Green Flash Saison Diego - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Florida9

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear, light golden yellow. Forms a moderate sized fluffy white head that reduces down to a thin surface coating. Some light lacing.

S: Light lemon scent with some coriander and a bit of spice. There is a slight funkiness.

T: Flavor is bright and slightly acidic with notes of green apple, ginger, and some light malts. A bit of spice and just a hint of mustiness. Finishes with more apple and some citrus peel. Unfortunately, there is also a light metallic twang on the finish as well.

M: Light bodied. Appropriate carbonation. Dry, crisp, and slighty tart.

O: A nice, light, easy drinking summer Saison.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 22:09:29 | More by Florida9

tdm168

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this bomber with me.

A - pours a bright yellow with a nice cap of white head that has good retention that fades to a thin lacing

S - white grapes, faint coriander, Belgian yeast

T - white grapes, apples, faint spice

M - crisp, medium bodied

This is a decent saison. It's very drinkable, but not impressively flavored. It was nice to try once, but I'll probably pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 15:10:29 | More by tdm168

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a medium straw to light golden yellow in color. The beer has a finger tall soft bright white head that reduces to a medium sized thick patch, a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: A pretty mild smell overall for this beer with light notes of lemon citrus, peppery spice, yeast, and just a hint of funkiness.

T: Light to moderate amounts of peppery spice, contributed from both the yeast and the ginger. Also there is light amount of citrus - lemon and orange - and hints of funkiness.

M: Light bodied with slightly more than moderate amounts of carbonation. Quite dry in the finish.

O: Easy to drink and enjoyable - I find the introduction of the ginger to be quite complementary to the flavor profile of this style. Not sure how strong this beer is but it certainly seems like it could be sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:54:35 | More by dbrauneis

pants678

California

3.66/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Body is yellow with a big Belgian head.

Hops and spices, fruity.

Lemon hits first and stays throughout. I'm not getting any soapiness, nor the orange that it's advertised for. A little peppery, ginger sticks out, or clove; I can't think of the difference right now. Delightfully complex, a definite for summer.

Not so bitter but plenty bright. Crisp. I like saisons that stain, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 04:02:10 | More by pants678

largadeer

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at GHS.

Pale straw yellow appearance with slight haze. The head is fluffy and lasting.

Initially smells strongly of sulfurous funk. That pushes to the background after a while and peppery phenols emerge. There's a touch of sweetness, a slight lactic note, a bit of clove, bread and fruit.

The palate is bready, lemony and slightly lactic initially, before the yeast takes over and spicy phenols emerge. Hops are present but subtle, lending mild leafy and herbal notes. A note of banana appears mid-palate along with a dash of clove. The body is light but doesn't feel thin until the finish, which is brief and a bit bland. This beer would benefit from a bit more bitterness and drier finish, but it's solid stuff overall.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2012 01:38:34 | More by largadeer

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours straw yellow with a touch of haze, clean bright white three finger head. Farmhouse yeast greets the nose accompanied by a bit of spice and citrus. Opens slightly fruity, added spice joins in with yeasty esters. Finishes on the drier side. Slick mouthfeel with a very faint touch of creaminess. An enjoyable brew and a solid saison.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 01:54:28 | More by chanokokoro

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very creamy take on a Saison, and definitely on the soft side. I'd prefer some more crispness here, and a bit deeper flavors. Pours a hazy golden with a small beaded pure white head. A bit sweet in the nose, and fairly spicy, with lots of clove, some white pepper, and a nice bit of citrus. The taste is where it falls apart a bit- too soft and muted with some light citrus and spice, mostly orange and lemon and some white pepper in the finish. Definitely no funk either. Just decent.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:58:20 | More by Georgiabeer

fostah

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint bottle into Sam Adams Perfect pint glass.

Light golden color, with large, rocky off-white head that sticks around for a bit. The head evaporates in big fluffy rings. BIG spice aroma here, some wet blanket/horse underneath at first, eventually overpowering the spice. Light flavor. Lower medium range in body, spicy hops first, followed by crisp maltiness. Finishes with the familiar yeast bite.

