Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

cosmicevan

New York

3.63/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

this one JUST showed up in town the other day. enjoyed from a deschutes snifter.

a - a hard pour yeilds a classic transparent orange with a HUGE frothy off white IPA head. head was pretty creamy and hung out.

s - soapy hops. sweat and pine, but some ivory in there. crisp and clean.

t - BIG hop blast of bitterness, my palate is officially wrecked!

m - bitter, but not overly so...close, but i can handle a smidge more.

o - overall, this is kind of what i expected...actually, i expected bitter for the sake of bitter, like 1000 ibu. nice double ipa, but finishes with huge bitterness, not really one to start your night, great one to finish with. good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 04:02:42 | More by cosmicevan

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Delirium Tremens snifter.

A: Poured a bright, compactly non-see-throughable orange color, with about a finger or so head that clung to the glass and then some.

S: Explose citrus content here: Sort of an orange and grapefruit 1-2 punch to the snout, plus some malt. Just kidding. There was no malt to be found...

T: This really reminded me of Dreadnaught. Seriously, this had all the hop bitterness, but there was an undercurrent of pomegranate that was totally awesome. Bitter, bitter stuff... but fresh.

M: The lacing was probably one of the best I've had in recent memory. The bitterness was there, but overall this was highly drinkable and more than a worthy entry into the hophead Hall of Fame.

O: Another amazing West Coast IPA. Imagine that....

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 23:24:21 | More by Chaney

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Gigantic cream colored foam head on top of a copper brew. Decent lacing.

Toasted maltiness, but a big grapefruit note. No doubt the hops are there.

Nice happiness up front, with a toasted malt balance. The resinous hop flavor is throughout, and the bitterness is in great balance. Some light sweetness, but not fruity. Good hoppy finish that is both bitter and mouth-coating. Alcohol is not even a factor -- don't notice it at all.

Medium body, bite and mouth-coating goodness.

Overall, a winner. A double IPA that hides the alcohol so well that it makes the beer entirely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:59:01 | More by OtherShoe2

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle from Total Wine, picked up in Alexandria, VA. Poured in to a 22 oz. snifter.

Appearance: Pours a brilliant copper, intensely filtered and absolutely crystalline, the clarity of which showcases countless strings of delicate pearl-like carbonation. A pour of moderate intensity yields half a finger of off-white foamy head with moderately subpar retention, the only knock on this one's otherwise immaculate appearance. After a few minutes, the head has faded in to a thin, foamy collar, leaving a few crusty slips of lace alongsides the snifter in its wake.

Aroma: Dank, oily hop notes, and enough tingling alpha acids to balance the caramel sweet backbone. The sweetness is strong up front, emphasizing the citrus elements of the nose on this one, though they fade as it warms and in the tail end of the aroma, making way for the spiciness elements, more suggestive of pine, rosemary, thyme, and tobacco, themselves mingling interestingly with that faint hint of an alcohol burn.

Taste: What a great hop profile. A fat, heavily caramel base with plenty of residual, lighter sweetness but also a lot of heavier notes provides a solid and broad base to the marathon of individual hop notes present. The herbal and leafy notes are strong here, stronger than they are in many west coast DIPAs (which tend to be more citrus-centric) - this one is dank and tobacco-y, with lots of pine, thyme, and mint notes. That's not to say there isn't citrus - there is, plenty of it, tending towards the heavier side of the gamut, with lots of white and ruby red grapefruit notes, pithy, bitter, and an equal amount of tropical fruit notes, pineapple and nectarine-esque. At points, I almost get a gingerbread-esque note out of this one, with the way in which the malts intermingle with the spiciness of the hops. The bitterness plays a strong counterpoint to the aforementioned hop flavors, creating a unique synergy particularly well with the intense piney and herbal notes. A very varied, balanced, and robust flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and even, but with a persistent and stable amount of effervescence, the aggregate effect of which is to balance and amplify both the citrusy sweetness as well as the bitter astringencies of the flavor profile. Fairly nice.

Drinkability: Easily the best beer I've ever had from Green Flash, which is a brewery that - in my experience - makes consistently good beers, but never a world class beer. This is right up there w/ the Silva Stout from them, a coast-blending exercise in DIPAs, with enough east and west coast influences to make it very enjoyable. The 9.5% is right about where you'd want this one to clock in, but it's hidden well enough that this one's dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 03:20:07 | More by CrellMoset

homebrew311

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into Chimay glass. The appearance is a deep clear gold with 2 fingers of dense white head, heavy lacing left behind, terrific head retention. This looks picture perfect for a DIPA. The aroma has aromatic dry hopped goodness all over it. Bright tropical notes are balanced by deep notes of resinous pine with some grapefruit in there as well. Malts are present on the nose in the form of sweet caramel, bread, and graham cracker. The taste is big and bold with hops from beginning to end. The malts are present up front with mellow bready sweetness, dank hops quickly take hold as this thing is a hop monster. The deep bitterness of the pine is brightened up by some tropical fruit. The body is big and the carbonation is moderate to high. Overall, this beer has a truly impressive hop bill. The aromatic hops and the bittering hops are balanced beautifully and there is a nice sturdy malt backbone which holds everything up. This brew is fantastic, a definite must try.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 07:54:06 | More by homebrew311

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Orange body, with chill haze. Four fingers of snow white highly whipped bubbles. Lace covers all.

