Green Flash Saison Diego - Green Flash Brewing Co.

avalon07

South Carolina

3.79/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was an inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A decent, if somewhat underplayed, aroma of citrus, spices, and malt.

T: Tasted of citrus (a bit of lemon), malt, some spices (coriander, for one), and a hint of the barnyard funk. Not quite what you would expect from a saison - it seems a little unfocused - but a decent enough flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a prickly, smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is one of those beers that's slightly unwieldy. Not bad, certainly not undrinkable, but not quite as good as other saisons.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 20:44:09 | More by avalon07

fmccormi

New York

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Straight pour from a 12oz bottle to an oversized wineglass (my nice Tired Hands stem); the bottle has a bottling date of March 4, 2013 printed in yellow ink near the base (“BOTTLED ON: 03/04/13”).

Appearance (3.75): Pours with three fingers of fluffy, cream-colored head that dies down at a relatively slow rate, showing good retention: a centimeter of nice foam still hangs around after a couple of minutes. But, not a lot of lacing—at first, anyway. The body is a hazy, perfectly cloudy (almost totally opaque), pale yellow-gold. As the beer recedes it leaves a few spots of suds here and there, no real lacing, per se, but some spotting.

Smell (3.75): Lots of classic saison notes here: dry straw, some toasty biscuit and pale grains, slightly floral, just a hint of pepper and clove . . . almost nothing particularly phenolic, just a very crisp, clean, classic saison with light esters.

Taste (3.75): The palate follows the nose in that it embodies a classic, clean, dry, pale saison: moderate, white-pepper spice, really crisp, lightly toasted biscuit character in the malt body, and finally a very crisp, floral crack of hop flavor with a moderate, slightly lemony bitterness. It finishes dry and crisp with a slightly peppery spice and a grassy finish, not quite bitter but just grassy. Good, just kind of straight-down-the-middle and classic. Not getting the kind of spicing I was expecting, but good nonetheless.

Mouthfeel (4.25): The mouthfeel is quite good: a solid tingle that expands easily before going down. The body is still relatively light though, going down easily and finishing with a dryness that matches the grassy, floral character on the palate.

Overall (3.75): Overall, this saison is above average, given its generally solid character that follows the style nicely but doesn’t deviate in any regard (not in my mind, anyway), not positively or negatively. It’s just straight-forward and solid, without any particularly standout moments. Nothing very estery, phenolic, spicy, fruity, or anything else. But, it’s still pretty good—just exceeding expectations in any way, and maybe it’s just me but I’m not getting any of the flavor or spicing predicted by the beer’s description.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 18:48:39 | More by fmccormi

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Competent saison, tasty, zesty orange, and good looking. Slightly spicy aroma, fresh rather than barnyard. Grains of paradise over the white pepper, saison yeast. Good drinkability, particularly in the summer. Average mouthfeel. Good amount of head on medium yellow.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 04:09:44 | More by northyorksammy

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Kentucky

Pours a bright gold with 2 fingers of ivory head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Phenols, colves & breadyness

T: Follows the nose, peppery with lemons up front. Grains of paradise, phenols & faint orange peels as this warms, plus a little bit of pineapple. Finishes with more grains of paradise, faint lemons, & white pepper

MF: Medium bodied, firm carobonation & good balance

Easy drinker, a nice saison, but nothing special

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 04:50:22 | More by russpowell

rangerred

Tennessee

3.86/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into a tulip.

Pours a clear straw yellow with a one finger fizzy white head. Decent head retention thanks to the plentiful carbonation but very little in the way of lacing.

Very bready aroma with orange, clove, and bubblegum. Quite zesty and very appropriate for the style although it does lean quite a bit towards the yeasty/bready side.

The flavor had lots of orange and tangerine up front with yeast and bread. Some lemon and spice in the background before it all fades to a moderate and very dry finish. Seltzer-like carbonation aids in the drying in the finish.

Overall, a decent saison although a bit on the pricey side and lacking the depth of some of the better known Belgian examples. Worth picking up on occasion but would not become a regular staple of mine largely due to the price.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 01:25:43 | More by rangerred

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a hazy straw yellow pour with an initial finger of head which quickly disappeared. smells of lemongrass, orange peel, coriander, celery, bready. spicy, bready bitter, citrus, zesty flavors all blend very nicely together for a traditional saison flavor. light body with lots of constant carbonation (almost seltzer like) - the citrus/spicy combination leaves a nice sensation on the cheeks. spicyness is more noticeable in the finish and lingers for a bit.

overall this is a very refreshing summer saison. i was actually expecting a little bit more after having green flash's le freak, but i appreciate the subtle mixture of smells and flavors in this fine blend of a light saison. i wish this was easy to acquire around here - but from the amount of reviews on here (14 total, counting mine), i won't hold my breath.

