Green Flash Palate Wrecker - Green Flash Brewing Co.

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a light to medium coppery amber, massive fine off-white head with good retention and tons of lacing. Color, head and active carbonation give a nice look to this IPA. Intense aroma of grapefruit, pine and herbal hops and sweet malt. Flavor follows, with intense piney hops, citrus balanced by sweet malt. A long, resinous bitter hop finish and aftertaste. The malt supports the hops assault well. Medium bodied with a hint of creaminess and nice mouth feel from the healthy carbonation. I opened this with a bit of trepidation because Green Flash ales are sometimes a bit astringently bitter for me and this was named to put fear into my heart. It is very hop forward, but the malt body supports it well and I enjoyed this very much. Nicely done, but you really have to like intense hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:35:26 | More by LiquidAmber

WesM63

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottled poured into a tulip

A: Pours a beautiful clear copper color with a 2finger off white head. Excellent lacing.

S: Citrus, hops and resin.

T: No doubt about it, hop forward. Hops, pine and a tiny bit of malt.

M: Medium body with decent amounts of carbonation.

O: This is an excellent DIPA. It can be a bit brutal up front, but still very drinkable and a great example.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 21:19:19 | More by WesM63

dafla67

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: orange/amber color; fluffy two-finger head.

S: orange peel; piney; lots of hops

T: strong hop flavor right away and throughout; very balanced with plenty of sweetness at end.

M: smooth; medium body

O: my personal Green Flash favorite. High ABV is disguised to allow one to endulge & enjoy multiple glasses.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 20:59:13 | More by dafla67

farrago

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Foams up over three fingers of off-white, delicate with a few deep dimples, retains well at about a finger, the lacing doesn’t stick as you think it might, you get a few, albeit thick, streaks here or there. Murky to opaque orange rust colored liquid, more red than yellow tint, very few visible bubbles. The nose is classic, lots of orange to grapefruit citrus, pine, honeyed bread, flowers, pepper and milk chocolate, fills out with resonant pineapple, peach, nectarine fruit scents, thick and syrupy nostril texture, too dense to really lift much. Full-bodied, the carbonation relatively light for the heaviness you get here too, glues itself to your mouth pores as well. Pine sap, cocoa, orange and both white and pink grapefruit pith, the bitterness creates the initial impression of dryness, however, it stays juicy through the flowers and pineapple, mango, nectarine, apricot fruit. The pepper and earth components extend the finish, lots of reverb, even more prickle than expected with the so-so carbonation. Isn’t breaking new flavor territory but amplifies everything while staying well balanced. That honey sneaks out onto stage through the finish, brings some caramel and molasses along. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 22:45:13 | More by farrago

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Clear amber, light copper with 2 fingers of off white head. A big streaks of lace are left behind.

S - Big resiny hops. Candied citrus alcohol. Peach, mango and pine with some light bready malt.

T - Big resiny piney hops followed but a touch of candied citrus. High in bitterness and hop flavor. Sweet caramel malt that blends with the candied citrus and a touch of alcohol. Slightly dank, grapefruit, peach and citrus piths.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation. Dry lingering finish feels like you could scrape the hops resins out of your mouth.

D - I think this beer is appropriately named. Glad I picked this up last time in Chicago.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:24:22 | More by brewcrew76

cocojoe

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Translucent copper amber color

S: Resinous, piney, floral. Sweet boozy malt comes through. smoothe.

T: Big body, caramel malt, bitter.

M: Big bitter body

O: REally lovely IIPA. Its what, I think, it should be. Copiously hopped, but a huge malt body that won't back down.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 02:55:04 | More by cocojoe

MCain04

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Palate Wrecker!! I'm bracing my taste buds. 7 weeks fresh, 12 oz bottle poured into a Hop Leaf tulip glass. $13/4-pack.

Appearance: Deep amber and clear. 3 fingers of off-white creamy head with moderate retention and nice lacing.

Smell: Not getting a ton on the nose here. Pine and floral, grassy notes. Some citrus, orange, lemon, and grapefruit. Nice, but subdued.