Big grapefruit aroma. Clean, fresh, and inviting.

Sweetness upfront with a drizzle of caramel, then juicy fruit just explodes everywhere. Then a battering ram of bitterness shatters everything at the swallow, and overpowers the afterglow. This beer is well named.

Solid mouthfeel.

West Coast IPA remains my fav from Green Flash, but this is worthy of trying. I'd stick to one at a time though, and make it a closer.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 03:57:50 | More by RonfromJersey

merc7186

New York

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer poured on tap at J.Ryans in Syracuse NY poured into a pint glass.

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Great Lacing

S: Piney, Grainy, Mild Floral

T: Floral, Piney, Grainy

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a great piney hop bomb that will definitely burn you out after several but great none the less.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2012 02:16:43 | More by merc7186

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

StJamesGate

New York

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale amber with steady piles of taupe rocky head that rims. Straight, insanely heavy fresh hop sack nose with piles of resin.
Bit of caramel and some orange sorbet then lots of orange and sap hops.
Big tangerine end and a bitter linger. Medium, clingy, oily, salty with slight stick.

Are there pellet hops here? Not enough aroma, somehow. Not what I'd expect from a SDPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:54:33 | More by StJamesGate

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

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

12oz bottle poured into tulip

They finally bottled this, awesome! Pours a slightly hazed auburn color with some copper hues. Tuft of slightly off-white head rests on top, leaving plenty of patchy lacing on the glass.

Bursting nose with intense grapefruit and citrus tones. Almost abrasive with some pine resin and light fruity sweetness. Bready malts with alcohol warmth.

Bitter and dry on the tongue up front with an explosion of pine and grapefruits. Some lighter citrus flavor attempts to cut through, only to be overwhelmed by the burning hop presence. Malt backbone lurks in between the bitterness with a momentary splash of sweetness from caramel and toasted bread crust. Finishes bitter and hoppy with some boozy warmth.

Fuller medium body, decent carbonation, sticky and lingering on the palate with dryness. I'm happy to see they finally bottled this one - it's a great example of extreme hop presence and bitterness, even if it's slightly unbalanced at times.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 20:27:22 | More by xnicknj

Florida9

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear orange-tinted amber. Forms a very large white head that only slowly reduces down to a bubbly surface coating and a thick ring. Leaves some moderate lacing.

S: Lots of hop aroma, predominantly orange and citrus with touch of mango and just a little bit of pine resin.

T: Starts off with a mix of pine and malt. A bit of caramel and a little toast, then it sweetens up a little with notes of grapefruit and orange. Finishes with a strong grapefruit pith and pine resin bitterness that lingers on the tongue.

M: Medium weight, but with a rather full, round feel in the mouth. Strong bitterness. Appropriate carbonation.

O: Well, I was expecting my palate to be wrecked and it wasn't! However, I was rewarded with a bitter, hop-forward, yet still very well balanced DIPA that I found quite enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:13:29 | More by Florida9

Brenden

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is a medium orange color with just a touch of haze. It forms a clean, pure white head just more than a finger tall that sticks around and leaves patchy lacing in good quantity.
This beer offers a heavy dose of pure, raw pine. There's a good amount of malt and some balance in the aroma that doesn't carry entirely over to the flavor, in which the hops dominate. It's as hoppy as expected, but what's lost in the raw hoppiness is the balance needed and the subtlety. The aroma is big and complex, with a flash of caramel and some citrus as well as rind and sweeter fruits. In the flavor, pine and a bit of grapefruit allowed to peek through dominate everything else.
The body is medium and works to support the big flavor. Malts keep it from being bracingly dry. Crispness is in this one throughout, and there's a good smoothness that pulls into the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2012 01:23:54 | More by Brenden

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.

Pours hazy copper with an inch-plus head of bone. A partial skim coat with tattered webwork of lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with intense pine and grapefruit. Some lighter notes of tangerine and spicy honey follow through.

Medium bodied with a crisp, tacky mouthfeel.

Resinous pine, grapefruit pulp, and spruce bark start the palate. A firm, drying bitterness steps forward with a hint of alcohol warmth and faint malt.

Finishes with lingering pine, alcohol, and bitterness.

Great beer. Very hoppy with plenty of bitterness but not overly done.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 02:17:51 | More by brewandbbq

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: A finger and a half of head. Translucent amber. Some effervescence. Decent lacing.

