Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

sayyad

Pennsylvania

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

From notes:

This is a beer with a very subtle and well balanced, pleasant bitterness. If you want to teach yourself to like bitter hops, this would be an excellent entry point.

A little bit of pine and freshly mowed grass are what come through the aroma. A flowery, breezy taste just takes over and fills your mouth.

This is truly an amazing beer and I look forward to my next encounter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 22:27:25 | More by sayyad

AimToCheat

California

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

Ok, I have never given a 100% positive review, but this beer is pretty much perfect. A hop head's dream come true. Definitely one of the top three IPA's I have ever had, I would drink this over pliny the younger any day. My only gripe is that I wish it was available year 'round.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2012 18:36:45 | More by AimToCheat

ralphonhouse

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

Three words for you: Top Notch. This beer tastes like "a pine tree full of mangoes...but don't actually say mangoes, say peaches. But without its shell". That was the late, great So-crates!

In all seriousness, this beer is superb in every category including several new ones it created and set an impossibly high bar for. I have a raging hardon right now as I am drinking and typing.

Ohhh...

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 01:33:48 | More by ralphonhouse

Hoptimus-Prime

North Carolina

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

Pours a clear copper color , with a fluffy white head.
Aroma of hops is very powerful, with hints of grapefruit , pineapple and mango.
The taste... amazing! Hops stand up front offering a dominating bitterness , with the classic west coast IPA characteristics. The bitterness lingers on the palate.
Mouth feel is medium bodied with a crisp dry finish.
Overall, I really enjoy this beer, in fact Palate wrecker is one of my all time favorites. The only bad part is that it tastes so good that is really hard to drink them in moderation... 9.5 abv is only apparent after you've had a couple .

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:11:34 | More by Hoptimus-Prime

DIPA10

Pennsylvania

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

Have had on tap in San Diego and in bottles on the east coast. IMHO, this is the best of its type - super hoppy IPA's. Lots of resin, pine, grapefruit. Some reviews say that it's unbalanced...not enough malts. Well, it's called Palate Wrecker; balance was not the objective. That being said, it is still extremely drinkable if you like the style. While it might not be so "balanced" in a traditional sense, it is delicious. This is a great beer, though not for everyone.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 21:59:49 | More by DIPA10

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

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

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.99/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a great hoppy ipa! The look of the beer is an amber color and its crystal clear with nice white head. The smell is of pine, citrus, grapefruit, and caramel from the malt. The taste is hoppy, sweet caramel, dry, bitter, piney, citrus, and grape fruit. The mouth feel is nice with great carbonation and bitter that goes on forever. I thought this might be too hoppy but it is perfect bitterness for hopheads. It is also well balanced with its nice caramel malt character. Awesome!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:47:44 | More by KingEdward

acsprouse

South Carolina

4.99/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: orange/ amber/ copper hue. Thick White head

S: hops hops hops. Very slight malts. Citrus, very.floral, fruits

M: medium bodied, nicely carbonated for the style. Resiny piney

T: hops! Spice, floral, citrus, everything a double ipa should be. Slight alcohol heat but perfect balance for such a big hop bomb!

O: wow, hop heaven. If your a hop head you have to try this beer

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 08:20:48 | More by acsprouse

dhartogs

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I've had this on draft at brewery, and just had a bottle, review from bottle. I love this beer, when i first had a sample I thought, wow, as good as Hopslam. So finally they distribute this in bottles to VA and I could do a side by side, it stand right up there. Nice head, a bit of lacing, not no too much head. Golden color, a hint of orange.

The smell on this is amazing, beautiful hops but not over powering.

The taste, first taste the hops punches you in the mouth, in a good, way, them mellows out, then comes back for more. This is all in the first taste. It's got a bit of a heavy mouthfeel.

Overall, this beer is fantastic, I noticed as it warmed up, it got better and better, I would have one of these a day. Anyone who is a hop head needs to add this to their must try.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 00:34:40 | More by dhartogs

pearljam118

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip

A - Pours a hazy copper with 2 fingers of head with great lacing

S - Tropical fruit and piney hoppyness

T - Holy crap this is abrasively hoppy! This is easily the most hop forward beer I've had, nearly no malt to speak of. Finishes just as hoppy as it started.

M - This beer starts eating at your tongue at first drop. Moderate carbonation with a light mouthfeel.

O - God I can't get enough of this beer. And it really earns it's name of Palate Wrecker. I'm a hop head and I could care less about balance right now; give me more hops and more Palate Wrecker!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 01:24:00 | More by pearljam118

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Presentation: Poured into a snifter glass from a growler purchased at Green's in Columbia, SC off Piney Grove!

A: Nice thick off white head with heavy lacing. Deep amber color with a slight haze.

S: Pine needles, fresh cut forestry. Some citrus.

T&M: Well-ballanced up front. Piney, citrusy and then the hop bitterness begins to unleash. Little to no alcohol burn. Medium bodied and very drinkable.

