Green Flash Fearless Fifty

Val loves Trader Joe’s. When we bought the house, it put us further out from them, but she still makes time to go. Occasionally, I go with her. It’s always crowded and I’m not the biggest fan of getting hit with a cart. I do like their food and they have some interesting things, along with beers that are only available there, like this one.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Trivia: This was the beer that they made for Trader Joe’s 50th anniversary.

Random: TJ’s used to have these breakfast burritos with turkey sausage and eggs. They were my favorite, but then they were discontinued.

The beer poured with a two finger, thick, pure white head. It dissipated slowly, but only left minor lacing on the glass. There was a small crown left. The body was mostly clear and yellow with moderate carbonation visible. The nose was bright and floral with rose petals and hibiscus up front. It had some yeast as well. The taste also had rose petals along with yeast and tropical fruit. I picked up some banana and bubble gum as well. Spice was present, although light. Peach was at the end of the sip. The body was on the thicker side for the style with moderate carbonation. It had a lengthy finish with ripe fruit, specifically peach. Val bought this for me, so I’m not sure how much it was. This was an easy drinking saison and I could see it pairing well with summer cuisine. If TJ’s still has it, grab a bottle.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Treasure Chest

One of the beer podcasts I listen to (The Beerists) changed how they rank their beers. They now do recommendations, which I think is actually a lot more helpful. If you haven’t listened to them, they’re quite awesome.

ABV: 5.7%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Back by popular demand! Say Aloha to Treasure Chest IPA – an exotic ale brewed with grapefruit, prickly pear juice and hibiscus flowers. Erupting with fruit-forward complexity, 100% Mosaic hops present aromas of heady citrus and refined stone fruit. The pleasantly bitter flavors of the hops are enhanced by fresh grapefruit juice and balanced by prickly pear juice and hibiscus flowers.”

Random: My Dad always had a hibiscus plant that he would bring into the house in the winter. I have not tried my hand at growing one yet.

The brewed poured with a finger of pure white head. It dissipated at a moderate pace and left a little bit of lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow color with lots of carbonation visible throughout. The nose was bright with notes of prickly pear and a lot of grapefruit. The Mosaic hops also gave some peach and apricot notes. The taste was filled with a bready characteristic up front and quickly went into tropical hops. Prickly pear, peach and apricot came through with a passion fruit sweetness. The body was incredibly light and drinkable with a lot of carbonation. The finish was swift with prickly pear and grapefruit zest. The bomber was $8.99, which came to $.41 per ounce. I enjoyed this beer a lot and it was quite drinkable given the low ABV and the profits go to a good cause. This is worth buying.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Segal Ranch Session IPA

I think I’m finally getting used to getting up so early in the morning for work. It still annoys Val, but I like that I don’t get stuck in traffic anymore. Traffic on the way home is a completely different story. Tonight’s beer is a session IPA from Green Flash, a brewery that does some great things with hops.

ABV: 4.5%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Segal Ranch Session IPA features Tomahawk, Centennial, and Cascade hops that were hand-selected by our Brewmaster exclusively from our friends at Segal Ranch in Yakima, Washington. The verdant pungency and citrus aromatics from Tomahawk hops serve as the perfect base layer to allow the flavors of bright floral and pine sap from Centennial hops to emerge on the palate. Notes of resinous citrus from Segal Ranch’s high-oil Cascade hops shine through the finish.”

Random: This is a seasonal that is available from November to February.

The beer poured with a thick, pure white head that dissipated at a snail’s pace. It left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was really hazy and bright yellow. There was a lot of carbonation visible. The nose was quite fragrant. It had a lot of fresh grapefruit flesh and grapefruit pith. There was some clean malt as well. The taste was incredibly bright and clean with lots of citrus. There was grapefruit pith and grapefruit zest. There was also a tart orange pith note. It also had a tropical fruit note. After a few sips, I picked up pineapple as well. The body was thick for a session IPA with lots of carbonation. The finish was lengthy with the same citrus notes. A single was $1.83 ($.15 per ounce), which is a great price for a beer with this much flavor. I really enjoyed this beer and would highly recommend it.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker

I can’t remember the last time that I’ve had passion fruit, but more and more beers are using it (like this Avery beer) and I’m a fan.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “EXHILARATING ALE. We’ve kicked it up a notch by adding a tropical twist to this refreshing ale. Get amped on Passion Fruit Kicker—a jaw-dropping, mouth-watering, smooth brew with sweet, tart, fruity flavor. We layer passion fruit tea and passion fruit juice with wheat malt and 2-row malted barley to bring you this exhilarating crowd pleaser. Your palate will do a 360 for more of this luscious wheat ale.”