Taste: Wow. There's the hops. Biting grassy hoppy goodness up front, with a wallop of bittering hops. Even after one sip, my taste buds are in shock. I'm sure there's a lot of malt in this one given the high ABV, but there is no way you're tasting anything other than hops with this guy. At 150 IBUs (reportedly, and I believe it), this is not for the faint of heart.

Mouthfeel: Quite smooth. Moderate carbonation and good body. Not overly dry.

Overall: This was made to be intentionally unbalanced, but even still, it is smooth and full bodied, so as to lend to the best possible experience. A lot of people won't like this, and it is honestly not for everybody. But with a name like Palate Wrecker, you should know what you're getting into. Given what they were going for, Green Flash hits the nail on the head. Not one I'd drink more than one of in a sitting, and definitely saving it for the end of the night, but I'll enjoy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:12:50 | More by MCain04

Gmanofleisure

New York

4.36/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass at Pizza Plant in Buffalo, NY. Had the opportunity to compare to some other IPA's which I really like...surprisingly this was my favorite of the night.

Appearance: Amber color. Sufficient head.

Smell: GRAPEFRUIT. And yes, I meant to to leave caps lock on. Hoppy as well.

Taste: Hops. The name says it all. Citrus flavors, and a wicked bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation. Well balanced body.

Overall: Huge IPA. Put together nicely though. Other than the extreme hop taste, which I expected, everything balanced out. Need to find more in Buffalo!

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 03:28:20 | More by Gmanofleisure

mklinger

North Carolina

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

Looks: Quite a deep amber given that there are no crystal malts in here -- nothing but base malts. I guess this comes from the double mashing/double boiling and kettle caramelization. Very clear, low white head.

Aroma: Like sticking your nose in a bag of fresh hops -- dank, fruity, citrus, a bit green. Very fresh & appetizing.

Flavor: Wow, this is just way over-the-top in terms of hops. (I can still taste them the next morning.) It truly is a pale wrecker. Surprisingly drinkable & balanced for all these hops. While drinking it I didn't find it overwhelming at all, just afterwards was my mouth dry & puckered up from the hop exposure. Lots of bright fruit flavors -- peach & apricot as well as the usual grapefruit/citrus flavors. A very solid malt backbone but one that supports without drawing attention to itself. Great big, complex beer!

Mouthfeel was surprisingly light for such a big beer. Right where it should be for a IIPA.

A great beer for the right occassion -- not a beer I will always want, but one I'll definitely seek out for a special occassion and a great way to end the night.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 11:57:56 | More by mklinger

Giovacchini

California

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

A- copper with a thin white head.

S- mango, orange, grapefruit, floral hops, and some alcohol.

T- tropical fruits, grassiness, very little malt present, bitter hops, and alcohol.

M- nice carbonation and lingering bitterness.

O- I enjoyed this beer. I have drank so many DIPA's this year it's hard for me to find one that blows me away. This beer was good but not great and I'll take a Pliny over this any day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 04:24:39 | More by Giovacchini

JayQue

Virginia

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 00:17:57 | More by JayQue

merc7186

New York

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

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

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

S: Piney, Grainy, Mild Floral

T: Floral, Piney, Grainy

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

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

Serving type: on-tap

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

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a darker orange/amber color, very clear, with 1 finger puffy white head.

S - Full nose of grapefruit and piney hops. A bit of sweetness in the backbone of this, but just a great smelling, hoppy beer.

T - Man, that's some hops! The taste starts out very bitter before fading into a bit of fruity sweetness. Grapefruits and citrus. Finishes with another kick of resiny hop.

M - Quite dry, leaves the mouth a bit dry as well. But still rather smooth.

Overall - Delicious beer. For severe hop lovers for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 20:14:23 | More by BeerBuckeye

TheHopHeadGirl

District of Columbia

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

What a great imperial ipa! Great find! 9.9% etoh. Very hoppy! Def in my top 6 list of hoppy beers now. 149 IBUs! Wow! First time havig this beer was @ pizza paridisio! Only $6 a glass. What a steal! This beer is ranked 99 @ rate beer. Im surprised this is only a 92 here. Great beer!