Overall a decent attempt, though light for the style, worth the calories.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 02:20:31 | More by fostah

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dry fruit, peppery spice, bubbly malt character all converge in Belgian-influenced Californian-brewed medley.

The beer pours with a semi-bright straw color and modest haze. Steady streams of carbonation march to the surface and provide the fuel for a creamy and fluffy head that wants to settle into a broken sheet. But a constant swirl of the glass won't let it. Instead, the head rebuilds as I watch its lace cling to the glass with broken rings. The second pour is much more haze and appears burnish gold as the yeast is roused.

Aromas of light fruit rise to the nose with apples, white grapes, pears, and mild lemon acidity. A musty malt scent of bread dough, grain, and dusty dried wood support the fruity scent and balances against the spicy notes of white pepper, orange peel, and clove.

Firm flavors of malt dictate the malty sweetness at first as the bready, doughy, and grainy-sweet taste seems lightly of confectioner's sugar. The fruity and spicy balance provides the zesty taste of lemons, grapes, oranges, and pears with spicy ginger, dried orange peel, paradise seed, clove, and white pepper. The mild earthiness of dust leaves me wanting more, as does the grassy bitterness of grass and high acidity.

Medium bodied because of the mild malt weight, creamy carbonation, and impressions of fruit. But the zestiness of acidity and high carbonation levels bring about a refreshing zip of sparkling white wines. Finishing with a dryish malt texture, alcohol warmth, and mild hop bitterness- again, the beer wants more dryness and hop bite.

As I settle into my last few drinks from the glass, the rather banal Belgiany character is caught between American-brewed Belgian-style golden ales, pale ales, tripels, and saisons. It's restrained Belgian character keeps a simpler palate that's safe but makes it nondescrip and polite in complexity. I'm looking for authenticity and aggression here.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 04:54:40 | More by BEERchitect

Immortale25

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a partially hazy dark gold color with a 3/4 inch off-white head that putters away pretty quickly to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and light surface foam. Average lacing.

S- Smells more like a witbier than a saison with more rich, full banana tones from the yeast. There's a trace of that sharp saison aroma on the back end but the bulk of the nose is spice-driven.

T- Same goes for the flavor. Fruity esters from the yeast, spice and wheat. With no ABV printed on the bottle and also none in the BA description, I'd guesstimate it's around 5% since there's barely any alcohol twang. Yep, tastes like your standard witbier.

M- Some prickle from the spice and a dryness from the yeast. Medium-low carbonation leaves a little to be desired especially since the body's on the lighter side.

O- Although very enjoyable, it's not a true Saison IMO. I'm missing a lot of the tang and funk I'm used to experiencing with the style. Would have given a higher score if it was more honest, style-wise. Pretty disappointing since Green Flash usually excels at Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:58:09 | More by Immortale25

oberon

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a large tulip glass a hazed lighter golden with a fluffy one and a half finger bone white head atop.alot of yeasty phenolic spice in the nose along with light funk,a light smattering of lemony citric hops as well.Quite dry one the palate with yeasty phenols and light bready malts being predominant,there is some leafy citric hop notes in a lingering finish but they don't play a huge role in the beer.Iam trying to get into farmhouse ales more but the Belgian yeast still doen not do it for me,this wasn't bad but not overly complex.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 18:24:42 | More by oberon

metter98

New York

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy dark pale yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger and a half high white head that died down but never completely faded away.
S: There are light aromas of yeast and spices in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of yeast along with notes of ginger and lemon citrus. There are peppery spices in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and rather dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and has some refreshing properties. The ginger makes this a little interesting compared to other saisons.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 02:04:09 | More by metter98

dgilks

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Clear straw colour. Small white head. Okay.

Light pilsner malt. Some tartness. Touches of coriander and lemon. Almost a little soapy. Very nice.

A lightly malt base that just supports the citrus and spice on the palate. This is so light that the yeast and spices are everything. Nice.