Random: I want to go back to Hawaii. The fruit there was ridiculously good.

This beer poured with a half a finger of white head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was hazy and straw-yellow in color. I couldn’t see much carbonation due to the haziness. The nose was tart and juicy passion fruit. Some mango came through as well with wheat to back it up. This smelled like a summer beer to me. The taste was pretty tart up front and had a lot of authentic passion fruit as opposed to passion fruit flavoring. It also had mango and wheat with Cara Cara orange flesh. There was some bready malt at the end of this, which made the body a bit thick. It had a lot of carbonation, with assisted with the drinkability. The finish was quick, but filled with passion fruit and citrus flesh. A bottle of this was $1.92 ($.16 per ounce). I really enjoyed this beer. It would make for a great barbecue beer.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash West Coast IPA (New Version)

I got into Green Flash beers when I started the blog. One of the first beers that I tried from them was West Coast IPA in 2011. You can read the review here. After I tried that one, they completely changed the recipe, so tonight, I’m reviewing the new version.

ABV: 8.1%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “As craft beer pioneers, we embarked on an expedition to brew the benchmark West Coast IPA. We ventured into the unknown and struck gold, discovering a tantalizing menagerie of hops. Simcoe for tropical and grapefruit zest, Columbus for hop pungency, Centennial for pine notes, Citra for citrus zest and Cascade for floral aroma are layered throughout the brewing process. West Coast IPA® exemplifies the Green Flash spirit of adventure and discovery.”

Random: All three cats are dead asleep and snoring. I didn’t know cats could snore so loudly.

The beer poured with a two and a half finger white head. It dissipated slowly, but only left limited lacing on the glass. The body was a warm orange and slightly cloudy. It had visible floaties and light carbonation. The nose had pineapple and mango upfront with ruby-red grapefruit. It was bitter smelling, but had some balance to it. The taste had an equally tropical note. It had the same pineapple and mango notes, but it also had a significant malt backbone. After a few sips, I also found fresh pine. The body had moderate thickness with just enough carbonation to complement the body. The booze was insanely well hidden. It had a lengthy finish with tropical hops. This was $1.25 a bottle, which broke down to $.10 per ounce. I really enjoyed this beer. I think the revamp was a complete success.

Untappd Rating: 4.5/5.0

Green Flash Jibe Session IPA

Last night, the other half and I saw three more houses. We didn’t see anything amazing, although I liked the first house, but it was too small. The last two houses were much larger, but had absolutely no character to them. We ended up at Uno’s after for a late dinner and this was the beer I ordered.

ABV: 4%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Prepare to Jibe! With the wind at our back, we are changing direction. Guided by San Diego’s endless summer breeze, we navigate into new hop territory with Jibe Session IPA. Well-balanced, floral, citrus and vibrant hop character defines our idea of what a perfect session ale should be. At 4% ABV, this session is so good, we are trimming our sails and riding the wind.”

Random: It looks like some of the snow is melting. At least it appears to get getting slightly warmer.

This beer poured with half a finger of white head that dissipated slowly with little lacing left on the pint glass. The body was a clear, light orange color with moderate carbonation. The nose was crisp and pleasant with grapefruit and some grass. The taste leaned more towards the tropical fruit spectrum with mango and pineapple. Mandarin oranges came through as well with generous notes of grapefruit. It had a thicker body than the normal session IPA with moderate to high carbonation. The finish was Lengthy and had grapefruit and tropical fruit. As usual, this is another beer from Green Flash that I thoroughly enjoyed. Since it’s available year-round, you should have no problem finding it.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Hop Odyssey: Citra Session IPA

We’re about halfway through the finale of “So You Think You Can Dance” and they have Ciara on the show to inspire the dancers. I wasn’t aware that she was relevant to dancing, much less music (hint: she’s not). Anyways, this beer was one the other half picked up for me and it’s from Green Flash!

ABV: 4.5%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Our Citra Session™ IPA is brewed with high-quality Marris Otter and Vienna malt but the flavor is dominated by the Citra hops introduced throughout the boil and again in the dry hop for maximum aroma intensity. Notes of lemon, orange and grapefruit make this hop-laden brew a perfectly potable summer session IPA.”

Random: Football starts tomorrow. I’m very excited.

