Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

AmitC

Indiana

4.46/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a big snifter glass.

A very nice smell emanates as soon as i pop open the cap.

Color is standard amber or golden pale. A one finger thick head that recedes slowly and stays well. Excellent lacing and stickiness. A good amount of bubbles seen rising up. Very clear.

Aroma is a winner here. A lot of citrus hops. A good amount of herbal and flower nose. Strength of aroma is good to strong. Fills the nose very quickly and can be smelled from a distance. Very typical usage of citrus hops. A decent of sweetness imparted by malts as well.

I was expecting a palate wrecking flavor. But it fails to do anything that serious with my palate. Bitter it is, but not one of the most bitter ales that i have had. A mix of bitter sweet malty taste that ends with a palate full of bitterness. Front and middle could have been more hoppy. Bitterness grows on you as you keep drinking it. Some resin like character and a good amount of herbal and flowery taste. Some sweet grapefruit like taste as well. Finish of course is dry and bitter. Front part of the tongue is senseless as i finish this beer. This is not just due to the beer itself but a few of the precursors as well.

A nice oily and resiny feel that is very welcome in a IPA. Medium body. Slick and smooth. Almost light. Moderate to slightly high carbonation. Astringency, yes it has a lot of bitterness but no alcohol whatsoever. Goes down really easily for a 9.5%.

Well it just about manages to deliver on expectations. It is strong, powerful and bitter but as easily drinkable. Do not drink other brews for some time after having this. A winner.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 19:49:12 | More by AmitC

Nugganooch

California

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at O'Briens Pub - Kearny Mesa
*notes from 08/15/11 - very excited since I haven't had this brew in a year or two now and WOW is it better than my memory serves!

A: My PW arrived with a very thin white cap that fizzled out pretty quickly leaving behind just a super clear and light amber colored DIPA. Lacey.

S: Big grapefruit and mango aromas. Pineapple resins. Just a great fruity bouqet all around.

T: Tastes of juicy sweet pineapple, grapefruit flesh, and a touch of pine but more fruity than anything. Big malty caramel bread backbone. Layers of flavor here. Residual peppery bitterness on the palate. Has some warmth but all very well balanced at 10%ABV. Dry light crispy finish. So good!

M: Nice creamy texture that comes in a bit lighter on the palate. Resiny tongue coat. Solid dry finish.

D: Way balanced for a big DIPA with layers of fruity hop flavors and a soft caramel sweetness. Warm but not boozy.

Probably my favorite brew from Green Flash and so glad to see this out again. A big DIPA that I would put up there against the best of them including Alpine's Bad Boy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2011 18:28:20 | More by Nugganooch

grittybrews

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a vivid, clear tangerine with three fingers of eggshell head. Huge aroma of grapefruit, pine, honey, caramel, and a hint of booze.

Moderate carbonation and a smooth, slightly sticky mouthfeel. Fairly standard grapefruit up front followed by strong honey sweetness and then a blast of intense orange, tangerine, and intensely bitter pine on the long finish.

Palate wrecker indeed, but I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 02:50:01 | More by grittybrews

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Palate Wrecker, which clocks in at "100+" IBUs, according to Green Flash's website, opens with exactly the kind of nose that IBU level entails, overflowing with grapefruit rind, pink grapefruit, rose hips, pine sap, mint, eucalyptus, dandelion stem, and the aromatic version of the bitterness you get when you suck on non-flavored vitamin C tablets. In other words, the hop aromas are intense, but at the same time, varied and playful, bouncing between several notes and speaking of the kind of balance with which high-wire artists are familiar. There are also massive sugars in here, beginning with deep orange, lemon, lime, apricot, and berry fruit esters, and delving from there into brown sugars, all of which is grounded by toast crust and rising wheat dough. As a whole, the nose is amazing, and at least for a hophead, begs to be put on the tongue.