S: Splendiferous! Fruity, tropical, resiny, strong, floral, beautiful hops. Excellent! Some biscuity, caramelly malt as well.

T: Wow. Palate wrecker indeed. Obviously well over 100+ IBU and one of the hoppiest beers I've ever encountered, up there with Devil Dancer and Ultramate. Astringent pine is tempered by the fruitiness inherent in some hop varietals (I suspect a lot is going on here, but perhaps just three or four assertive strains). The malt base gives important body to the beer, serves as a platform for the alcoholic strength, and keeps things from getting unduly out of hand. Still, hop-forward, overpoweringly so at times, with an aftertaste that has a touch of soap or unpleasant bitterness to it.

M: Substantial, light carbonation, and surprisingly not very dry.

O: A magnificent Double IPA and highly recommended for hopheads. Would drink again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 08:05:35 | More by AgentMunky

chinchill

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a glass snifter.

A: Pours a dark copper color with a slight yeast haze; likewise, the bottom of the bottle remains coated with a thin layer of sediment. The brew is topped with a one finger off-white that has limited retention, but it leaves lots of sticky lacing on the glass.

S: Very hop-forward, with suggestions of grapefruit rind, orange juice, and grapefruit juice; rather earthy and floral too. The rich and complex aromas of multiple hop varieties largely mask even the alcohol esters. 3.75

T: Some sweetness is there but this is very much a bitter brew, and the bitterness seems to build with repeated tasting. There is less citrus here than in the nose.

M: Full body; Medium+ carbonation; a bit harsh and acidic, presumably from the high hop load and ABV.

O: As warned, this strongly flavored beer assaults the senses and leaves a long-lasting bitter aftertaste with hints of grapefruit and pine. Quite bitter even among DIPAs. A less balanced alternative to brews like Hopslam, Stone Ruination or Hop Stoopid, all of which I definitely prefer to this strong and challenging beverage.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 23:17:18 | More by chinchill

Bung

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. Sparkling orangy-gold pour. Thin layer of white head.

Aroma, huge piney hops. Some floral citrus. Pretty straight forward here.

Taste, Again big pine. More grapefruit, citrus.
Was surprised how much brown sugar and caramel malt background there was in this. Hops are still the show though. The bitter finish crushes all, more than any dipa I've had to date.

Solidly mid bodied. Ample carbonation, but it seems a little scratchy. I think this makes the warming seem a little higher as well. Still drinks pretty well.
A big bitter beer, as advertised.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:40:23 | More by Bung

Phelps

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a shaker pint.

Shiny copper, perfectly clear. One finger of very dense, sticky, sand-colored head becomes a fleece-like top layer and deposits thick, grippy walls of lace.

Funky and dank nose. Onions first, then grapefruit, grass, a touch of pineapple, a little baked bread, some caramel.

Big bitterness in the flavor. Grapefruit pith, a touch of dank weed, burnt sugar. It’s a little funky. Saltine crackers and a touch of biscuit come out as it warms. Maybe some floral character as well.

Thick, syrupy medium body with moderate, pinching carbonation and just a hint of fizz. Alcohol is a mild warming in the throat.

Decent. A nice big hop flavor here, and way bitter. It could actually use a little more malt to back it up. Palate not quite wrecked, but definitely bent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 05:02:25 | More by Phelps

nrbw23

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark golden amber color with a off white head. Head has good retention and leaves some solid lacing.

S- A pretty strong smell here. Quite a bit of tropical fruits and pine leading the way. Pretty much a hop bomb and I'm not really picking up any malts.

T - I'm digging this one at the first sip. Quite a bit of hops here a lot of tropical fruits and pine. Not really picking up any malts.

M- Medium in body with a good amount of carbonation.

O- If you're a hop head this one's for you. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 09:33:18 | More by nrbw23

magictrokini

California

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Umm, wow. Pours hazy orange-gold with an impressive short-but-thick white head. Colossal citrus/floral hop aroma. Grapefruit and pine oil just pound you in the face. The taste surpasses the nose. Grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and truckloads of resin. A tad more citrus than earthy pine, but who cares. Just a little caramel malt to give it a hint of sweetness. I really have to thank the Green Flash guys for not making the chronic mistake of putting too much malt in and making this a sour-candy DIPA. Its nearly perfect the way it is.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2008 00:08:09 | More by magictrokini

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Three plus fingers worth of airy slightly creamy head comprised of medium and large sized bubbles... Solid retention... The color is a slightly glowing warm resiny orange hued amber... Limited carbonation - just a couple of stray moderated paced bubbles throughout... A good bit of lacing clings to the glass...

S - Hops from the get go... Earthy... Oranges... Light grapefruit... A touch of pineapple... Slightly musky... A faint piney hop component... A solid malt base lies beneath with notes of caramel and cracker...