This brew poured with a thin, three finger pure white head that dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow color with moderate carbonation visible. The nose was filled with citrus and was really bright. I got a lot of fresh grapefruit, Meyer lemon and grass. The taste was an amplified version of the nose. I got grapefruit and grass first, then some bready malt. Lemon came through as well with a touch of pine sap and herbs. The body was on the medium side with moderate carbonation, which was surprising given the low ABV on this. The finish was long and filled with citrus and generous bitterness. I was really impressed with this one and would definitely have it again. This is another great beer from Green Flash.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Road Warrior Imperial Rye India Pale Ale

I always get so excited when a new beer from Green Flash comes out. The stuff that they put out is so good and incredibly flavorful. So, when I saw they put out a new rye DIPA, I had to try it.

ABV: 9%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Our Imperial Rye IPA is brewed in the name of our Road Warriors—the sales team who tirelessly hit the streets, traveling from town to town and pub to pub sharing the Green Flash experience. Road Warrior™ charges full flavor forward. Columbus and Mosaic hops, rich crystal and spicy rye malts pave the way for Mosaic and Amarillo dry-hopping to boldly shine through in the finish. Raise a glass to those who never settle!”

Random: I can’t wait to go on vacation. I am seriously getting burnt out.

This brew poured with a three finger, tan head that dissipated very slowly and left lots of lacing on the glass. The body was a dark, clear, mahogany color with light carbonation visible. The nose had marked rye spice along with some grapefruit hops and pine resin as well. There was also some caramel malt, but the hops were dominant on the nose. On the first sip, I got a lot of rye spice and bready malt along with pepper. The alcohol was definitely present on the taste and it almost drank like a barleywine. The body was incredibly thick with light carbonation. The finish was long with a lot of rye spice. This beer was really enjoyable, although this would be more of an after-dinner sipper for me. If you’re into hops and rye, this is definitely a beer you need to try.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Green Bullet Triple IPA

My sister had to go to the Atlantis resort on a business trip. I picked her up from the airport on a Sunday and we decided to hit up New Brunswick and watch a couple of the games. We ended up at one of my favorite bars, George Street Ale House, and this is what I sampled there.

ABV: 10.10%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Named after a super-robust New Zealand hop, Green Bullet™ is a well-balanced Triple IPA being bottled today for the 1st time ever. Brewmaster, Chuck Silva initially released this Pacific Gem to celebrate the Green Flash 9th Anniversary in 2011, and it was an immediate hit! Now, this cult favorite will be available from coast-to-coast as a seasonal release from September through December 2013. Be on the lookout for this high-caliber addition to our arsenal in 4-packs, 22oz bottles and on draft, because you do not want to miss the release.”

Random: I haven’t said how much I love Green Flash lately, but I absolutely love almost everything they put out.

This brew poured with a one finger, pure white head that dissipated quickly and left very little lacing on the glass. Also of note, serving a 10% ABV beer in a pint glass, which I was not a huge fan of, although I wasn’t driving, so it didn’t really matter. The body was a clear orange with light carbonation visible throughout. The nose had lots of grapefruit with a touch of pine. It was clean and pleasant. The taste was relatively light given the potency of the beer. I got pine and grapefruit up front with malt following up. The booze wasn’t detectable on this one, at all. The mouthfeel was medium thickness with light carbonation. It had a long finish with pine resin. There wasn’t anything not to like about this beer. I would have this one again in a second.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Green Flash Friendship Brew

Black saisons…yet another of the hybrid styles that popped up in the past two years. Honestly, I haven’t really found one yet that I enjoy. They always seem to be a bit disjointed for me or too dominant one way or the other. Hopefully, this one changes my opinion.

ABV: 5.6%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Our second collaboration with Brasserie St-Feuillien, Friendship Brew, is a Black Saison that blends European and American hops, Belgian yeast and a cache of secret spices. The aroma and flavors are enticing, with delicate fruitiness, subtle spice and rounded roast malt characteristics. Bottle conditioning provides lively carbonation and rich beer foam for a luscious body and a lean, dry finish.”

Random: Last night there was this crazy thunderstorm. My cat got scared and snuggled with me the entire night.

This one poured with a huge, four finger tan-colored head that dissipated slowly and left lots of lacing on the glass. The body was a dark brown color with heavy carbonation visible throughout. The nose had some Belgian yeast, citrus, pepper and clove. Some chocolate came through as well. The taste was completely off-balance, which is generally the issue that I have with the style. I got some over roasted malts on it, coupled with mint, anise and cloves. The spices give it a real medicinal note that was just unpleasant to me. The citrus and yeast that I was expecting was nowhere to be found. The body was medium thickness with high carbonation. The finish was way too long with the medicinal notes mentioned above. This beer was having a bit of an identity crisis which simply resulted in just being a hot mess. I wouldn’t have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0