On the tongue, it's immediately apparent why this beer is called "Palate Wrecker": the hop flavors--dandelion stem, pine sap, grapefruit rind, mint, anise, eucalyptus, pepper--are so intense that I doubt any other beer would have much flavor if imbibed after this one. The hops wash over the tongue in such power that the mouth's soft tissues tingle and burn in response, and even the nose fills with slightly eye-watering (but in the best way possible) vapors. There are sugars somewhere deep, deep beneath that hop blast, bringing brown sugars, orange, apricot, berry, and toast crust, but they're present in much the same way that your underwear is: you know it's there, but you're really not paying that much attention to it. The beer does come across as imbalanced because of this, but the hop flavors are so intense, varied, nuanced, and delicious that it doesn't particularly concern this drinker. There's only the slightest touch of alcohol vapors in here, mostly coming through late in the mouthful, but even these blend nicely with the hops, much like the alcohol in a good martini. Even the aftertaste, which can still be nicely detected a good sixty seconds after swallowing, is hops, hops, hops. Mouthfeel is a lightly syrupy medium, and carbonation is medium (though it feels like medium high, thanks to the burning effect of the hops).

Overall, if you're a hophead, then this beer should be at the very top of your "must try" list, because you're really not going to find a brew that better showcases what can be done with a skilled, intelligent application of this ingredient. Just don't expect to taste much of anything when you're done--if the hops don't take care of that, the 9.5% ABV will.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 21:44:11 | More by jondeelee

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a gold/orange. Very nice three finger head that leaves a huge mess of lace stuck to the glass. Tons of visible carbonation.

Grapefruit, pale malts, orange and herbal hops make up the nose.

The taste has a great hop kick. I'd say this one wrecks the West Coast and Imperial they brew. Strong citrus taste up front, kumquat, grapefruit rind, a hint of malt, followed by fresh cut grass and mineral hops. Goes down very smooth for being so hoppy with a high ABV.

My favorite of the Green Flash IPA's. Glad they bottled it up.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 20:39:06 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In a snifter this beer was a beautiful clear amber color with just a small rim of head, which lingered.

A lot of hops in the aroma. Herbal/piney hops, a little citrus. A touch of sweet malt.

Mostly a herbal/pine taste. Some grapefruit. Bready background.

Hop bomb. Alcohol well-hidden. Great beer for hop heads.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 14:28:30 | More by lordofthewiens

Dave1999

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a rich amber colour with a bright white foamy head.

The smell is citrus hops, grapefruit, lemons and oranges, with some sweet malts coming through as the beer warms up.

The taste is piney hops,citrus hops, slightly sweet and very bitter.

The mouthfeel is smooth bodied and oily with low to medium carbonation.

Overall this beer is about as hopy and bitter as it gets, as it warms a sweeter malt back bone begins to form though. Hides its abv extremely well. Coats your mouth with a bitter hopy taste for a while after finishing.

Definately let this beer warm up before drinking to appreciate the full range of flavours.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:53:10 | More by Dave1999

flablaze

Florida

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pub glass. Appearance was a light copper with slightly noticeable haziness. Nice white head, 1 finger width. Moderate lacing on the glass.

Sniff test indicated obvious notes of citrus and pine. Aroma hung heavy, which I did enjoy. Definitely enhanced the experience.

Taste indicated much of what I smelled, but the hops were somewhat subdued by an obvious maltiness. Some would call this balance, but when I drink an IPA I am looking for hop quality.

This brew presented fairly heavy mouthfeel, which I found to be pleasing. There was a definite aftertaste...as if my mouth was coated in resin. This was not unpleasant, but I definitely needed a palate cleansing before sampling the next brew.

Good IPA? Absolutely. Great IPA? Arguable. When compared with other beers of the same style, the price is a deal breaker. At $14.99 for a pack of 4, it is hard to justify with so many quality IPAs available.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 05:01:52 | More by flablaze

SpruceMoose

Australia

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's bollocks-freezing weather down here in Oz, and thus it was inevitable that I'd make the trek to one of my favourite locals, Acland Cellars, to acquire some super-strong crafts for the evening that awaited me. Something dense, I said, like a barley wine or an imperial stout. The clerk grimaces as he hands me the bottle; the title "Palate Wrecker" staring menacingly into me. At first I'm perplexed as to whether I should fear or admire this creation by notorious San Diego brewers Green Flash, but curiosity meant that I knew this beer would certainly need to be reviewed.

