Linchpin White IPA - Green Flash Brewing Co.

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: A massive cap of foam leaves a curtain of lace; the hazy amber liquid lingers below

Smell: Balanced between the floral citrus (grapefruit and pineapple), wheat bread and coriander elements

Taste: Floral and citrusy, up front, with grapefruit and pineapple forward; the wheat bread emerges and is joined by the coriander at mid-palate; bitter and herbal flavors dominate the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: A nice rendition of this relatively new style; I know some don't care for White IPAs but I like them

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 21:51:19 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours slightly murky honey orange with a 2 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a craggy cap on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, yeast, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a more herbal and medicinal bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer for what it is but it doesn't seem too cohesive in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 04:53:08 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a large tulip glass a honey tinged medium golden with a very large blooming sticky white head.Sharp citric hops and light yeasty spiced phenols in the nose.Flavors of the sharp citric hops dominate with more assertive yeasty spice in the finish.I like it but the flavors are maybe just to straight forward and brutish,and I gotta say this is much more of a Belgian IPA than an American one,the Belgian yeast flavors are a huge component of the beer.It's a good beer but not great...in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 20:05:47 | More by oberon

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to jjfoley for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is full of wheat and lemons, with a ton of hop notes coming through. The flavor is similar, with a lot of orange and lemon notes from the hops, as well as some wheat and a medium amount of bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 05:31:05 | More by Mora2000

Halcyondays

California

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a medium burnt orange, hazy with a full white head, leaving nice lace.

S: Very meadowy, grass springtime. With fresh coriander and citrus peels.

T: Nice hybrid flavours, coriander and orange with a lot of grass, some pine, melon rind. Quite tasty.

M: Crisp, medium-bodied, soft carbonation overall, dry hoppy aftertaste.

O: This is Founders and Green Flash here; I knew it was going to be good. Wasn't great, but it's well worth a pickup. I'd certainly like to see more of this style.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 04:06:12 | More by Halcyondays

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a tulip glass at Valhalla in Midtown West. I'd say this leans more toward Belgian IPA (a Belgian strain is used) with the fruity esters mixing with an extra spicy finish. The body wasn't heavy, but the flavor was rich enough that this made a fine sipping beer on a rainy day. The malts are largely hidden under the array of dry, biting citrus hops. It's a fruity beer, but not at all juicy, and a great example of how both wheat and Belgian yeast can be used in an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 01:00:34 | More by tempest

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle w/o freshness info.

Pour fully hazed, light tangarine amber, under a loose and light near white head, that stays and leaves high fine irregular tongues of sheeting, and bits of lace.

The nose is yeasty and infused with lime and light pepper.

Tasty brew more lime and Belgian yeast character shining through. Enjoyable and went well with some fish tacos, but I found it lacked the depth of flavors of the heavy hitters of the style. Worth a try, but nothing to go too crazy about.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 23:30:54 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thought this would be an interesting collab, Founders and Green Flash, both make awesome beers.

Pours a pasty white 1.5 finger creamy head that fades semi slowly with decent lacing, over semi hazy golden orange honey colored beer, with lots of bubbles floating up from the bottom.

Nose has some interesting hops, light resinous musty fresh hop with some light grapefruit, hint of citrus and tangerine, and just a bit of a sweet malty base.

Taste starts fairly bitter, with a nice big hop bite. Starts with some musty resinous hops, slight hop oils with that, and it even gets slightly astringent as it goes along. There are some light grapefruit and citrus hop additions, with hint of tangerine and orange zest bitterness. A light sweet malty base under that tries to prop it up but doesn't go far. The finish brings a slight booze warmth, semi dry, and a long lingering hop bitterness that gets a bit astringent, with light musty resinous hops, and light orange citrus flavor.

Mouth is med to slightly heavier bodied, good carb, light warming booze.

Overall not bad, bit too bitter and astringent, decent resinous hop flavors and some decent citrus and grapefruit, with a light malty base that tries to help but is too little too late and it gets a bit too overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:29:11 | More by jlindros

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Came out mostly yellow, a bit cloudy, nothing excessive, great head retention though, about 1" when it poured. Aroma, really didn't allow the hops or wheat to come across. Neutral. No off aromas.

