropical fruits and all of these were repeated in the smooth and potent taste. Almost no malt to be found here but the mouthfeel was certainly solid and this pulled off the near-impossibility of a dry-hopped strength with a wet hop finish that squeezed all of the oil, resin, and metallic bitterness of out each hop. There was even a hint of white chocolate in here, like in the Sonoran Cordillera Blanca that added a hint of tangerine and cocoa underneath everything. As everything faded in the aftertaste, just some earthiness remained and oil that didn't seem to completely harmonize with everything else.

For sure, this was a strong beer and I could feel the booze by the time I finished off the contents of the bottle that I bought. While the alcohol is not detectable via taste, it's present and gives this beer the oomph underneath everything else that went on. This won't certainly wreck anyone's palate but it will give it a good run for its money and push the edge of it out just a bit further, and given that so many hoppy beers are not that discernible from each other, what more could you ask for? Take a good hour and give this is go, there's a lot to like here for anyone who loves hops and depth in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 13:19:38 | More by JerzDevl2000

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

I poured this one into a glass. It has a amber color body with a 2' finger of white head. The smell has a carmel note, with a great blast of citrus hops. The taste has a great hop bit up front then a little malt on the back of the tongue. i love the bite from the hops it hits your tongue like a rocket. The moutfeel is great, leaves a nice little after taste on the tongue. Over all this is a great DIPA

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 19:34:34 | More by chefhatt

Moose90

Colorado

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

Bottled on 12/17/12
Tasted on 05/17/13
Shit, this is old...Hope for the best.

A – Dark copper orange color. Head is tall initially, but fades to the anticipated thin layer. Lacing is rocky and sticky. Carbonation is adequate, not too high, nor too low.

S – Holy cow, big, sweet, dank, piney, resinous, malty, caramel, bright. Lots going on here. Citrus fruits, orange, lemon juice. Cannot wait to take a gulp of this.

T – Quite sweet, and the hops have faded for sure. The hop notes are here somewhat, they are peppery, white onion, and fresh pine. Interesting. Sweet overall, quite viscous, some more notes of orange and lemon come through, like a lemon curd, or orange marmalade. Balance here is what makes this great, with all the complexities, it is very smooth, drinkable and great.

M – A big beer, for sure, though it remains crisp. It is undoubtedly sweet, but not so much so that it kills you. Just short of a BW. For a IIPA, wow, just wow.

O – I grabbed this at the first chance I could. Too bad it wasn't very fresh, but hey, this is still a great beer. Will seek it out again to try it fresh. With some age it develops a big caramel sweetness, but the peppery, piney hops are still there to cut through it all.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 04:22:35 | More by Moose90

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a clear, vibrant, orange-copper coloring with a thin, filmy, off-white layer of surface head. Aromas blast the nose with citrus and floral hops, both tart and resiny. Very inviting and powerful nose. Flavors are all over the palate. Initial blast of resiny hops, both oily and bitter, followed quickly by floral highlights and a tropical fruit blend of grapefruit and pineapple. The caramel malt backbone does its best to balance this behemoth. The hops also impart a solid spiced highlight, mostly pepper, throughout the brew. Tangy and very bitter aftertaste, leading to a slightly oily, dry finish. Tremendously crafted brew that tackles a tall flavor profile and keeps it all so very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:50:46 | More by GarthDanielson

mnphish

Minnesota

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz, bottled 2/5/13, served into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a very clear light amber with a two finger head. There is noticeable lacing as well.

Smell: potent resinous-piney hops, some grapefruit, malt, and floral hints.

Taste: huge bittersweet hops, lots of pine, grapefruit, citrus, and caramel malts. Huge bitter aftertaste, and a tiny hint of warmth/booze.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, nicely carbonated. Very flavorful stuff.

Overall: This is a very balanced beer and the alcohol is masked very well by the huge hops and malt backbone. Tasty brewski here.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 22:39:47 | More by mnphish

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From the bottle.

Pour is a honey golden amber with a finger of white soft head which recedes rapidly. Small amount of lacing.

Nose is citrus and sweet, with some lemon, grapefruit, honey and soft piney hops.

Taste is a quick burst of grapefruit and other citrus up front, quickly smashed into oblivion by massive, dry, bitter, woody and green hops. Really just gigantic.