Good luck, the clerk tells me as I walk out into the frostbitten streets. Keep calm. Relax. Deep breaths. Here we go.

Serving Type: 12 oz bottle poured slowly into a 500ml Hobgoblin tall pint glass.

Appearance: The pour generates a modest head with a cloudy golden body, similar in shade to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with the intriguing density of a Belgian ale. Bubbles race frantically up the glass and contribute to the head, which laces evenly as it lowers itself deeper into the glass.

Smell: A hophead's paradise; intense aromas of citra and cascade (and perhaps even Goldings?) hops are immediately noticeable, and serve as a signal of what is to come.

Taste: The first swallow produces an intense bitterness that lingers not only on the tongue but all around the mouth. It sits there right after your first sip and stays around until the second. As a hophead, I'm naturally in heaven. Some booziness is noticeable after the first few sips.

Mouthfeel: Denser than your average IPA. Carbonation is moderate and the body is gentle despite the intense flavour. Overall very pleasant.

Overall: Hopheads would love it, maltists would scoff at it and lagerboys will run hysterically from it. Green Flash Palate Wrecker is a unique beer with plenty of character and much to offer the hop connoisseur. This is indeed an intense double IPA, and chances are you'd either fall head over heels for it or dismiss it as another overhopped generic American IPA. Regardless, my palate has been wrecked.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 10:31:52 | More by SpruceMoose

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had an amber color and a clear consistency. There was a huge, foamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: The smell hits you the moment you open the bottle: A massive shot of hops, along with a lot of citrus as well.

T: Tasted exactly like a West Coast DIPA should taste: Massive amounts of hops, citrus (grapefruit), a little malt, and piney quality. ABV% is barely noticeable. A complex and enjoyable flavor.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth, yet bitter finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An excellent, well made, easy to drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 12:05:52 | More by avalon07

beer2day

North Carolina

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

Clear orange gold with forced 1/2 finger of medium cream head. Light retention and disjointed lace all around the glass.

Aggressive nose. Lots of grapefruit. More floral, but lots of hop resin and oil. Nice hop bomb.

Taste is big with grapefruit and estery hops. Top of the class, really. Not much malt balance, but who cares?

Body is a tad thin, but not too noticeable.

Overall, I'd love to get this again. In my top 5 DIPA's. Not to easy to get on the East Coast, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 00:00:23 | More by beer2day

Dalgren

North Carolina

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

Green Flash Palate Wrecker

Bomber poured into 12oz. tulip glass

A- Better than average lacing. Glowing copper orange color. Two fingers of light white head. Very clear.

S- Huge grapefruit earthy hops. A bit of caramel undertone. This has a very large nose and nice smelling beer.

T- Even hoppier than the aroma would suggest. Light caramel undertone, mild grassy and balanced flavor. All a double IPA could be!

M- Mouthfeel is what I expect in a double IPA. Creamy light head and carbonation. Bitter with a very long lasting flavor.

O- The taste is somewhat deceiving and starts out a little sweet and then the hoppy bitterness takes over. I opened this beer just slightly too cold but as the temperature rose the flavor became more complex. This is called palate wrecker for a reason. Drinking most beers after drinking this would be very low on taste. (and why would you want to) As a hophead this beer really hits the spot. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 02:59:35 | More by Dalgren

Monkeyknife

Missouri

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

Poured from the bottle a clear copper color with two fingers of light beige head. Creamy lacing left behind.

Bright, juicy aroma of grapefruit and pine resin.

The taste was no surprise after the aroma. A big juicy bite of grapefruit and pine along with a nice backbone of caramel malts for balance. Finish had a bitter bite to it.

Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation.

This one gives Hopslam a run for it's IIPA money. Big, bold, and full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 22:51:05 | More by Monkeyknife

Gobzilla

California

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

A: poured an amberish orange in color with yellow highlights when held up to the light with a good finger of head that left some frothy lacing sticking to the glass.

S: you could definitely catch the hops on this hop bomb accompanied by citrus, mango, traces of pineapple, fresh green grassy notes, and a bit of wood earthiness as well.