Taste, mildly hoppy, the belgian yeast is the primary flavor delivery vessel here. Big phenolic mouthfeel easily outshines any wheat or hop character. There is a twangy bitterness seemingly delved from the yeast and hops equally. Really this tastes more like a belgian ipa than it does a white ipa. Mild citrus flavor to it. Alcohol minorly stinging.

Just another in the line of this year's trend of beers. Still not impressed. Not a mess, but the beer doesn't seem to have much of an agenda or place that it is taking you.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2012 23:39:48 | More by Beerandraiderfan

HopHead84

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

5/20/2012

On tap at Urge.

A: Yellow gold with an inch of white froth.

S: Perfumy floral notes with coriander, pepper, and orange zest. Peach and tangerine with lesser notes of grapefruit. Heavy on the phenols

T: Peppery up front with orange zest and grapefruit. There's a little coriander in there with orange flesh and band aid. I get some apple as well. Phenolic, astringent, bitter finish.

M: Upper light body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: Hops battling with phenols makes it difficult for a beer to rise above a certain level. There are pleasant aspects, but the combination is nothing to write home about. If there's one style that didn't need to happen it's the White IPA. That being said, this is a well executed White IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2012 05:10:14 | More by HopHead84

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A great beer- I really like the combination of the delicate wheat malt, which really drys the beer out, and the explosive, but balanced hops. The body is fairly light, so the hops they've chosen to use are big and bitter, but not sticky or piney, and the very clean and bitter hop profile works very well with the clean, light, dry malt. There is a nice citrus finish, without the sweeter malt you usually find in combination with the hops, and the results is more pure hop flavor. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 00:12:27 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.15/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hoppy beer with the unusual dry wheat base. A little grainy, but different from the rye flavors of that style. Plenty of bitterness with barely a touch of sweetness. Some biscuit taste but overwhelmed by the bitter hops. After some sipping the grapefruit takes over. In the end, it's another deeply bitter beer with a hint of resiny aroma.

Quite a lovely beer poured in the Ommegang chalice, just to be different. Nice foam and long lasting suds give the mouthfeel a near creaminess. Light golden amber in color. A pleasant gulp, but the increasingly harsh flavors stay around much too long.

I suppose this is the beach head for a new invasion of aggressive wheat beers. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Litickers in Ocean Beach ($7.99).

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 05:13:48 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is hoppy and yeasty with a sweet citrus hint, not strong but still appealing. Pours a slightly hazy bright yellow with a thick, fluffy, white head. Flavor has a hoppy and rather bitter core, with woody, yeasty and orange tones. Bitterness plus a little citrus sourness equals the drinker making faces! Firm, smooth texture has a decent amount of fizz, leaving a hoppy, yeasty, bitter finish. A bold and distinctive IPA for the strong of heart - and taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:12:15 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Linchpin White IPA
Green Flash Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 7.00 %

Pours a cloudy white/gold color with some sediment. Active carbonation on what appears to be a witbier. Smells of lemons, lemon grass, oranges and floral notes. In the taste, wheat malt with a lemony twang, Belgian yeast, and a nice amount of citrusy hop flavor and a sizable bitterness. Definitely herbal and hoppy but also alot of good wheat flavor. Medium bodied feel with a good level of carbonation. Overall, a pretty nice brew, very wit like, with hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 14:52:37 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellow color and a cloudy consistency. There was an inch of creamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A lot of hops in the aroma, along with a good shot of citrus as well.

T: Tasted of hops (a fairly large amount), citrus (orange, tangerine), a little malt, and some yeast. An interesting flavor that's almost an IPA, but also almost a Belgian beer.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a bitter, somewhat slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a slightly oddball beer, but worth a shot. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 13:14:21 | More by avalon07

FosterJM

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1282nd Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
22oz

Purchased at El Cerrito Liquor.

