Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

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

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

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

Pours glowing peach with a dense, pillowy white head that lasts forever. Enormous patches of laces stick to the glass on the way down. Hops fill the air when I pop the cap of the beer, huge citrus and orange hop flavors and some pine and cookie dough in the background. The taste is immensely hoppy with an immediate mouthcoating intense bitterness that pervades the whole glass. Grapefruit and lemon notes mix with a resinous pine bitterness. The timid malt profile is doughy and light. The mouthfeel is full bodied with a sparse carbonation - intense hop resin mouthcoating makes for a lot of numbing. The finish is infinitely long and bitter. Delicious. Alcohol isn't prominent for the strenghth and is only complimentary to the bitterness attack.

This is one of my favorite DIPAs ever. Super hoppy and also very multi-faceted. I will say it will probably put off anyone who isn't into hops, it's pretty intense. Still one of the best. Green Flash rocks.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 02:31:35 | More by CAMRAhardliner

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

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Bronze with an off-white head, bit of retention, some lace.

Huge aroma of pine, grapefruit rind, dried mango, candied pineapple and sponge toffee.

Assertive bitterness, piny resin, grapefruit rind, mango, papaya, sponge toffee, hint of biscuit, some alcohol warmth but it's surprisingly clouded by the plethora of flavour.

Perfect attenuation. It has a crisp, dry finish without any alcohol burn. Plenty of hop acidity.

Overall, a really great brew. Definitely among the best of the DIPA's.

I really need to try this back-to-back with a Pliny the Elder.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:10:19 | More by Derek

Somebody_Else

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Why I love this beer:

I love how the beer slowly changes character as you drink it and it starts warming slightly. How it goes from a crisp, almost unbalanced hoppiness only to evolve into a delicious biscuity presence toward the end. And how I can continue to recycle the sticky hops flavor from tongue to nose long after the liquid has been swallowed. I have fallen in love with this beer. Most definitely on my top 5 list.

Thank you, Green Flash!
___

Amendment:
I like this beer better than just about anything. I really Really REALLY like this beer. That is all.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:32:47 | More by Somebody_Else

Auraan

Arizona

4.76/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured a transparent, deep amber with a one finger off white head. It looked quite nice. Scents of citrus, lemon, and grapefruit. Very appealing aromas. Flavor is almost entirely bitter grapefruit pith, grapefruit rind, a tiny hint of grapefruit and a bit of pine. Very little malt character, very much a hop forward beer. Mouthfeel was medium bodied, with low carbonation. The beer hid it's alcohol content quite well. An excellent hop forward beer, pure citrus and bitterness, probably one of the best west coast DIPAs I've tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 09:11:45 | More by Auraan

ncfranklin

Alabama

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

12oz bottle to a Duvel Tulip.

A: Golden orange, with a small off-white head that recedes to a ring. Probably the alcohol level keeping the head off this one.

S: A forest of hops here. Really potent citrus of orange and grapefruit, lemony almost, notes of floral character and pine. This is what west-coast hops is all about. Nothing else going on in the nose beyond this bouquet.

T: Hops. Sticky, resiny, citrus and pine hops all over the place. This is as flavorful of a hop bomb as any I've ever had. Grapefruit and floral are most prominent flavors, but theirs alot going on under this bitter tongue biter. Only the slightest biscuity malt is present, and you really have to strain to taste it.

M: I don't think I'm breaking new ground by saying this one is bitter. It finishes clean, has lots of aftertaste of resiny hops. But yeah, don't plan on tasting any beer after this one.

O: West Coast big IPA's always seem to be a little too syrupy and boozy for me. This one hit it perfectly. It's a bitter bruiser with a ton of flavor. Definitely want more of this soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 00:49:35 | More by ncfranklin

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

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.73/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a nice golden amber hue with a full creamy white beige head. From a distance, you could mistake this brew to be one of many golden ales from the mass produced breweries.

But here is where that stops. All you need to be is within a few feet of the opened bottle and you can pick up the aroma of fresh strong hops. As I put my nose into the glass, the hops seemed to get stronger and stronger.

As with many high hopped brews, I could pick up scents of grapefruit along with other citrus. The initial taste was a bit over the top, at least at first. However, the mouthful and the finish was satisfying and lingering.

The second and third sips were the same, the initial taste on the tongue, went quickly to the top of the lounge without hitting some of the other sense spots.

The finish was perfect. I think the only thing that kept me from rating this even higher was that each sip was a bit much.

But the rest was as good as it gets for full hoppy beer

I looked at the Green Flash website and was amazed, no I guess not really to see that the IBU was over 149 for this one!

02/01/13:
I think after tasting about a dozen or so real classy high IBU IPAs, I've come to know exactly what I want and what I am looking for. Make new mistake, Palate Wrecker is a beer that any hop-head should try. Its worth it. I have about 5 more bottles for this year. I enjoyed it, but
not the same way I did a year ago. I guess the term palate-wrecker holds true. It is a big bold beer to taste, but easier to drink than lets say another beer's 120. But my mouth is hanging real dry after drinking one bottle. One bottle, thats it, because when I started to taste other beers, I couldn't pick up the things I normally would have...
Next time, try the ones I want to taste and finish perhaps with the Palate Wrecker

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 21:33:37 | More by rdilauro

BrandonMelton

4.73/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

1/5/13 - 12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a golden orange color with about a finger and a half of head. Crystal clear with a decent amount of carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass. Bright white head leaves a trail of lacing running down the glass.