T: large hop punch throughout the whole palate process alongside caramel, citrus lemon grapefruit, earthy, little bit of pineapple flavor, mango accents and a good malty sweetness to balance out the hop bomb.

M: the brew was medium in color with a good amount of carbonation which had a citrusy, mild fruity, earthy, slight sweet but hoppy bitter crisp finish that lingered on the palate.

O: Couldn't ask for more from another great west coast DIPA that will for sure wreck your palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 01:58:12 | More by Gobzilla

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with a two-finger, tan head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of sticky lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of citrus, grapefruit, mango and bubblegum. Some caramel aromas.

T - It tasted of sweet caramel, citrus, grapefruit and bread crust. Spicy bitterness adds balance.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a strong alcohol warmth and a dry finish.

O - This is a really tasty DIPA. Another great brew from Green Flash.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:14:41 | More by zeff80

prototypic

Ohio

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

Palate Wrecker pours an attractive copper stained gold color. It’s rather hazy. More than you’d expect. Backlighting gives it more of a copper or orange look. A really nice off-white head caps it off. It rises to over two fingers in height and is very slow to dissipate. A thick, sticky web of lace lines the glass. Looks good.

The nose is excellent. Citric and piney hop notes are abundant throughout. Grapefruit, orange, and pineapple are all present. A touch of pine follows. There’s no questioning the hop presence in this one. There is a little caramel malt in the background, but it doesn’t smell all that strong. I like that. Nevertheless, it does have a bit of a sugary, sweet smell. It’s not bad though. Not at all. Alcohol is blended very well. I wouldn’t have guessed it’s nearly 10% abv. Not even close to that actually. This is impressive!

The flavor impresses just as much. The malt base is a little sugary and sweet. There’s a light caramel flavor to it, but it’s very subtle. That’s my preference for DIPA. Hops are very flavorful. They add very nice citrus grapefruit, pineapple, and orange flavors to the mix. There is a hint of pine, as well. It’s definitely bitter, but it’s not completely palate wrecking. There’s enough malt here to negate some its aggressiveness. It’s bitter enough for me. Alcohol doesn’t seem anywhere near its listed 9.5%. It’s not warm or hot at all. Finishes with a nice citrus hop flavor and a bit of a bitter kick.

Palate Wrecker has a medium body that’s nice and smooth. Carbonation feels light and soft. Goes down way too easy. This bomber isn’t presenting much a challenge at all.

Green Flash Brewing Co. sure knows how to brew excellent west-coast style IPAs. Palate Wrecker is an excellent DIPA that’s chock full of delicious hop flavor. Frankly, this is quite a bit better than Green Flash’s Imperial IPA. Less malt and more hops seems to be a recipe for success. This is excellent stuff! Find some!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 03:09:33 | More by prototypic

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

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: two finger frothy head, minimal retention but nice lacing on a crystal clear amber with crimson hues. one of the most attractive beers I have seen.

S: very nice pine notes are foremost with citrus, floral and herbal notes as well. Very hoppy. The aroma is just a little understated but is very good.

T: lots of pine, medicinal and herbal hops. The citrus is mild. This one is particularly bitter but it doesn't offend. nice strong malt backbone.

M: fairly thick body and moderate carbonation. sharp bite to the finish.

Overall: This beer is very well made and one of the more attractive beers I have ever seen. The hops are strong but well balanced by the malt. Booze are well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:33:52 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

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

A - Pours with two fingers of white foam on top of a perfectly clear, amber colored body. The head settles at a moderate pace and leaves nice, thick lace on the glass.

S - A pungent, sweaty pine hop aroma with some thick caramel malt in the background.

T - Pine hops and thick, bready malt up front. Some more pine and sweaty hop character in the middle with a touch of darker sugar. Finishes with pine, grapefruit, and strong bitterness that just manages to balance out the rich malt.

M - A fairly thick body, moderate carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - This is a really well made, slightly dark and straight forward DIPA. The hops are pungently aromatic, but also strongly bitter which is good, since anything less would leave the thick malt cloyingly unbalanced. Nicely done, and quite drinkable for such a big beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:34:37 | More by nickfl

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Pours a clear copper-amber color with a finger of frothy off white head atop. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of strong pine and tropical hops with lots of grapefruit, floral, and resin smells, with some caramel and biscuit malts and a touch of booze.