Mouth feel is medium but a little thinner than the hops really want. Leaves a nice resiny coat in your mouth though.

A great Imperial IPA. Especially if you love west coast hoppiness. I like it, although I generally prefer more of a floral and citrus component to my hops. Still really nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:08:50 | More by dheacck11

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Nearly clear, amber body, with a good-sized white head. Retention is good, lacing excellent, lots of sticky sheets left on the glass. Very citrusy, very hoppy nose, lots of grapefruit, pineapple, orange. Piney resinous dankness underneath.

Flavor is hugely hoppy, powerfully bitter, bursting with citrus notes. Again, grapefruit and pineapples, pine and resins, very, very little malt presence or sweetness. All hops. Not balanced at all, an over-the-top west coast DIPA. Body is medium to a little thin for the style, but mouthfeel is good, with some stickiness, smooth carbonation. Long lingering bitter aftertaste. Every hophead should try this one for sure, definitely a standout in a crowded field. Preferred the hop combination in this to the GF IIPA. The name is no joke and it was hard to taste another beer clearly after this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:53:26 | More by tobelerone

ImperialRed36

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Intense and aromatic. This beer hits you hard right from the start. Classic West Coast IPA with citrusy, piney nose, full bodied flavor and over the top hoppiness taste. Strong notes of grapefruit and toasted bread. Every sip leaves you wanting another. At 9.5%, a 22 oz'er is all the name says it is - a palate wrecker. Outstanding effort from the guys in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 23:05:42 | More by ImperialRed36

mondegreen

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. bottle into a Founders Balloon Tulip.

Pours a clear dark ruby orange. Two fingers of white head recede into a thick ring, leaving a nice lace on the glass.

Nose is pungent. Huge citrus hop aromas and a sturdy malt backbone create a smack in the face. Nothing subtle here.

Taste is huge. Resinous. Extremely bitter, but with enough substance to carry the load of hops. Bitterness lingers.

Mouth is pretty heavy for a DIPA, but the beer warrants it.

Overall, a bruiser of a Double IPA. Many beers try to achieve this level of over-the-top hop presence, but more often than not they fail for one reason or another. This one is spot on.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 20:30:37 | More by mondegreen

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into an unbranded short-stemmed tulip/snifter

Pours a deep golden amber with orangish accents. Big, fluffy two and half finger bright white head. Excellent retention and abundant lacing. A wallop of pineapple and mango and other tropical notes on the nose. You can almost feel the bitterness of the hops in the nostrils. A burst of pineapple, citrus floral notes, mango, a touch of caramel malt, and grapefruit rind bitterness that is balanced out on the finish by the sweetness of the unrelenting malt body. Huge malt backbone that is largely responsible for a chewy, smooth full-body; well carbonated. An excellent DIPA that should satisfy even the most ardent hophead's craving.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:44:34 | More by chanokokoro

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear amber color with a one finger head and nice lacing.

S: Citrus and piney hops along with some faint sweet bready malts.

T: Big punch of piney and citrus hops balanced with sweet bready malts. The alcohol is almost completely hidden.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation. Easy to drink.

O: I really enjoyed this beer. It's very tasty, easy to drink, and hides the alcohol beautifully. Well done Green Flash!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:40:56 | More by nUgZ

jpro

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Closed for Business... 10oz pour served in a snifter.

A: Crystal clear orange; thin white head leaves some great lace.

S: Sweet citrus and resin; hop-bomb (obviously); pine; wow - big time hops; stanky cannabis.

T: A piney hop blast starts things off... followed by a powerful, puckering bitter; hop oil / hemp oil; citrusy and bright notes in aroma are lost in all the uber-bitterness; minty (?)

M: Full bodied; moderate carbonation; sticky and palate DRYING (or wrecking, I guess).

O: A doozy of a DIPA; great aroma and flavor... in small doses.

*from notes 2-17-13

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 02:18:09 | More by jpro

yamar68

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to mnphish for the pour!

Pours a glowing copper gold with a slim and soapy cap of off-white carbonation.

Pungent conifer, mango and sweet citrus. Smells beautiful. So far so good.