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 19:34:40 | More by TheHopHeadGirl

MoistPope

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

First beer I've tried by Green Flash.

Nice dark amber color with a thick yellowish head. Not as much lacing as other but it's present.

Smells of citrus and pine all over it, possibly some passion fruit. Dank.

Hops, hops, and more hops. Very hoppy dipa. Tastes more of pine than citrus. Extremely bitter! Hopeheads wet dream.

Very dry with medium carbonation.

This is a Royal Rumbal of tastes. One sip and its piny, next sip it's froral. This beer keeps you one your toes. The alcohol is extremely well hidden. This is definitely a palate wrecker. I had with my dinner and didn't taste nothing but hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 01:54:39 | More by MoistPope

BogBoyJD

Ireland

4.39/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Saw this one and has to get it. Didn't t think I could get Green Flash in MD. Tried this one after a couple of hoppy

Pours a deep orange with a thick white head. Lacing last all the way down.

Smell is all hops. Grapefruit, pineapple, orange. In other words all citrus. Some pine, very fresh. Booze is hidden well

All hops here. Hops! Like orange rind and hops. Not much of the bready malt or caramel character of a strong IPA but plenty of hops! If u haven't noticed this beer is all about the HOPS! Very sweet, but it is hidden by the hops.

Very oily, but nice. Really does coat the mouth. Great feel!

Very happy with this one. A bit of malt would have been nice like Nugget Nectar, but then I suppose the hops wouldn't live up to the name. Truly does wreck the palate. Couldn't drink anything close to hoppy. Had a Bud Light the next day and it tasted pretty good. Just a warning. Would have this one again

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 20:33:52 | More by BogBoyJD

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

Greywulfken

New York

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

A: vigorous pour into Duvel Tulip yielded a half-glass head of tan foam over a dark orange beer

S: citrus, hop, and pine

T: grapefruit and lemony citrus notes, piney background with lots of hoppiness; sweeter pine taste as it warmed

M: crips, bright, fresh, not sharp, no bite - very refreshing - makes me think of lake fishing on a rowboat in the summer

O: another great imperial-style IPA, in the same line as Shipyard's XXXX, Burton Baton, and the 471 IPA - if you like woodsy, piney, citrusy strong abv IPAs, then this is right up your alley

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 18:37:25 | More by Greywulfken

Bobheed

Texas

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

A: Pours a dark amber color with a thick off-white head, about two fingers.

S: Hops. Smells like crazy, super astringent piney hops knocking me back. Actually almost smells like some dank weed

T: Somehow, even hoppier than the nose led me to believe. once you get past the overwhelming intensity of it, you really get lots of pine and cat piss.

M: Medium body and fairly high carbonation, but the alcohol and sheer amount of hops in this almost numbs your mouth. I quite like it

This is my first offering from Green Flash and I freakin love it. I know not all their beers will be like this, but it definitely makes me want more. Without a doubt, the most hop-intense beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 05:19:32 | More by Bobheed

SgunnarW

California

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

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip.

A: Pours a beautiful golden amber with a massive 3 finger off-white head that lingers. Nice carbonation and bubbles creeping up the side of the glass. Minimal lacing.

Sm: Initially very sweet with hints of caramel followed by some citrus. Grapefruit and apricot definitely dominate.

T: Holy hops! The hops don't come through in the nose like they do in the taste. A lingering sweetness up front is destroyed by massively amazing hop bitterness. Slightly tart in the middle, almost mouth-puckeringly so, which is where the grapefruit shines. The alcohol is very warming in the finish, and coupled with the hops, this beer is almost mouth numbing. Awesome.

Mf: Medium bodied with great carbonation. A bit astringent as well.

O: Yum. A definite hop-bomb for sure. I've been searching for this kind of bitterness in a DIPA for a while now!

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 00:17:12 | More by SgunnarW

arizcards

Arizona

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

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

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

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

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

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated.