App- Really cant call this a white IPA. The color is still mostly of the base yellow for a AAL but has a lot of bubble activity and a 2 finger white head that lasted for a long time. Scarce amount of cling.

Smell- As it warms it was a bit better but it was just okay. Slight hops come wofting up and a small citrus note with a small wheat. A weaker version of Collab #2 from Deschutes/Blvd.

Taste- A bit malty with a stronger hop tinge. As it warmed a bit more of the caramel flavors came into play. Really like a strong wit with more hops to it. Semi-balanced with a bit of a peppery/buttery flavor.

Mouth- A soft medium body with a full medium carbonation. A witbier flavor remains. A bit of malty finish.

Drink- I really wanted to like this more but it was just okay. Still a nice beer for the style, but other IPA options exist.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 22:52:41 | More by FosterJM

tdm168

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - hazy, bright yellow with a huge, soft, dense, white head that has great retention

S - peppery, yeasty, fruity, clove

T - citrusy hops, mild bitterness, peppery, faint yeast and spice

M - light to medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a pretty decent beer. It has a nice Witbier presentation with a balanced, forward hop presence. I t has a refreshing drinkability as well. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 14:43:08 | More by tdm168

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of lemon and citrus hops with coriander, pepper, and other Belgian yeast smells, wheat, and some floral and pine hops.

T - Starts off with a mix of Belgian yeast flavors with some coriander, pepper, and other spices with some fruity esters, lemon peel and citrus hops. Through the middle, some floral and hops hops come through with some bitterness and some wheat. The finish is a mix of Belgian yeast, spices, wheat, lemon zest, floral hops and some mild bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate-plus carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, spicy, and bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice combination of hops and Belgian yeast flavors. Really nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 06:12:03 | More by ngeunit1

billab914

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my Mad Fox glass. It poured golden in color with a foamy, sticky white head to it. Great retention and lacing as I drank it.

The aroma mixes a citrusy, juicy, American hop profile with the earthy, Belgian yeast spice. I get some nice notes of orange zest, grapefruit and citrus rind to the hops. Pretty nice aroma to it overall.

The taste shows more of the bitter grapefruit and citrus rind flavors coming out of the hoppiness. The Belgian yeast spice seems to add an earthy, herbal bitterness of it's own as well as some coriander and orange peel flavors. It's a little juicier and peppery up front, but turns very dry and bitter in the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being a little higher than average. Overall, it was a pretty good beer with some nice flavors to it. It wasn't amazing for the style, but I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 20:27:02 | More by billab914

ehammond1

California

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, Josh!

Cloudy and hazy dark yellow with a moderately sized off-white head, eventually leaving irregular lines and thin webs of lacing down the glass. Very pretty Belgian/white IPA.

Aroma of mild citrus hops (some lemon notes), some undefined herb component (perhaps a coriander?), and wheat combine nice enough. I do believe this has improved since the time I tried it incredibly fresh in May. I remember a distinct soap-like aroma that is all but gone now. While pleasant enough, there's nothing particularly exciting, innovative, or wonderful with this beer's aroma.

The flavor is a nice integration of wheat, mild citrus, herb, and just a bit of grass. Moderate bitterness. A successful white IPA.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Good, but this one has never struck me as overtly special or exciting.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 19:58:26 | More by ehammond1

prototypic

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Linchpin pours a lighter gold color. It looks rather hazy. A little light brightens its appearance a bit. Carbonation looks extremely active, yielding a head that stands about two fingers tall. The cap popped with some force, too. Retention was very good. It stuck around for quite a while. Lacing was definitely on the thick, sticky side of the fence. Good lookin’ stuff.

The nose is alright. It’s an interesting collision of spicy yeast and hops for the most part. Spicy yeast is definitely noted up front. Smells like pepper and perhaps light clove. The yeast definitely smells Belgian in character. It’s not bad. Hops smell relatively strong, as well. Citrus grapefruit and orange are noted. There might be some light pine and grass that follows. There are some light, sweet malty notes lingering in the background. Alcohol is light.