Aroma: Huge explosion of hop aroma that can be detected the moment the bottle is opened. Dank, resinous, pine aromas invade the senses, accompanied by bitter citrus. Bitter white grapefruit with a hint of lemon peel. A slight touch of alcohol on the nose adds a white wine quality which foreshadows the dryness to come.

Taste: Extreme citrus bitterness up front. Bitter white grapefruit, without even a hint of the sweetness associated with a ruby red grapefruit. Mid-palate is an explosion of dank, resinous, pine flavors. Behind the bold dankness, moving toward the back of the palate, emerges a dry, almost white wine flavor that carries into the still-bitter finish. This is by far the most bitter and dry beer I've ever tasted. As the beer warms, a hint of sweetness emerges - like a very subtle, slight hint of Valencia orange; even a hint of peach.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Nearly perfect mouthfeel for the style. The extreme dryness prepares the palate for another explosion of bitterness after each sip.

Overall: This beer is perfectly named, as it will destroy all ability to accurately perceive flavors for at least 30 minutes after enjoying it. Palate Wrecker will literally ruin the following beer if you don't allow enough time (or palate cleansing) in between beers. Simply fantastic. One of my favorite Imperial IPAs. The only detraction comes in terms of drinkability, where the extreme bitterness and dryness is a limiting factor. But this is a trade-off well worth making on this particular beer, as it is those very bitter and dry characteristics that make this beer unique.

Score: 96

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:37:02 | More by BrandonMelton

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.73/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, copper amber colored with a huge fluffy off white head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: fruity aromas of pineapple, orange, grapefruit, papaya, it literally smells like you just opened a can of tropical mixed fruit salad, citrus hops

T: pineapple and grapefruit up front, malt comes out in middle with a smooth caramel sweetness, finish is a hop explosion of grapefruit peel and pine resin

M: thick and creamy, alcohol makes itself well known, correct carbonation

O: buy it if you find it, the smell alone makes this a fantastic beer, let it warm for the flavors to fully develop

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:39:21 | More by M_C_Hampton

Immortale25

Florida

4.71/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a snifter. Bottom of the front of the bottle says Bottled on: 12/11/12.

A- Pours a medium amber color with nearly a full inch of off-white head that retains wonderfully before eventually retiring to an 1/8 inch head Thick, spread-out cobwebs of lacing.

S- Citrusy, floral hops of the west coast variety play off the nose with an enticing sweetness and sharpness. Musty, dank, pungent.

T- Taste is well balanced with plenty of citrusy hop bite and just enough malty sweetness. Notes of pineapple, lemon and grapefruit. The bitterness is intense and lingering but has enough grassy and fruity characteristic to make for a great flavor profile. Alcohol is well-masked also. Great hop burps.

M- Sharp and bitey with a crispness one doesn't find in IPAs as much. Also a bit oily with medium carbonation.

O- A welcome assault to the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:28:19 | More by Immortale25

acevenom

Louisiana

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a snifter glass. Pours clear copper with a two-finger length white head that dissipates slowly, leaving some lacing on the side of the glass. There are plentiful tiny bubbles visible rising in the glass. There are aromas of sweet and bready malts with citrus (grapefruit and orange) and piney hops. The hop aroma is pretty intense. The first sip lives up to the namesake of the beer. The hops burst in the mouth with the piney hops and the citrus hops are there, but not as strong. The malts are there in the backbone, providing some nice bready sweetness. The alcohol is well-masked here and I can't even taste it at all. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:19:46 | More by acevenom

Zach225

Arizona

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Poured into a tulip glass. Pours a burnt orange/amber with a hefty, fluffy head of about 2-1/2 fingers. As it settles it displays respectable head retention for 9.5% as well as some lacing. Swirling in the glass as it goes down it displays some mild alcohol legs.

Nose: It's like walking into a hop store. An army of different hop aromas surround your nostrils like an assault. Leading the pack are huge notes of ripe pineapple, grapefruit, papaya, orange, garlic, and onion skin. More subtle notes of earth, spice, and sweet flora are present within the onslaught.

Taste: A more full-bodied, "sticky" IPA. Upfront, a rush of bittersweet. Massive hop bitterness attacks your taste buds with just enough mild, caramelly-sweet malt balance to keep it in check. Mid-palate the hop flavors start to dig through the initial slam of bitterness, which remains all too present, to keep you from getting too comfortable. Big, juicy tropical fruit and citrus rush over your mouth as you start to swallow. There is a comfortable amount of warmth in the throat from alcohol, and the beer finishes long and ornery and refuses to let go. It doesn't clean up and refresh you (that would not serve its purpose), it lingers with bitterness that doesn't give in and dank, garlicky citrus.