Light body with moderate carbonation. Crisp and lovely.

A refreshing beer. Crisp, tart, spicy and easy drinking. I like my Saisons a little stronger and intense but this isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:33:38 | More by dgilks

vfgccp

New York

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice, towering white head which is what I'm looking for from the style. Ok retention and lace. Hazy wheat colored body.

S - Sweat wheat, lemon pound cake, honey, ginger. Surprisingly wit like.

T - Orange, light tartness, wheat, honey, coriander. Again, more wit like than saison, but not bad.

M - Bright, medium-light frame. Nice carbonation.

O - On whole the beer isn't bad, but it's way too sweet and wheaty for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:06:51 | More by vfgccp

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.56/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a lightly hazed lemon yellow with two fingers of rocky white head. Some wet lacing left behind.

The aroma was lemon zest, light Belgian yeast, and sweet grainy notes.

The taste was more subtle than the aroma. A bit of green apple, light coriander and a touch of yeast were present. Flavor faded quickly.

Medium bodied and dry with a decent carbonation.

A decent Saison from Green Flash but nothing memorable this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 21:59:34 | More by Monkeyknife

flagmantho

Washington

3.56/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: yellow-golden hue with a bit of haze and a very light effervescence. Head is two fingers of frothy white foam. A decent-looking brew!

Smell: lightly sweet malt with a good funk. I can't really tell what the intended spicing is, but it's kind of materializing as the corn-pops character that you get in beers brewed with adjunct maize. It's a sense that doesn't really work.

Taste: a bit of sweetness, a light tartness, a hint of funk and bitterness -- and that little jolt of corn pops. I really can't figure out the spicing, but I doubt this beer has corn in the recipe. It's not bad, but it is a little bit messy and unfocused.

Mouthfeel: light body with a surprising carbonation, given its low level of apparent effervescence. There's actually a good creaminess here.

Overall: this beer is decent, but it just has a little something I don't quite like.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 02:07:02 | More by flagmantho

BoatsSinkBro

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber.
-A hazy pale amber.
-Not much in terms of head.
-Aroma has crisp citrus corners with a heavy funky barnyard yeast body that displays some hints of muted banana.
-Taste starts with a slight sour pucker, then the carbonation pretty much takes over with notes of spice hitting the tongue during. The finish is tinged with some bitterness with some tart and a dry finish. Aftertaste has some malt and a yeasty funk.
-Overall mouthfeel is crisp and on the lighter side. Kind of wished the carbonation was brought down a little bit.

Had a few saisons before (haven't reviewed them, yet), this one isn't exactly as funky as the others, but a good one to cut through some meals with.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:41:29 | More by BoatsSinkBro

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a very very light saison. it pours a washed out yellow color with a decent white head about an inch tall. its got an interesting nose, fruity like oranges and lemons, and also sort of smells like a sam adams summer ale, because of the grains of paradise. very similar. the yeast is more apparent in the flavor, which is quite delicate. there isnt much funk or wildness to this, but the fruit complexion makes it very drinkable. mouthfeel is nice i think, a real change of pace from some of the bigger saisons. this is super light in body, and brightly carbonated. a definite session beer. its also the first green flash beer ive had that isnt just a hop bomb wearing different clothes. i liked it for that reason as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 17:39:41 | More by StonedTrippin

alaimoa

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into belgian tulip. Pours with big white head and smells of sweet citrus fruit and peel. Tastes fairly thin and doesn't have much of a flavor profile. Even the citrus doesn't really show through. Kind of bummed with this one because I love the green flash barleywine. Might have to pick up another bottle and try it again

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 11:57:26 | More by alaimoa

prototypic

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Saison Diego pours a very light straw color. It’s nice and clear. Unusual for the style. Backlighting brightens it a little and gives it a little more of a gold look. It’s topped with a modest head. It’s white and stands about a finger in height. The bubbles are quite active though, and it holds firm there for quite a while. Lacing was rather thick and sticky. Looks good.