The flavor is just about on par with the nose. It’s interesting, but not great. The malt base is a little sweet, but isn’t very prominent. Spicy yeast is definitely the focal point. Pepper, coriander, and orange peel are all noted. There might even be a touch of clove, as well. The spicy yeast works alright with the citrus and piney hop flavors, but I wouldn’t say they really work together. Grapefruit and orange are the most notable hop flavors. It’s definitely a little bitter and dry. Alcohol is blended well. It’s a tad noticeable, but doesn’t come through all that strong. Finishes spicy, bitter, and dry.

Linchpin has a medium body. Carbonation is definitely active, but it still feels soft and smooth. It goes down alright. If the flavor were a tad better, this would be super drinkable.

I suspected this collaboration between Green Flash and Founders wouldn’t quite live up to expectations. It was a tough task. Linchpin IPA is definitely an interesting beer nevertheless. It’s pretty good stuff. The only thing really holding it back is its strong spicy yeast flavor. It’d be interesting to see how it is if that’s toned down a tad. Definitely worth checking out in any event.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:27:36 | More by prototypic

argock

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $7.99.

A: Hazy golden with thick, 3-finger of foamy white head with good retention and a lot of wisps of chunky lace all around the glass.

S: Pithy grapefruit, musk, and light lemongrass aromas meet the tangy wheat and light maltiness.

T: The flavor is very tangy like a very hoppy saison but with a lot of pithy grapefruit flavor. The maltiness is very nondescript and stays out of the hops' way. The hops' one-dimensional nature is a bit disappointing. The yeast component is not very prominent other than lending some extra tartness.

M: It is a very dry, almost puckering beer due to the pithy nature of the hoppiness. The body is really nice though with a firm medium body that drinks much lighter. Carbonation is fine and provides some crispness.

O: I think this is a good beer for people who really like the grapefruit pith hops flavor. If they are trying to measure up to Little Sumpin Sumpin, they fell short. They would need a more lush, less astringent mouthfeel and an increase in both malt and hops complexity to get in the ballpark. Not a bad beer though and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:48:41 | More by argock

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Andrew for sharing this bottle.

A - Medium yellow. Cloudy. Half a finger of white head.

S - Belgian yeast and some citrus. Not overly complex or interesting.

T - Dry throughout. Belgian yeast, cloves and light banana flavours accompany a decent bitterness and some sweet bready/grainy malt flavours.

M - Light to medium body. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:08:37 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Served in a DFH oversized snifter.

A: Lots of suds on that bad boy... about 2-3 fingers, at least. Color of that dense head was cloud white and the liquid below it was uniformly murky and with a bright orange-apricot disposition.

S: I didn't totally get the West Coast influence right off the bat, but after sniffing for a bit, I started to get a bit of that signature pine cone scent. I would say overall, this smelled like a cross between a Belgian IPA and a Farmhouse Saison: The grassiness of the Belgian was there, along with the citrus of the IPA, and the funk of the farmhouse.

T: After the first few sips, the bitterness left really started to heat up, but not in a negative way... more in a "where is this one going; I want to explore more" one. I got the fresh filtered water aftertaste, along with a bit of lawn clipping, melon rhine, orange, farmhouse funk, and really only a hint of grapefruit.

M: Creamy and delectable, with a very over-the-top carbonation bill that worked in this setting. This was highly drinkable, but I wouldn't exactly call it a West Coast hop bomb.... quite the contrary. I got a bit of booze warming in the beginning, but then it subsided after subsequent tastes.

O: I've read some other reviews stating that they paid upwards of $10 for a bomber. However, I paid around $7 for one and I would gladly pay that again for this fine brew!

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 23:38:51 | More by Chaney

merc7186

New York

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Id like to thank THEPORTERSORTER for sharing this great beer.

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a pint glass.

A: Hazy Golde Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, Thick White Head, Some Lacing

S: Lemons, Citrus Rind

T: Lemony, Yeasty, Citrus, Sage, Orange Zest

M: Great Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter, Zesty

Overall, other than a nose that seemed to lack, this turned out to be one of the best white IPAs Ive ever had.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 19:54:55 | More by merc7186