Hops all up in my grill... definitely too hoppy to butt chug but I totally would if I could.

Delicious, even if it's exclusively a mouth drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 20:58:30 | More by yamar68

take_it_sleazy

Vermont

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking around for this baby. Poured from 12 oz. bottle to Good Nature snifter.

A: deep, amber orange color. Light shines through in a beautiful way. Enjoying this one outside. Head about one finger thick that disappears quickly. Thin, lacy ring along the outside meniscus of the beer. Carbonation looks beautiful, as bubbles continuously rise to the top of the glass throughout enjoying this one.

S: so much going on with this one. Citrus, lemon, grapefruit, orange zest and sweat. The hops are definitely strong throughout, but are well balanced with the seemingly ten other things going on.

T: malty and refreshing rolled into one hoppy Goliath of an IPA. Bitterness up front that mellows over time. Definitely picking up some piney, resiny characteristics as well. Lives up to its name.

M: beer does well here. Pretty standard for the category, I think. Nice medium to light body that's very drinkable. Carbonation is wonderful and lingers for awhile.

O: not for the average hop fan. The bitterness will definitely turn some people off. However, if DIPAs are your thing, you are in for an interesting and delicious ride.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 18:24:00 | More by take_it_sleazy

nickthegun12

Alabama

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

appearance is brownish red with little frothy head

smells of citrus hops grapefruit, and pineapple

taste extremely bitter...through that you can taste the bitter citrus hops

feel is dry and little dryer than expected

overall a very good ipa, i would buy it again

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 00:54:11 | More by nickthegun12

JK4Stout

Virginia

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: A slim white frothy head circles the chalice, while the medium auburn orange-ish goodness settles underneath.

S: Wow: I poured this, walked away, and was hit with the hop slam as I walked back into the kitchen. It is really potent. While there maybe stronger aromas in Double IPA's this one certainly lets itself be known.

T: Oh, how I love Double IPA's! This one is right up there. Paired with homemade pizza, you won't find a better lunch on a snowy day. A good initial bite then a smooth settleing flavor. Very well blended.

M: Medium to heavy in neature.

O: I had been reading reviews of this and stopped because I feared getting myself too excited for it. Green Flash is still near the top of my "breweries to visit" list.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 16:16:03 | More by JK4Stout

snaotheus

Washington

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

Pours fairly cloudy orange-golden, smallish head that fades to a clumpy coating pretty fast. Already appears to be leaving some lacing from the fading of the head, even though I haven't taken a sip yet. Smell is big and round and sweet, mostly flowers, maybe some orange, some grapefruit rind.

Taste is a bright sweet flash that is quickly dominated by hoppy bitterness. Lots of grapefruit rind, some pine.

Mouthfeel is dry and light, slightly sticky. Overall, this is quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:42:54 | More by snaotheus

GilGarp

Colorado

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 12/17/12.

12 oz bottle served cold into a pint glass.

Palate Wrecker is a slightly hazy amber orange color. It has thick rocky white head that leaves some nice lacing behind.

Aroma is very hoppy and surprisingly fresh smelling despite having nearly four months on it. Nice citrusy west coast hoppy goodness with grapefruit and other citrus rind.

Flavor is similarly bold and, as the name suggests, is totally mouth puckeringly bitter. There is a fair bit of malt that tries to stand up to the hops but eventually fails. A mild beer drinker's nightmare, a hop heads dream.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated. It has no balance but that was probably never the goal anyway.

Overall a very good double IPA and one worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:08:38 | More by GilGarp

sitarist

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber in color. There is over an inch of white head that last awhile before falling to a top coating. Spots of lacing slide back into the drink.

Pungent, in your face aroma. It is dank, herbal, and resinous with hints of citrus peel. Despite the strong hop presence; it is still pleasantly sweet. Candied hops! Kush?

Its hard to discern any specific flavor. There are hints of orange peel, herbs, and mint; but for the most part it overwhelms my palate. Coca leaves?

It has a unique mouthfeel. Medium body yet creamy, biter yet cool, sticky yet thin. Did I mention that its bitter?

This is an excellent beer for a hop-head like myself, but my wife says that she would rather chew aspirin than take another sip. Lives up to their moniker.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 02:48:52 | More by sitarist