Serving type: growler

06-17-2012 05:24:37 | More by facundoCNB

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a light gold color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wheat, spices, light caramelized malts, Belgian yeast, bananas, citrus and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with flavors of wheat, Belgian yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. Then some sweetness comes in from flavors of bananas, citrus and a complex but not over-powering spice combination. The hops presence is mild but creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 02:18:36 | More by TheManiacalOne

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from BrewDog Edinburgh. Pours a light hazy gold colour, unfiltered with suspended particulate, with light whispy film and lacing.

Smell is full of apple and yeasty lemon, some of the ginger definitely comes through. Quite a fresh grassy floral nature to it, with a slight spice prickle.

Taste is full of lemon, hay, barnyard yeast, slightly funky apple pear fruits with some good yeasty earthy bite to it. Very nicely balanced and tasty.

Mouthfeel is light, easily drinkable with a good firm yeastiness to it and citrus character.

A very nice light saison, lot of citrus fruit character with the american hops, and the spices mostly work and dont throw it off kilter. Some earthy and yeasty character comes through, nicely balanced and drinks quite well though it doesn't have the same depth of complexity one would expect from a top class beer of this style. More about refreshment and that is what it provides rather well.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 09:12:57 | More by mick303

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Very pale, yellowish-orange with another monster, foamy head from Green Flash. The beer below is very lively looking and a bit hazy. The head retention is almost too strong given that it is so big. Five minutes after the pour I am still waiting for it to drop a bit before I taste it. The lacing, however, is exceptional.

SMELL: The smell is not as strong as some other Green Flash beers are, but it is very nice. The nose is fairly typical of a saison with lemony citrus and a little funk. It adds a twist, however, with a peppery, ginger aroma as well.

TASTE: Peppery spice with plenty of lemon and orange get this thing started. In the middle the ginger from the nose makes a brief appearance, along with a hint of banana and clove, while the beer dries out as it reaches the finish. That finish also comes along with a slight funk. Actually the mild funk seems to be more a part of the aftertaste. I also think there may be some candi sugar in here, which makes me wonder just what the ABV is. It could be a lot higher than some have guessed.

MOUTHFEEL: Very light bodied and playful. The carbonation provides more of a tickling tease than it does a genuine sparkle. Slightly sweet up front, the finish is very dry.

OVERALL: The Saison Diego is a solid example of the style. Unlike many of Green Flash’s other brews, this one is not pushing the envelope in terms of the definition of the style. It is quite tasty and I will reach for this one again when I’m in the mood for a Saison.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 09:19:50 | More by StoneTSR

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden yellow. A simple head sits on top, off white and lingers for a bit for good rentention though not much lacing.
The aroma is lighter in this saison. It has a pale malt smell with hints of yeast, cloves and spices, all of which are lean and sutle.
In the taste I get some biscuit maltiness, tart lemon juice, pepper, yeast and spices.
It drinks clean dry and crisp on the palate.
A good saison. It's light and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 10:45:46 | More by micromaniac129

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 22oz bomber picked up at Green's on Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA

A - A bright yellow, straw color. 2 fingers of head, and nice creamy head left on top of the beer. Lots of bubbles rising to the top

S - Musty funky yeast strain is up front and prevalent. Definitely a farmhouse ale. Spices, lemon, orange.

T - Earthy flavors, belgian saison yeast. Light fruits, orange. Spices. Alochol is light. It does not have an ABV on the bottle, but I am guessing it is under 6%

M - Medium bodied, huge carbonation. Crisp

O - A very good rendention of the style. Its good, but not great. I would definitely buy a 4 or 6 pack of it again, but probably overpriced for a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 00:39:17 | More by BeerDawgs

JayQue

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very solid Saison!!!! I was expecting a light,lemon zest heavy, simple beer....maybe with hops because if its West Coast roots. This is a real Saison, maybe not the worlds best, but having all the elements of a good Saison.

Pours a straw gold color with a good sized delicate white head. Head retention is a bit weak and there is minimum lacing. Aroma is good, some lemon zest and a good funky/yeasty presence.

Good solid Saison taste. Spices, musty yeast/funk and lemon zest. Very nicely done!!!