T - Starts off with some strong pine and tropical hops and bitterness alongside some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, the resiny hop flavor gets stronger with stronger bitterness and a bit of biscuit malt. The finish is a mix of pine hops and bitterness with some sweet malts and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and resiny with a dry, bitter, and lightly warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. I really like the strength of the hops in this one and the bitterness. Does not get out of control though.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 04:26:56 | More by ngeunit1

Durge

Connecticut

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

Looking forward to this one poured from bottle to pint glass, chilled. It has a cloudy iced tea color appearance with a decent white head and nice lacing. The sniff test reveals grainy grapefruit and tea/hemp ideas, just a bit skunky in a very nice way. Great aromatics here. The flavor introduces with heavy cereal grains and light malt sweetness, but the grapefruit hops are massive! The bitterness settles into a bit of an herbal edge as well and results in a highly delectable brew, particularly for the hop lovers. The body is medium-light and the feel solidly crisp. Wow, love it!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 00:18:43 | More by Durge

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

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

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Part two in my Green Flash excursion this evening: next up is Palate Wrecker.

Finally, a bottle date: “Bottled on 12/18/12.” Damn, that’s old. Ah well, so was Le Freak, and it was still alright. To beer with a high life expectancy!

A: Deep hazy orange with a hefty head of beige bubbles. The foam is thick and fizzy, popping at every opportunity, though falling pretty slowly. Low amounts of retention but high amounts of lacing, climbing everywhere in a chunky web.

S: A magnificent testament to the glorious, aromatic hop – a noseful of pine, lemon juice, orange pulp, and sweet wildflower that promises to wreck your palate upon first sip. Smells hoppy enough to peel paint. Not much else can be found under the cloud of hop oils other than a straw-like, barnyard graininess, a rustic quality that grounds this huge IPA in a place of natural, homegrown sentiment.

T: Rides in bright with a swift metallic tinge as puckering hop notes of citrus oil and grapefruit rind send fire across the taste buds – a spicy, peppery bitterness, but bright and fruity nonetheless. It has a certain bright air to it, a charm that only juxtaposition can bring: that is, bright hops over an orange marmalade and lemon drop not-so-thick-but-still-pretty-viscous sweetness. There’s something to this beer that other DIPAs don’t have…Ruination is set apart by its crispness, Hopslam by its thick honey/resin combo, Dreadnaught by its syrupy residual sugars. It seems that Palate Wrecker is unique because of its extremely drinkable balance; it has a certain mixture of stinging hops and grainy afterbite, a bready wheat flavor that gives this a finish that is unbelievably mild.

M: In all the right ways, this beer is crisp: a bit of bubble to its dryness, but not enough to overwhelm. And in all the right ways, this beer is sweet: a meaty thickness, but not enough weigh it down. Let’s just tell is like it is: truth be told, I drank half the bottle before I realized I was doing it. This is one hell of a drinkable DIPA.

O: One of my favorite IPAs of recent memory – and that’s not just because I’ve wiped out my recent memory with beer. Green Flash has bottled pure hop essence in a container that can barely hold it, as I found out with just a single whiff. I can honestly say that this is one of the hoppiest beers I’ve ever had, which is a distinction I don’t take lightly. I think the last time I awarded that was for Stone’s Ruination…and this is even hoppier. If this were available without a huge drive, I’d be drinking this All. The. Time.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:52:43 | More by BarryMFBurton

GRG1313

California

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very clear and clean amber with almost a sparkle to it with a pure white thick head. Lovely.

Nose cooked ripe pineapple with hints of cooked apricots and rich malt in nose.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, filling and creamy. Flavors are huge, rich and bold.

Giant flavors of grapefruit skin, lemon oil with an incredible balance of underlying rich malt. The malt is here almost as an afterthought but perfectly balances the giant hop character.

Very long pine resin/grapefruit skin finish. Super drinkable. This is Le Freak with more character and balance; Le Freak "kicked up a notch!"

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2009 01:02:35 | More by GRG1313