This is so good! Definitely the top of the heap for DIPA's. Palate numbing bitterness is definitely appropriate.

Serving type: growler

04-07-2012 00:20:39 | More by cdizinno

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-nice dark amber with a thick cream colored head

S-a lot of hops. Wow. Fresh strong slightly citrusy hops. Wow. 

T-it comes in with a burst of hops I'm not sure ive experienced before. In and out it's an explosion of bitterness and fresh citrusy hops. No off flavors. Man this is awesome. 

M-medium creamy carbonation. Bitter in and out. Perfect.

O- There is nothing wrong with this beer!! It is exactly how an ipa ought to be. The flavor is so rich and strong and enjoyable. I got to find more of this! 

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 02:53:36 | More by AdamBear

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The best Green Flash beer I have tried so far.

Pours out a really nice bright, hazy orange with hints of amber and a nice fluffy white head.

The aroma is full of grapefruit, mango, pineapple and other fruity and floral hop scents. Very heavy on the tropical fruit with no malt detected.

The taste is very close to the aroma. There is a ton of intense fruity and floral hop flavor with a slight hint of malt sweetness in the background. It's very bitter, dry and finishes crisp.

The alcohol is hidden very well and this is very easy to drink. A great Imperial IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 20:35:38 | More by JohnnyMc

DrFayhee

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Golden-orange with medium head and nice lacing.
S: Beautiful floral hops with lots of bright citrus and pine.
T: Amazing hop bomb with tropical fruits, herbs, and tart berries. Just a perfect, complex, west coast-style IPA.
M: Beautiful clean mouthfeel. Tingliness that come from the flavor rather than the carbonation.
O: This is one of the best west coast IPAs I've had. I love almost all of this brewer's offerings but this is really amazing. It doesn't so much wreck my palate as wreck my ability to enjoy other IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 02:16:55 | More by DrFayhee

Sorcerer

United Kingdom (England)

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very Special Beer Review.

Poured into a tulip. 1 inch of frothy oily head. Dissipates over 5 draughts into a persistent one bubble layer. Persistent and clinging lacing remains to beyond the end.

Smells like apricot jam and hops, and hops, and hops. Shellac, pine, poison oak, salty-sand, freshly sawed open oak.

Mouthfeel is thick, bitter, malt sweetness, then how much alcohol question is eclipsed by bitterness bombs of hop explosion. Moderate carbonation bubbles through a thick malty sweetness. The thick malty sweetness is overdriven by the hop resins and synthesized into a West Coast IPA idealism. Through this turn of events the malty alcoholic sweetness and dirty dish rag IPA beginnings unfold into a full-on hop-head delight which opens up upon airing and warming bringing into to sharp relief a panoply of hoppy delights layered one upon the other. Drinkable. Obviously and dangerously more drinkable than cheap lager.

Flavor is bitter burlap sack at first, then malty sweetness, then briefly the alcohol shock, but moves on into hop domination territories. Wood, cured older wood, pine-sap, fresh plywood, grapefruit, freshly mowed lawn, mountain spring water (yes some sort of intense clean soft water effect!), pickle, pepper, poppy seeds, citrus rinds, bitter marmalade.

After-taste is pleasant for bitter hop lovers. Intense, slightly metallic, leathery, and bright. From a couple of inches forward of the tonsils and back down is almost numb. I just drank three bottles of this.

Overall, I've got to say that this beer really opened up as it warmed during drinking and revealed a variety of hop decoction characters of the highest quality. Stunning. I would like to compare this side-by-side with similar styles one day.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:39:30 | More by Sorcerer

Cobrito

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A--Golden, pretty clear, nice head.

S--Powerful, complex hops, very dank, but also very natural smelling, combination of an alpine forest and a compost heap.

T--A dankness combined with a complex array of resinous, herbal hops.

M--Tremendously drinkable for such a challengingly hop-forward brew.

Only great brewers and IPA specialists could pull this one off, and GF does it. The first one I had was challenging even for this committed hophead, but the second and third went down very easily. A world-class DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:24:23 | More by Cobrito

jeffjeff1

California

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My wife got this for me about a week ago. My friend tried it before I did and said it really was a palate wrecker.

Appearance- copper color, nice head, nice lacing

Smell- beautiful smell of hops, smells very fresh like they do before they are added to the wort, I love that smell.

Taste- very hoppy but very well balanced, tastes and smells like fresh hops into the wort, piney

Mouthfeel- medium bodied, nice carbonation

Drinkabilty- It is delicious. I love it. One of the best! The hops in there are so wonderful!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 20:15:22 | More by jeffjeff1

timtwoface

British Columbia (Canada)

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at St. Augistine's in Vancouver, BC. What a delicious punch to the face this is...make sure it's the last one you have though, as it is so strong you won't remember much else you had previous. The name really indicates what the beer is all about.

