Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

YardmanFTB

Maryland

4.56/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is beer is for extreme hop-heads only. The maltiness and high gravity of the beer mask some of the extreme bitterness from so many hops in the boil. At 9.5% it is an intense experience. I really enjoy this one, but I like hops more than the average drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 03:04:25 | More by YardmanFTB

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

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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.56/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A very solid beer, flush with bitter herbal notes and a long finish. Quite bitter and very distinctive- I'm very glad they bottled this one. Amber in color with a somewhat short head, but that's okay given the abv. It's got that dill/green onion and sour cream thing going on in the nose from the hops- I happen to love those notes, but I know many do not. Really nicely bitter in the mouth, with an almost beefy flavor rife with the herbal and onion notes as well as some pine to give it some backbone. This is no citrus bomb, but if you're into this profile you'll love it. Very firm in the mouth at first, but then with a creamy finish and a long, mouthwatering, lingering bitterness. An all around excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 20:18:04 | More by Georgiabeer

sweemzander

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz. bottle poured into an imperial pint.

(A)- Pours a deep copper amber orange color. Produced a really nice cap of white froth with great retention behind it. Some lacing left behind. Some froth still remained with my last sip!

(S)- Its actually quite dry and resin-like from the massive hop level. At the same time, some good sweet caramel malts peek through with subtle hints of citrus fruit.

(T)- This really is a hop bomb, but a nicely complex one that showcases alot of what hops can do. You get plenty of the dry resin-like flavor, but also bits of pine hidden in a vibrant citrus profile of pineapple, orange, and lemon. The malt backbone is there, but just in a supporting role with a subtle sweetness.

(M)- A good carbonation level and a great balance to it overall. I definitely get where this gets its name, but it is not completely over-the-top. The hop level is massive and does get a bit bitter as it warms, but it has a really nice range from dry, to sweet, and fruity.

(O)- I really like this one, particularly going into it with no known expectations. In a style that I tend to quickly get bored with how many examples are out there, this is a nice surprise.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 19:51:37 | More by sweemzander

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a nice, deep golden orange…transparent with zero bubble action, a very crisp looking beer…tons of off white head thins out to pinky thick, but livens up with each swirl…a very clean looking beer with a thin frothy top…(4/5)

Smell: An array of bitterness…musty/dank bitterness first, but underneath there’s pine and a little citrus…for a palate wrecker, I can definitely smell some biscuity malts…more balanced that I would have expected…a little musty for me, but not bad…(3.75/5)

Taste: Tons of earthy, mildly musty, dank bitterness…it’s fresh and that for me, is the plus side to all the earthy/woodsy/dankness…the flavor is still real palatable…like the nose, there’s a real buscuitiness that’s mildly sweet with a touch pale qualities…this brew really takes you on an adventure: it’s bitter, then buscuity, then uber bitter to finish…very full flavored, each sip lasts a few minutes…(4/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, medium carbonation…fluffs up bringing tons of bitterness: grassy, piney, danky…there’s a creaminess to the carbonation…grass and lemon peel bitterness in the after taste…(4/5)

Overall: This is a good beer…I love hops, the hoppier a beer the better…this beer does fit that bill, but the choice of hops used aren’t my favorite…for whatever reason, I’ve encountered more musty/dank variety IPA, maybe this is the beginning of the trend away from citrus hops dominant IPA’s…I’m not sure…but if an IPA could be a sipper, this would be one…good flavor though, easily recommendable for the standard hop head…this brew reminds me of Hop Stoopid by Lagunitas, if you like that, then you’ll find happiness here…(4/5)

Brewreport.blogspot.com

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 15:49:26 | More by SerialHiker

Hopscat

Maryland

4.49/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I really want to love this beer, based on what I paid , $4.00 /12 oz , and it's reputation. Bottle poured into snifter. Orange/yellow body with some haze. Nice white head that leaves a nice ring and lacing. Very nice looking
S- Big citrus slap at first with some other fruit and some earthy notes in the background.
T- lots of grapefruit rind and citrus lusciousness , lemon and peach . Bitterness almost overwhelms upfront but sweet malty goodness backbone for balance. Boozy and bitter finish just liked I had hoped for. Too complex to review without notes
M- medium body , oily and the carbonation seems to dance on the tongue.
O- Really love this one. It's in my top 3 DIPAs. I've got so many more to try

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 20:40:36 | More by Hopscat

LCB_Hostage

Pennsylvania

4.69/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A: Pale orange with a thick, 1-finger head and heavy, prolonged lacing

S: Glorious smack of hops to the brain. Citrus dominates, but some piney resinly goodness as well. Love this beer already

T: Pays off the aroma in spades! True to it's name, it overwhelms the taste buds with exquisite hoppiness, but that's just what I was hoping for. Not that there isn't any malt in behind there, but that's really not what this beer is about. Full-bodied, yet refreshing to the point of invigorating.

