Green Flash Saison Diego - Green Flash Brewing Co.

fmccormi

New York

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
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

avalon07

South Carolina

3.79/5  rDev +3.8%
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

dbossman

Nebraska

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy and hazy with a lemon hue and a 1 inch head--surprisingly small for a saison--and great lacing

S: Quite grainy with subtle orange, banana, apple, ginger; this smells spicy and musty and slightly funky and grainy and great

T: Quite dry and not nearly as much musty fruity funk that I picked up in the aroma but still grainy and tasty

F: Creamy with a light but appropriate level of carbonation

O: This is a nice saison--not a crazy funky saison--but a good, dry, grainy, easy-drinking one

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:47:40 | More by dbossman

lovindahops

New York

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally this hit shelves in syracuse!

A- a hazy golden yellow body with white foam all over the edges of the glass.

S- big bready notes with slighty musty notes of barnyard funk that is always exhibited in the style. I definitely get the citrus and Ginger from the brew. Good scent profile that I would like to be amped up more

T- spicy and crisp with yeasty flavor. Not explosive, but crisp and very refreshing. Actually, saison Diego is very light and drinkable with these flavors

M- coating flavor on the brew that is very enticing

O- what a refreshing saison! The drinkability is out of this world with the crisp flavor. This will be a brew I always seek out for a warm weather day

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 23:58:15 | More by lovindahops

Reaper16

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

served on-tap at Local Option, Chicago IL, into a chalice

Pours a yellow color. It's very yellow. Like, skin-of-a-Simpsons-character yellow. 1.25 fingers of white head stick around to leave some nice arches of lacing. In a bar setting, with lots of bright neon around, this beer practically glows.

The aroma hits the notes that you'd expect from the name and brewer: a healthy dose of green, fruity hops underscoring a Farmhouse Ale base. This beer is floral like honeysuckle, with dry malt character and plenty of hops (for the style). The first sip yields a big surprise: this beer isn't as hoppy as the aroma (or name) would have you believe. I mean, it's still got plenty of hop flavor. But the slightly musty, plasticky Saison yeast asserts itself strongly.

The mouthfeel isn't as attenuated as it could be, but most American Saisons suffer from this flaw. It's fine. Overall, this reminds me of a more refined take on Green Flash's Rayon Vert. That beer has more Brettanomyces character, but also way more hops. The hop bill here is present but respectful, which allows the saison character to show. This is a nice beer (though it tries to do much the same work as Boulevard Tank 7 and doesn't at all measure up to that beer).

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 04:58:00 | More by Reaper16

litheum94

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle. No dates. Reviewed 7/6/12.

Hazed, golden-yellow body that shimmers in the light. Thick, rocky, bone white head. Settles to a compact covering.

Funky yeast, hay, pepper, lemon peel, ginger and some wheat aromas. very earthy smelling.

Dry flavors of hay and grass, with some citric tones. Earthy and musty, with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Moderate spicing, with flavors of ginger and white pepper (from the Grains of Paradise). Moderate carbonation. Fairly full bodied for the style.

Good flavors with some nice spicing. A pretty good saison that I'd definitely come back to.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 21:36:57 | More by litheum94

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy yellow color with a serious fluff of head and crags of lace and stagnant bubbles. 4.0

Light white pepper, lemon, whisps of Euro hops, and crackery malts. 3.5

Yeasty and tangy. Light lemony zing and a lot of dusty spices. Peppery and semi-dry with a polishing finish of alcohol. Actually ends very dry. Nice flavor. 4.0

Thinner body and even thinner carbonation. However, remarkably drinkable and refreshing. 3.5

Nice American craft saison. Would prefer this to others. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 01:16:31 | More by thecheapies

UCLABrewN84

California

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle pour at Green Flash Brewing Company in San Diego, CA.

Pours a hazy honey orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, and spices. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 19:25:44 | More by UCLABrewN84

nickfl

Florida

3.69/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with two fingers of white head on top of a clear, dark golden body. The head settles down fairly quickly and leaves decent lace on the glass.

S - Herbal hops, clove, and a touch of pear.

T - Sweet, thick malt up front with some clove and lemon notes. Spicy wheat notes in the middle and a finish of clove, pear, and lightly herbal hops.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Not bad, a bit too malty for my taste. The yeast character does little to lift the thick malt off the palate and only provides some generic notes of clove and pear. The aroma promises some hop character to balanced things out, but there is little actual hop character in the flavor profile. A decent, drinkable saison, but lacking compared to some of the better examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:59:53 | More by nickfl

Florida9

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
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 +0.8%
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 +0.8%
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

California

3.65/5  rDev 0%
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 -0.5%
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 -0.5%
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 -1.4%
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 -1.4%
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 -1.4%
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 -1.9%
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 -1.9%
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 -1.9%
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 -1.9%
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 -2.5%
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

BoatsSinkBro

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
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