Delicious, and for any IPA or DIPA fan, you simply must check it out. It's like Green Flash's original IPA but twice as strong and twice as delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2012 02:07:20 | More by timtwoface

tubeboy

Maryland

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a semi clear amber with a about 1.5 fingers of light tan head that leave a thin lacing with each sip. I smell citrus and hops that are more like pine than grass. This beer tastes great in the mouth and then it smacks you with the hops. This is not for amateur beer palates. Excellent mouthfeel for an IPA. I really love Green Flash West Coast IPA and Double Stout as as go to beers, but I will most definitely buy this for my next beer tasting.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 21:11:33 | More by tubeboy

HomeBrewJake

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance - One finger of white head. Bright beautiful deep clear orange in color. Not a whole lot of lacing

Smell - Pine, pine and more pine. Some citrus and lemon zest in there as well.

Taste - Piney with some citrus peel and then a solid lasting pine aftertaste.

Feel - Fairly carbonated, but it coats the inside of your mouth with a piney sticky film. You can taste it from the tip of your tongue to the back of your throat. Incredible.

Overall - Got lucky and got to try it on tap, but I'm definitely going to try to grab a few bottles of it too. Amazing!

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 19:07:11 | More by HomeBrewJake

elNopalero

Texas

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a beast of a beer. DIPAinsanity!

Pours a vibrant orange-golden color with thin foaming. The aroma is sticky sweet, with an intense resiny grapefruit oil character. And wait—is that a hint of apricot? Tangerines? Yum!

The bitterness decimates your palate, as promised, but its assertive in a way that makes you keep coming back for more. Are you in an abusive relationship with the hops? There is help out there! The flavor is intensely bitters, citrus (tangerines again), dried apricot and pine essence, with a dry sticky finish and just enough heft to coat your mouth and leave you eager for another sip. Wreck it!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 07:19:22 | More by elNopalero

cmp26

California

4.79/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

this is a great beer its a little spendy but worth it.i poured 2 in to my 32oz mug and after finishing had a nice buzz and was ready for bed after the 4th. this is a really strong hoppy beer with a creamy head aromatic head.i wish they would make it in six packs 4 beers is enough but your always left with that feeling of wanting more. i highly recomend trying this delicious brew

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 04:16:10 | More by cmp26

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow well when I swirl it around in the glass I get a huge smell of tangerines, clementines, grapefruit and pine smells. You get hit with a hoppy sweetness that quickly changes into a spicy tingly orange peel bitterness and ending with a citric bite that stays in the aftertaste and back of your tongue for a while. Even after you haven't taken a sip for a while it still tastes like you took a sip not so long ago. Its really bitter.

I heard they used the ipa wort and brewed it in with this ipa or something like that and its literally a double ipa. Its really fruity and citrusy tasting and can get some candy like fruit flavors that are very enjoyable before it turns over into the massive and growing bitterness.

The malt is there with a slight bready sweetness but the sweetness gets over taken by the hop flavors. You can tell its a big beer too a bit of alcohol burn on this one. Im also noticing it leaving a very dry parched aftertaste. Its really intense after a while and truly is a palate wrecker.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 03:28:35 | More by thebrood1987

magictacosinus

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 650ml bottle.

Fantastic appearance, considering this one of the allegedly most hoppy beers conceived, as the alcohol seems to "mask" the reddish-orange appearance, and that the excessive hop oil adds extra shine and jewel-like appearance. There's plenty of carbonation as well, and it's fantastic that a 9.5 ABV beer has this long lasting of a head. Granted it could be the Duvel glass, but another person I was with had it in a standard pint and it lasted forever as well. Heavenly, in short.

There's a colossal hop and alcohol aroma that seems to punch you in the face upon a whiff. However, these notes soon materialize and become sweetened like candied fruit, and contain a citrus, tropical flavor that is refreshing. There's no malty smell to speak of, and the yeast seems well blended with the hops. Perhaps there's too much of an alcohol drop, but it's expected here.

To me, the flavor is pretty much the opposite experience, as all you seem to get are extreme citrus and floral hops, and syrupy, caramel malts. Astonishingly, this beer has pretty much no alcohol in its flavor, and it's only noticeable at the back of the throat seconds after each gulp. The hops indeed dangle on the tongue as advertised (as it has over 150 IBUs) but instead of "wrecking" the palate, it seems to enhance the palate with wonderful spiciness. This is thick and smooth as hell, and provides an extremely juicy and pleasant experience with the lack of any carbonation on the mouth, as well as alcohol. This is closer to a spiced fruit drink than an actual beer!

Truly fantastic, especially considering how smooth it is for an over-the-top beer that it is advertised as. Rather than wrecking my palate, I don't think I'd be able to drink one bottle alone of this and end up merely buzzed. This will appeal to all fans of DIPAs as well as California pale ales, but may also work for fans of cocktales and barleywines. Wish it wasn't so expensive (8 dollars), or I'd definitely pick it up more at my local store than cheaper, harder-to-find beers of its kind such as Pliny.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:14:22 | More by magictacosinus