Mouthfeel is rich, spicing and funk are just right.

If I am in the mood for a Saison, this one will do nicely.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 23:36:01 | More by JayQue

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours golden color with white head in TEKU glass.

Smell is belgian yeast, funk, lemon, coriander.

Taste follows smell. Lemon, spice with a light bitter finish.

Feel is light and refreshing. Nice effervecent carbonation.

Overall this is a nice saison. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:00:40 | More by TrappistJohnMD

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an Orval chalice.

A: Poured a beautiful clear golden color. White head has good retention.

S: Belgian yeast aromas

T: Wonderful breadyness to the flavor along with belgian yeast flavors. Easy drinking.

M: Good carbonation, fits the style.

D: Overall, solid beer, I don't taste the spices (but this is probaly a good thing)

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 02:49:57 | More by 51mmz0rz

lordofthewiens

Maine

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a pint glass the beer was a pale gold color. The white head retained well and left a good deal of lace.

Funky, yeasty aroma. A little spice, a little citrus.

First sip, some lemon and tartness. Then a little bit of spice. Later, the funky yeast taste took over.

A crisp, refreshing beer.

Very nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 20:14:09 | More by lordofthewiens

LovesMustard

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazy, pale orange colour. Light but reasonably long lasting head leaving some lace as it dissipates.

S - Light, peppery phenols. Some light sour orange, lemon. Very pleasant, but light, sourness .

T - Understated for a Saison but very nice. Moderate lemon and ginger flavours but not trying to prove anything. Not a ton of malt. Any spice from the yeast or other ingredients is well balanced with the malts. Hop profile seems balanced with the flavours from the yeast - I can't tell if the light spicyness is purely from the yeast or in influenced by the hops.

M - Crisp, well carbonated. Nice dry finish that suits this light Saison very well. Pleasant tartness.

O - Very approachable, drinkable summer Saison. Perhaps an excellent introduction for someone who hasn't tried this style (or doesn't normally like it). Lots of subtleties to explore with this excellent, well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:22:59 | More by LovesMustard

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into 2 pint glasses. Split while eating some homemade black bean chili.

A: 2.5 finger hear, crystal clear with tons of activity and carbonation.

S: Citrus with a bunch of funk. One of the best smelling Saison's to date. The orange peel comes in first with the funky barnyard second.

T: Clean, crisp and refreshing. Really light with some yeast and ginger flavor. Great pairing for black bean chili IMO.

M: Light with some carbonation activity. Not as dry of a finish of most saison's I've had recently.

O: Like everything Green Flash does, was excellent. I used to be a big fan of Saison's but lately its been fading. This reminded me of everything I used to enjoy about a saison. Light, refreshing with a great crisp taste. Perfect with a hearty meal to wind down the day.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 04:27:40 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Zorro

California

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the Green Flash website:

"Saison Diego™
Ale Brewed with Spices

Unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, brewed with Seville orange peels, Chinese ginger and grains of paradise. Light, bright, spicy aromas, lively carbonation and earthy flavors co-mingle with musty notes that add funky complexity."

No ABV on bottle or website IBUs 20.

Very slightly chill haze in a clear golden beer with a tall fluffy white head. The Brewer did nail the looks.

Smell is slight honeysuckle malt and wild flowers on hay with a slight coriander scent. Pretty much a Hennepin clone.

Starts out dry with the taste of hay and a little bee pollen with a coriander aftertaste. Gets a little sweeter as you drink it. Mild flavor with a very mild noble hop taste at the end. Very clean taste with a slight wheat malt flavor at the end. Didn't detect the ginger, I'm slightly allergic to it and this didn't make my nose itch either. Grains of Paradise, never tasted one so I have no idea if it made a difference in the taste.

Mouthfeel is light.

Overall this is a good beer. Something of a Hennepin clone.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 00:25:33 | More by Zorro

wethorseblanket

California

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clearish golden yellow with a massive 2" white rocky head which fades to a cap and rim leaving puzzle lace.

N: Big funk blast up front, followed by mellow lemon citrus zest and hay/grass from the barnyard. Peppery spice with biscuit yeast. Cloves, and faint banana. Beautiful springtime floral notes.

T: Yeasty, spicy, orange/lemon/citrus combine well with earthy and floral elements. Faint ginger spice is present, but most contribution from the grains of paradise.

M: Solid carbonation, light body. Very bright throughout and somewhat dry on the lingering finish.