M: The tongue just quivers in submission. Crisp, prickly and long-lasting.

O: Needless to say, I LOVE this beer. A hop-bomb among hop-bombs, so understandably, it's not for everyone, but if you're a true hophead you have to at least give this a try. Too intense to drink every day, but something to pull out of fridge when you really want to "experience" a beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 16:13:14 | More by LCB_Hostage

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

rajendra82

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The body was a deep orange shade of amber, and formed a two finger thick head in the tulip glass. The aroma was very piney and spicy and very much in line with the West Coast style. The taste is where the complexity started to show up. There was a mouth puckering, tobacco like bitterness up front which stayed throughout the taste. The initial shock of bitter was followed by some tropical fruits, such as mango and pineapple. The finish was spicy, with notes of ginger and clove. The beer felt very dry and did not show much of the character of the malt. This definitely lived up to its name, as I can't imagine having another beer after this, except if it's another Palate Wrecker.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 04:32:29 | More by rajendra82

rringler

California

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear, light copper pour with about a half finger of white, fine bubbles. No real observable particulates in suspension, just tiny little rising bubbles. Medium to medium- lacing.

S: Good malts, with foreshadowing hops. More floral/earthy than spicy.

T: Hop-heaven. Lots of IPAs open up with malts first, but this beer immediately sets the tone with some hop bitterness. When the malty flavor gets to shine, it has a bit more biscuit and caramel flavor than some other IPAs, which I enjoy. After the malt comes a nice strong round of hops. As they smell, they're more floral/earthy than spicy. I wish I knew what these hops were. There is a bit of boozy dryness to this beer that I'd prefer to avoid, but eh, it's 9.5% abv; what can you do.

M: Medium to Medium+ body; a bit thicker and stickier than others. Carbonation is great.

O: Awesome west-coast IPA. This is probably Green Flash's answer to Stone's Arrogant Bastard, but it's well executed, and once your tongue adapts to west-coast IPAs, it's an amazing drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:16:08 | More by rringler

alk3kenny

Georgia

5/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Copper orange color slight haze smells of pine citrus and hops tastes as good and just like it smells. Hop bitterness bites the tongue great for hop heads and a nice way to test if your friends are true hop heads. Will be getting my hands on more of this before its all gone for the year

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:06:28 | More by alk3kenny

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

dickieb

Rhode Island

4.04/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

Starts of a really nice looking beer, clear amber/ reddish in color with a small white head and above average lacing. The smell is piney citrusy and resiny with floral notes, everything a hop head is looking for. The flavor is strong and very bitter living up to its name, not exactly a hop bomb due to a good malt profile but still waves of bitter hops dominates the flavor. The mouthfeel is a bit rich for me but by no means bad and overall this is a very good beer. I would not session this one, but a good one to sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:12:15 | More by dickieb

ESeab

New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured a clear orange with medium to thick white head, some lacing

Big hop smell

Tastes like it sounds, a hop bomb with a lot of bitterness. Comes off a bit spicey with oniony tastes. Definitely has a lingering aftertaste. Huge flavor that goes well with spicy dishes

The mouthfeel is pretty sticky, the taste and body hide the big abv well

This was the third time overall having this brew and probably the best since it was the most fresh of the bunch. I wouldn't mind grabbing another fresh one off a single rack, but wouldn't see ever buying a four pack for myself. I understand if your a big hophead you'll love this one, I just tend to like a bit more balance and less bitterness

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:12:01 | More by ESeab

bubseymour

Maryland

3.74/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very nice pour for an IPA. Orange and clear and a super white 2 finger head with tight bubbles and great retention.

Smells wonderfully citrus hops screamin from the glass.

Taste - Very flavorful up front, with the hops really kicking in on the finish with some lingering bitterness. The more I sip, the more bitter it gets. A little too much raw bitterness for my preference.

Mouthfeel - Warm, buttery and thick. Very nice for an Imperial.

Overall - Many IPA's with scary hop names end up being tame and flavorful. The Palate Wrecker is the first one that has an accurate title. It truly is a hop bomb and bitter on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:46:50 | More by bubseymour

droomyster

Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a slightly hazy burnt orange body with a small off-white with okay retention. Aromas are typical of the best DIPAs: tropical fruit and floral and citrusy notes, a bit of bubblegum and honeyed sweetness. Smack of bitterness right up front, with a blast of grapefruit and bitter salad greens. A swell of sweetness, marmalade and caramel, on the mid-palate. Finish lingers for days and days on an ultra bitter note of orange zest. Lot of body on this super substantial beer. This is very good and worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:50:41 | More by droomyster

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

ElSid

California

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The Beers of California

#74

Bottled on Date: 1/18/13

A: Orange gold with a traces of amber topped off with an good off-white head which is thick, fluffy, and determined.