Overall: I have returned to this beer on several occasions both on tap and by the bottle because I do truly enjoy it. As a beer lover who can't say no to the hop-head inside this beer is irresistible. If you are looking for a relentlessly bitter, but still well constructed Double IPA then look no further. It is like being taken on a tour of a hop factory. It is quite respectably well accomplished for a beer of such aggressive characteristics. A word of advice to those who truly want to explore this IPA's complexities; be weary of temperature. Do not drink Palate Wrecker too chilled, enjoy it in the 52-56 range to really go for a gnarly, roller coaster of a hop ride.

- Cheers!

Zach

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 06:50:22 | More by Zach225

JG-90

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours a large light beige head that becomes rocky as it recedes. Head has good retention and leaves heavy lacing. Beer is a copper/orange/golden color. Smells of citrus, most noticably grapefruit and orange, but also with a bit of lemon. Also smells very resiny with a bit of pine. Just a hint of caramel malt.

Taste starts with hop resin, moves on to pine, ends with piney, grapefruit and orange. Has a sticky, resiny, piney, slightly caramel malty finish. Mouthfeel is just less than heavy with moderate carbonation, a little creamy/bready. I love this beer, the great hop flavors along with just the right (but very small) amount of malt. Also, some hops bombs have an oppressive aftertaste, this one does not at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 21:53:24 | More by JG-90

watsonmd

Georgia

4.69/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Very nice, extra hoppy, citrus overtones, coats the tongue, and lingers in the nose. Plenty of hops that cover the pine spectrum as well. Also a sweetness that lasts, with plenty of floral notes and a pleasant carbonation. One of the "happiest" beers I have ever had the pleasure of drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 04:37:56 | More by watsonmd

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

oberon

North Carolina

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Good to see a new Green Flash offering here in the Triad.Poured into a tulip glass nice deep burnt orange with a well defined sticky one finger white head that left multiple globs of lace as it settled slowly into a frothy mass.Sharp grapefruit hops at the onset as soon as I opened the bottle along with some booze but it's not overly sweet,just smells sticky and good.Raw hop goodness on the palate with sharp grapefruit rind and herbal notes,mild caramel sweetness underneath cant hold up to the sharp bitter hop onslaught,and amazingly the sweetness is held in check well.This is what a DIPA should be a hop explosian not a sugary sweet malt bomb,I loved it hence the perfect taste score.Best beer I have had in 2012.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 20:37:18 | More by oberon

noahfree

California

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$11.95 for a 4 pack. One of my favorites right now. Much like Stones Ruination but takes it to a whole different level. I've read it compares to Hopslam but haven't had the slam, so I can't compare the 2. If you enjoy anything with hops, procure this brew as soon as possible. Lives up to its name to, gotta love it...

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:55:22 | More by noahfree

shand

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an imperial pint!

Beware, fans of balance in your DIPAs. This is not the place for you. This is the beer for those of us who find the vast majority of DIPAs to be too malt-forward for us. I understand this isn't all of us, given that beers like Southern Tier Unearthly and Dogfish Head 90 Minute are higher rated than this. However, the hop junkie can find a lot to love here. It pours out a hazy orange color with a finger of head. The aroma is full of all sorts of hops. Citrus, tropical, piney, grapefruit, it's all here.

The taste is fantastic. It's just a huge punch of bitter hops. There's layers of complexity here for the hophead to peel back, just like in the nose. The mouthfeel is heavier but briskly carbonated, it leaves the mouth coated without feeling heavy. The drinkability is fantastic. Overall, this is a great double IPA for the unrepentant hophead. Don't look for full malt flavors here to balance this out.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 03:44:21 | More by shand

vfgccp

New York

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - White head with great retention and nice lace. Crystal clear, beautiful rich copper amber body.

S - Intense fresh west coast hop aroma; grapefruit, orange zest, and green plant stems.

T - The profile drips with a dense, thick, resiny bitterness. Pine sap, honey, and malt give away to an intense, lingering, grapefruit pith finish.

M - Medium/light body with a bitterness that thickens on your palate.

O - Outrageous. One of my favorite DIPAs on the market.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 14:29:22 | More by vfgccp

GoodBeerTire

Georgia

4.66/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As high as the IBU numbers that this IPA has, I expected this to truly wreck my palate, but instead it wasn't quite so harsh. The malt backbone of this beer was enough to counteract the massive amount of hoppiness (or should I say happiness) that this ale provides. I apologize for not using the Beer Advocate form of rating, and rather just ramble about my tasting, but it tasted damn good. Not for those who can't handle the hops,but it you are a hop-head, go for it. Very similar to Lagunitas Hop Stupid, but a little more refined, as the malt backbone is a little heavier.
Not a beer to session with, as it is pretty strong, and it will "wreck the palate".

Serving type: growler

04-08-2013 23:38:44 | More by GoodBeerTire

TeeJay

4.66/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Burnt orange light head with good lace on the glass

Nose: Bouquet of floral, citrus, wet hops,

Taste: Goes straight for the back of your palate with malty vanilla then moves to fruit and finishes bitter for a LONG time. Not to boozy for 9.5% ABV such a pleasant experience the way double ipa's should work

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 00:24:53 | More by TeeJay