O: Nice and refreshing. Well done Chuck.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 05:11:36 | More by wethorseblanket

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA.

Pours a really light yellow colour, with a very faint haze to it and really light weight. Head is an enormous frothy mound of pure white. It certainly looks lively and vibrant.

Nose is round, slightly funky and slightly sweet, with some plasticky notes, a hint of appleskin and a rubbed sweet citrus tone. It has some fragrant sweet herbs like asian mint or Thai basil as well. It's pretty fresh, lively and pleasant.

Taste is similarly light and pleasant, with a really pleasant cleanness, no phenolics and no excess of yeast on the back. Hints of funk, minimal acidity, but a pleasant roundness and more of that fragrant herbal crispness. Really, it's quite tasty, and stylistically pretty good.

Very drinkable, and almost excruciatingly refreshing. Really, you just want to drink this down. Moreover, it's a pretty well-made Saison—a style that I feel is rarely done well outside Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:48:55 | More by lacqueredmouse

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.16/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 22 oz bomber and didn't happen to notice if it had a best by date. Poured into Belgian-style tulip glass.

Appearance - Bright golden, sunny afternoon yellow with thick bushy head that slowly dissipates down to a cm line of head that lingers through the rest of the beer. Lacing is faint.

Aroma - Wow. It smells sweet, almost like fresh-baked glazed donuts--but it's a good thing. It's wonderful, not overpowering or cloying. Hints of vanilla waft through and some oakiness as well. One of the more distinct and pleasant-smelling beers I've had in a bit. Let's hope the flavor delivers.

Taste - Thought not quite as enchanting as the aroma, the taste is quite good. Orange, lemon, and fresh nectar dance through up front and ride on a foundation of mild barnyard funk and brettanomyces. I detect some notes of grapefruit along with the play of yeast and a faint suggestion of hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Quite pleasant, with a blend of active but not overly-intense carbonation, and a smooth, but richly complex finish.

Overall - A beer I will definitely be picking up again due to it's aroma, taste, and drinkability. I tend to like beers with a little higher ABV, but this one is a nice sub-5% beer for casual drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 07:28:38 | More by LambicPentameter

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy, golden-yellow with a fluffy, white head. No lace or retention.

S: One of the better smelling Saisons I've experienced from an American brewer. Very tart and bit barny and earthy.

T: Great Belgian yeast character. Barny. Grassy. Slightly fruity. Delicious!

M: Crisp and clean. Great flavor. Seriously way too easy to drink.

O: One of the best American versions of the style that I've had to date. Would love to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:59:01 | More by Gatch

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.24/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanx Aaron.

In a chalice and a pint glass:

A: hazy golden yellow colored body, lacing slides in the chalice but clings in the pint glass

S: orange peel up front combined with coriander, ginger and hops, some lemon comes out more so as it warms

T: mainly citrus, yet spicy and somewhat refreshingly sweet

M: light to medium, sessionable, appropriately carbonated and for my liking

O: starting to really warm up to this style, As this was very well done for the style and for me

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 14:54:07 | More by kangarooAdam59

ShaunNewman

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a 24 oz bulge glass

A- light straw with white head and low retention. No lacing.

S- light tartness followed with orchard fruits. Light graininess in the background.

T- nearly identical as the smell

M- medium high carbonation. Light body. Very refreshing.

O- a very good sessionable saison.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 21:41:59 | More by ShaunNewman

pkalix

California

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

my apologies to the brewery for the beer-induced email last weekend.... it really is a very nice tasting brew.
poured a clear straw (corona-colored) with a nice head on top. 2nd pour with sediment (was i supposed to release the sediment?) was, of course, hazy.
smells a little heartland-grassy with some spice, but refreshing.
taste was very nice and pleasant. not sure what to expect with ginger, but it's a very nice taste. 2nd pour with the sediment produced a bitter taste, but that is all to be expected. i dont remember the other saisons i've tried having sediment.
mouthfeel was light adn pleasant.
overall, this was a really nice brew. i do have an issue with the bottle not exhibiting the abv; i mean, that DOES factor in to the entire tasting/reviewing experience, does it not? but it was explained to me that under 5.6% (?) does not need to denote the abv. i didnt know that. i believe this was my first green flash experience, and it was a very good one. again, my apologies for the rudeness in the email i sent, but there was an issue which i believe was a fair one. i will try more of these from this brewery. but i'm still not sure if i'm supposed to pour the sediment?

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:57:58 | More by pkalix