S: Pineapple, mandarin orange, and apricot gust of fruity sweetness. Honey, caramel, and cane sugar are there also with faint breadiness.

T: Orange zest and pineapple quickly takes off to a towering spicy, bitterness which is dank, pine, garlic, and earth. There is a subtle, but measurable, vein of bread, honey, and caramel sweetness. As implied by the name, the hop bitterness ultimately Van Damme scissor kicks the taste buds to puckering and partially dry prostration.

M: Slippery with a medium, oily feel which coats the mouth. The carbonation is ample attempting to massage the tongue back into working condition.

O: Apparently one of highest hop per mL concentration Imperial IPA's out there, this brew will not let down even the most hop head forward beer thinkers, sporting an endless depth of hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 03:23:35 | More by ElSid

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft offering served in a tulip pint. The brew appears a clear copper color with a yellowish stained tan head. Some spotty patches of lace stick to the glass and rising bubbles maintain the cap.

The aromatics are dominated by hop character: pine along with an oily dank to catty quality. A minor backing of toasty grain is present keeping this brew from smelling of straight hop juice.

The flavor is surprisingly toasty with malt and some residual sweetness. After the swallow, a big dank to catty hop element strikes and sticks to the palate. Flavors of pine and trace amounts of alcohol fade into the aftertaste.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Overall not a bad brew but considering the name, its a bit of a let down. I found it to be surprisingly balanced and almost with too much malt character. It is worth a try and something I would enjoy again while fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 20:01:00 | More by stakem

maximum12

Minnesota

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

Thanks to JayCin for knocking this tasty-looking extra off of my wants list with his box last week, been hoping to stumble across this one for a while. 12 oz. bottle dated 1/6/13. Craving hops tonight, had enough of the dark stuff for a night or two.

Pour is slightly oranged copper piping, healthy white head that sticks around. Marvelous nose on this beer, all the things that make your IPA-boner go pop: citrus, mixed tropical fruits, even pine, just enough sweetness.

Palate Wrecker is a coffin-serious name to give a beer, son: & this bruiser lives up to it. There's a disconcerting wave of caramel that whacks me behind the teeth & I think "malty?" But before the word even stops echoing in my head, the hop battalion arrives. Bittering hops seize the palate & give you a good hard shake. Hoppiness ensues: herbal, plenty of pine needles, but strangely enough, little of the fruitiness noted in the nose...maybe the intervening two months tamed that down. But in the end, this is all about the bitterness. Lovely resinous bite, slick & slippery. Like water, this goes down easily.

Lives up to its name, & that makes my heart glad. If you're going to brew a IIPA, throw that balance crap out the window: wreck my palate or give me stouts! Excellent beer. I hope this makes it to WI/MN soon!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:43:03 | More by maximum12

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

SenorBeaver

California

5/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

9.5% alcohol with a medium body w/o the gross sweetness of a barely wine. Very similar to a Ruination or a Union Jack. A new favorite- If I made beer, which I haven't the time for because of two babies... this is the beer I would try to make. Not sweet, not thick, very hoppy, very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:04:11 | More by SenorBeaver

WSGosset

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Beautiful translucent copper with a finger of tight foamy head. Nice lacing.

S: This is pretty much what it smells like to open a bag of fresh hop pellets. The smell is strong and distinctive, though not necessarily all that inviting. For as much as I enjoy taking a good whiff of my hops when I open them, that doesn't mean I want to put them in my mouth.

T: Duh, it's bitter. That having been said, it is not as crazy as I was expecting given what I had heard.

M: Clean and smooth with a decent amount of body.

O: I think this a good looking beer which definitely lives up to the hype of being a hop bomb. For as bitter as it is, it is actually very drinkable. It was worth trying and I would definitely pick it up again, though I can't say that this is going to become an automatic buy for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:18:02 | More by WSGosset

LittleDon

Texas

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

No freshness date, but purchased in Austin, TX two days prior to drinking.

Crystal clear light copper color. Good head retention and lots of lace. Aroma is caramel with floral notes. Flavor is slightly boozy, earthy, and piney, kind of like a forest floor (except, of course, the boozy part). Finishes with tons of bitterness. Lives up to it's name, hard to get any flavor nuances after the first few sips. Medium plus body. Low moderate carbonation. Middle of the road to slightly sweet.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:00:19 | More by LittleDon