Green Flash Grand Cru
Green Flash Brewing Co.

Green Flash Grand CruGreen Flash Grand Cru
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From:
Green Flash Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
9.1%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 11.9%
Reviews:
178
Ratings:
452
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 19, 2021
Added:
Mar 03, 2008
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  34
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by RoyalT:
Photo of RoyalT
Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Appearance - This was a rather unattractive mud-brown in color with a disappointingly modest head.

Smell - I like the playful yeast in the nose but the malts are too burnt, not a good burn like caramelized onions sticking on the bottom of your oven-roasted baby potatoes but more like that idiot at work who leaves his multi-grain bread in the toaster 30 seconds too long. Also conspicuously absent is any sort of fruity sweetness, a hallmark of the true Grand Cru.

Taste - Thankfully the burnt flavor is hardly noticeable at the taste, so that's definitely a plus. Again though the lack of a deep, dark fruit flavor leaves me wondering how they expect this effort to stand up to others readily available.

Mouthfeel - This was the low point of the ale for me. The overly-toasted malts contributed a harsh bitterness to the finish and this ale lacked the classic fluffy carbonation found in better efforts of the style.

Sinkability - It's not often I dump a 9% ale down the sink, but now that I think about it maybe that is why I did it. You can't down too many more beers after a strong bomber like this and I just didn't want to waste my alcohol intake on something so lacking in quality and appeal. Probably one of the worst Grand Crus that I've ever had.
Jan 24, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.72/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.1%. Very dark brown colour, creamy beige head. Strong malty sweetish aroma, loads of caramel, molasses and brown kandij sugar, hints of spices. Warming mouthfeel. The flavour is sweet (but not too sweet) and malty, notes of caramel and spices, balanced by moderate hops. Drinkable and decent.
Mar 19, 2021
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.59/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
See through purple hue.

Off-white head; spotty lacing.

Nose of strawberry, black licorice & candle wax! Super odd.

Medium mouthfeel.

This tastes like strawberry candle wax. Odd; drinkable but slightly off-putting.
Apr 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by calcnerd from Pennsylvania

May 22, 2017
Photo of descobar
Reviewed by descobar from Florida

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
vintage 2012
Smell: figs and plums and dark candy sugar that spells lots of sweetness up front. some bold vinous notes and yeast derived spicy notes.
Look: pours brown with a 1/2 " thick tan head with minimal retention. the ale is hazy, almost muddy. no lacing was observed in my snifter.
Taste: toffee, dark fruits and candy sugar is all over this giving it more than medium sweetness. the attempt at balance comes from significant bitterness that produces very assertive astringency. I begin to detect some stale malt notes to show a bit of negative aging.
Feel: this is a full bodied ale, with rich, sticky, almost chewy texture. the carbonation is moderate to high and the astringency that blasts the palate could almost be called intense.
Overall: starting to show signs that its had its better days (maybe a year or year and a half ago). although, I could see lots of people still enjoying this if they are craving for a high abv, complex and full flavored Belgian styled ale that is on the intense side.
Apr 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by teraflx from Arizona

Dec 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by MasterRigger from North Carolina

Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by Eziel from Ohio

Nov 27, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Nov 14, 2015
Photo of imonhiatus
Reviewed by imonhiatus from New Jersey

3.41/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
vintage bottle, 2013? watery purple, fairly oxidized. not a great brew. not bad, just not great. lacks the body and vibe of the authentic Belgian classics. didn't age that gracefully.
Oct 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by glass_house from Ohio

Oct 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by EdwardAbbey from Washington

Sep 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Techichi from Texas

Sep 23, 2015
 
Rated: 2.66 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

Sep 22, 2015
Photo of Cylinsier
Reviewed by Cylinsier from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz from 2013

Pours a cloudy reddish brown, light tan head retains as a film.

Smells of apple, pecan, walnut, fig, cherry, and brown sugar malt.

Tastes of bready malts, apples, toffee, pecan and brown sugar.

Full body with tingly carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

Fantastic brew, lots of flavor and aroma. Very rich and chewy. Definitely worth a try, lots to like here.
Sep 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by MNBeer1017 from Minnesota

Sep 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by BPMeyer27 from Ohio

Sep 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by LouZ from Washington

Sep 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.3 by Dmbphoenix from New York

Aug 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.37 by CBrodbeck from Florida

Aug 12, 2015
Green Flash Grand Cru from Green Flash Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 452 ratings