Green Flash Saison Diego - Green Flash Brewing Co.

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +7.7%
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

wethorseblanket

California

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
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

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

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

pkalix

California

4.33/5  rDev +18.6%
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

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.98/5  rDev +9%
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 +9.6%
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

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

RaulMondesi

California

3.06/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

While chilling out over a vegan dog, Rauldky decided that a saison was in order to wash down his cruelty-free protein.

Now, it's not as if Raul had much of an expectation, but Raul has drank gutter water that had more flavor and mouthfeel than this Fresno rain water. Thin, flavorless and more boring than a Ann Hathaway nudie scene. Next!

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2013 02:04:49 | More by RaulMondesi

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
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

Vec2267

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
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

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.16/5  rDev +14%
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

bigflatsbeerman

New York

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
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

ShaunNewman

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
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

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

itlnstallion11

California

3.28/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

S- smells of Bavarian hops, citrus, lemon, orange and maybe some coriander

A- pours a hef colored unfiltered golden color. Super carbonated with a 2 finger foamy white head that disappears in minutes. It turns into a non-carbonated apple juice like drink in the matter of minutes/ pseudo cider if u will.

T- tastes reminiscent of a Bavarian hef with a light bodied finish. Orange is definitely there. Bavarian hops, some lime, ginger, with some mango notes.

O- I'm not the biggest fan of this beer. The carbonation and body is just not for me which I imagine is appropriate for the style. It reminds me a a mediocre hef, with good flavor but flat finish. A decent summer light beer for around the pool.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:26:38 | More by itlnstallion11

robby23

Iowa

3.46/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Overall I thought that this had great texture goes down really smooth. The one thing i didn't like was the smell. Even though i like stouts and a bit more hopper beers. It would be a great beer to relax to on a nice summer or spring night. For being a Farmhouse Ale i thought it was a bit on the weaker end of the scale.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:36:08 | More by robby23

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

HopToIt420

3.33/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Saison Diego was a solid beer. It has a slightly cloudy light amber look and the nose has some banana and lemon curd notes. The beer tastes very good just not your prototyical Green Flash. Starts slightly sweet and that continues through the finish and lacks a strong hoppy balance. Overall worth giving a shot. Just not my cup of Saison.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 14:30:53 | More by HopToIt420

LovesMustard

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +9.6%
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