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

Serving type: bottle

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

Amalak

New York

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

A. It has a beautifully thick, off-white foamy head. Streams of small bubbles running up the side. Good lacing. Copper color. Semi-opaque.

S. Has a weed-like scent to it.

T. Very, very intense bitter bite that almost has an electric shock effect. Quite unique. Has a rye-ish undertone. Someone said it has a pine-like hoppiness, and I would have to agree. A slight sweetness of caramel.

M. Very odd (but good) taste in back of the mouth. That's probably the pine. The aftertaste lingers for a while.

O. Very unique and interesting. The taste is vastly different from when it first hits the palate to the aftertaste that comes at the end. Complex.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 19:21:16 | More by Amalak

coldriver

Texas

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

12 oz bottle pours a deep amber with beautiful fluffy head and massive lacing. Citrus, piney, aroma hangs heavy in the air deep with resin. Wow, very bitter and oily, with typically fantastic Green Flash citrus resinous hop profile. Thick mouthfeel with palate wrecking dry finish that hangs on the taste buds. Great hop forward imperial IPA - Chuck Silva does it again!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 18:59:58 | More by coldriver

falloutsnow

Illinois

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

Bottle from Beertopia in Omaha, NE
No bottled on date
Poured into a tulip glass

Green Flash's Palate Wrecker lives up to its name, with a long-lingering aggressive bitterness that emphasizes just how many hops were used in the making of the beer. Despite the intense hoppiness, the recipe makes use of a few dashes of malt flavor, to add interest and a minor nod towards balance. Add that in to a carefully calculated mouthfeel to extend time the hops sit on your palate, and you have one of my favored DIPAs at the moment. It's a DIPA that truly shows the power of hops, generally eschews balance, and still have everything work out in the end.

Pours a 2.5cm, full head of fairly dense, small bubbles that gradually recedes to a thin cap atop the beer throughout the session. Leaves some modest lacing as it descends, good, but nothing amazing. Body is a golden orange color, with orange-yellow highlights becoming more prominent as beer is held to light. Carbonation streams are visible in this transparent (filtered) beer.

Aroma of slight malt sweetness dominated by heavy, fruity hops that are a bit grapefruit and mango-like. Not getting much in the way of pine resin scent, unlike others, apparently. Like most DIPAs, there is a faint iced-tea aroma for me.

Taste opens with malt sweetness and some bright fruit flavors, such as mango and peach. Bitterness and grapefruit flavor quickly creeps in afterwards, dominating the taste buds. Mild caramel-like malt flavors appear in the latter half of tasting the more this warms, with slight ethanol traces. The aftertaste is powerfully strong, the flavor like I had chewed on a grapefruit and its rind for a while.

Body is medium to medium-heavy, with moderate carbonation to accentuate the thickness and lengthen the full-on hop effect on the palate. Mouthfeel is generally smooth, with little foaming action or carbonation crispness. Finish is expectedly dry, from hops and sugars from the huge malt bill.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 03:52:15 | More by falloutsnow

Morningside

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2013 edition. Served in a Dogfish Head Tulip. Taken from notes on January 25th, 2013.

A- Gorgeous deep orange amber color, pristine clarity. Off-white foamy two finger resilient head, leaving somewhat spotty lacing behind.

S- Huge pine and grapefruit, overshadowing sweet bready malt. Underneath there's sweet tropical fruit and a hint of melon.

T- Sometimes a beer's name is misleading and I really feel cheated. This is not one of those times. Tremendous bitterness. Gigantic citrus flavor carried with resiny pine and barely balanced at all by sweet malts. This is a sipper, but I'm having no trouble getting this down at 9.5%. Hints of peppery spice as it warms, with an expectedly dry and bitter finish.

M- Slight carbonation, with mouth-coatingly dry, resiny notes.

O- You want hops? We've got 'em right here. This is a must-try for hop-heads, potential hop-heads, or anyone who has enjoyed a West Coast-style DIPA. If not, stay away, because you will run away crying. This has a beautiful balance of bitter and sweet that obviously leans heavily towards the former, but never feels one-dimensional or cartoonish.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:34:50 | More by Morningside