The nose is okay. It’s a little weak in the aromatics department. It does have a prominent earthy, grainy scent that resonates throughout. There are some light fruity notes. Smells like lemon and perhaps a little orange. It is a tad spicy smelling. Belgian yeast might be the contributor. Light clove and pepper are noted. I was expecting some hops, but I’m not getting much. Maybe some grassy variety. Alcohol is very light. Not getting much at all there. Smells alright.

The flavor is about on par with the nose. It’s very earthy and grainy initially and throughout. Belgian yeast does add a spicy note or two. Pepper and light clove mostly. It is a little fruity with a twist from grassy hops. Lemon and light orange fruit flavors are noted. Grassy hops are a nice addition. They’re light, but add a bit of a bitter bite. I honestly expected more in the hops department, but what’s here isn’t bad. Alcohol is buried. Finishes grainy, a little spicy, and grainy.

The body is definitely light. It’s not bad, but feels a bit too thin. Carbonation is active. It’s crisp and refreshing. Certainly easy drinking.

Saison Diego a little surprising. I expected a hopped-up Saison. It’s not that at all. It’s a light, mild mannered Saison that’s not bad. It’s nowhere near competing with the world’s best Saisons, but if you’re looking for a sessionable, pretty tasty Saison – this is a good option.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:49:51 | More by prototypic

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Green Flash Saison Diego

LOOK: Clear straw yellow, bone white crackling head, some lace.

SMELL: Aroma of horseblanket, white pepper, citrus hops, mild fruit notes.

TASTE: Bitter, with a light funk. Citrus hops, peppery Belgian yeast, did I say bitter? Small earthy dirty funk, pale malt backing, grapefruit rind. A light peppery spice can be attributed to the use of Grains of Paradise in the brewing process.

FEEL: Light to medium bodied, well carbonated. Semi dry with a hop bite.

OVERALL: A very nice earthy saison from Green Flash. I really like how the brewers are branching out into Belgian styles. A beer brewed with Brettynomces is in the lineup (Rayon Vert) and there is also a Belgian IPA Tripel (Le Freak).

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2012 16:46:19 | More by Stinkypuss

bigflatsbeerman

New York

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - This is what a Saison should look like, golden and unfiltered. Poured into my Duvel glass a four finger billowy head which quickly dissipated.
Smell - I get a soewhat sweet smell. I do not pick up a funky yeast smell typical with Saisons.

Taste - Not sassertive enough taste for me. The first Saison I ever tasted was Ommegang's Hennepin which for me is still the benchmark Saison.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium.
Overall - I can't recommed this one, I kept wishing for a more assertive taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:27:45 | More by bigflatsbeerman

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 22oz bottle.

Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow. There is a huge 2 inch head that forms that is pretty dense and has some bigger chunkier bubbles mixed in. There is some nice sticky lacing felt behind after the head slowly recedes.

Grainy notes start things off with some nice lemony zest and slight citrus fruit notes. Some spice and some clove notes are perceived as well. The aroma is fresh and slightly fruity with a bit of dry funk.

Taste starts off with same grain notes as the nose. Refreshing spice and lemony notes. Light and refreshing with some slight sweet fruit notes. A bit of pear juice and apple juice with some nice grain and slightly dry funk notes. Mouthfeel is crisp and light.

Ok saison. Light and refreshing with solid flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 17:50:21 | More by JoEBoBpr

jeffjeff1

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up at BevMo a while ago.

Appearance- pale yellow color, huge foamy head

Smell- bread, yeast, spices

Taste- lemon zest, spices, yeast, very refreshing

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- Pretty good, I would probably have it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 23:50:25 | More by jeffjeff1

Vec2267

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pale yellow, murky, big frothy head at pour, falls quickly and then disappears completely

S - lemon, ginger, fruity

T - tart, lemons, grapes, ginger, pepper - a nice mix of flavors, yeasty spice dominates

M - the tartness makes it refreshing

O - easy drinking nice beer but nothing special

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 22:13:30 | More by Vec2267