T - The hops take on much more of an earthy an dpiney presence on the palette... The citrus notes are subtle at best... Cracker and a bit of caramel serve as a sturdy malt base... A slight spiciness as well... The finish is pungent... Perhaps even some onion notes...

M - Medium bodied... Sleek... Lush... Slightly creamy... A bit chewy... Regal... Very nice mouthfeel, especially considering the high IBU count... Buckles the tongue on the finish...

D - A solid all around with American DIPA... The hops don't disappoint and there is plenty more to keep this one interesting... The stellar mouthfeel is among the best I've experienced for the style...

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 01:59:02 | More by philbe311

popery

California

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours medium gold and perfectly transparent. Frothy white head. Looks nice, if fairly generic.

Big grapefruit rind aroma. Really big. It's definitely a GF beer. Tons of hops. Lots of resiny, sticky pine. Flashes of bright lemon. There's some light caramel sweetness, but it's way in the background. The beer almost smells bitter.

The taste starts with a touch of sugary malt. Strong hop bitterness quickly takes over, but it doesn't entirely overwhelm the malt until the finish. The finish is strong with more of that sticky, resinous hop flavor. After each sip, it feels like my mouth is coated with hop extract. It's intense and wonderful.

Light to medium body, particularly for a beer of this strength. Hop oiliness all over the palate.

I'd like to shake the hand of whoever recently lit a fire under Green Flash. Between Palate Wrecker and Rayon Vert, they are a huge two for two with new beers. I've always liked their stuff, but I didn't expect anything quite this excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 04:23:41 | More by popery

cbutova

Massachusetts

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

Didn't make it to Hamilton's when I was out there but I will next time. Always good to try a fresh, new Double IPA.

A- Orange-amber beer poured into a snifter. Frothy white head forms to around a finger in size and retains decently. Some webs of lace around the glass.

S- Hop bomb. Big notes of citrus fruit, pine resin, berries, tropical fruit like peach and cantaloupe. "West Coast Style"

T- Fresh bag'o'hops from the homebrew store. Hop leaf flavor with notes of big pine resin, citrus zest and fruit. Also has an herbal and floral feel here that isn't quite as present in the nose.

MF- Creamy body with a moderately thick feel overall. Pretty big bitterness in the finish, crisp.

Solid Double IPA but doesn't really hit me as a great one. I don't wanna call it one dimensional but it just doesn't drink as nicely as others.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 03:56:13 | More by cbutova

wedge

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Coppery orange colored liquid underneath a fat, tight-bubbled head of off-white foam. Spotty lace. Potent, fluid hop aromas...fresh, green hops over some slightly buttery caramel that blends rather well with the fruity hops. Flowers, peaches, mangoes, melons, and only a faint whiff of pine. Quite bitter and hoppy from the get-go. More melon and floral notes along with what can only be described as a freshly opened bag of dried hop flowers. The peaches carry through to the flavor as well, but the hops are mainly on a mission to brutally assault your tongue; the candy-like nature helps add some depth. Certainly on the heavy side and sticky - I'm not getting much booziness other than a growing warmth in the throat.

Lives up to its name. Intensely bitter, yet still quite fruity with a green, fresh hop candy presence. I like how it manages to move beyond just massive amounts of citrus. Quite well done, but something keeps it from being really great.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 00:40:54 | More by wedge

arizcards

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 12 oz bottle from Total Wine in late March for $2.99.

Beer poured a nice clear copper color with a near perfect white head that is leaving lacing behind.

Nose is wonderful. Citrus hops are extremely aromatic up front and lasting long as i sip away.

Taste is true to the style. Caramel and crystal malts form a nice backbone that is overwhelmed by intense grapefruit. Pine resin finishes strong and leaves a resin slick behind in the end.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated.

Overall this is a very solid brew. The flavors are clean and well defined. Glad i could try it and will look for it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 23:37:19 | More by arizcards

JayQue

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Really good West Coast DIPA. Pours a clear light copper color with a frothy white head that hangs around pretty good. A lot of filmy lacing on the glass as well as patches of thick lacing.

Aroma is pretty good as well....citrus and floral hops.

Outstanding taste and mouthfeel. Strong citrus hops presence and bitterness (mostly grapefruit), some balancing caramel malt. The bitterness is predominant but it is not the head shrinking Avery Maharajah or Founders Devil Dancer kind of bitterness.

There is a certain light pillowy nature to the mouthfeel kind of like RR Blind Pig. Crisp mouthfeel, plenty rich enough and no hint of the 9.50% alcohol. Goes down smooth. You can appreciate the bitterness without a grimace.

This is a DIPA worthy of revisiting many times. Would be deadly in a bomber unless you knew and respected the high abv.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 00:17:57 | More by JayQue