Green Flash under the radar

I wouldn't say they're "under the radar" - seem to be fairly popular - quality brewery but I haven't had anything mind blowing from them yet. My favorite is the Double Stout - def. a must have if you're into stouts.

 

For me, Rayon Vert had always been the stand out from Green Flash. Super funky beer that really opened up my palate to the funk and helped me further pick out flavors when reviewing.

I will second trying Double Stout, its probably my current favorite from them.

 

This past year they suckered me in for a good number of IPAs that weren't all that great IMO (Hop Odyssey / mosaic, Pacific Gem, Soul Style) but really impressed me with Road Warrior, West Coast IPA and Green Bullet. Palate Wrecker has always made me smile as well.

 

Their beers strike me as uncomplicated but solid representations of the respective style of which they make a wide range. Of the ones I've tried I believe I favor the APAs over the IPAs, particularly the Hop Head Red Ale. My son likes the Double Stout but that's the first thing he'll reach for in any assorted group of beers.

 

Do a quick search of the forums here and you will see quite a bit on Green Flash. Almost none of it positive, and very little of it related to the quality of their beer.

 

I really cannot comment on what Green Flash may have become- not having tried any in quite a while- but GFWCIPA sticks in my memory as not only a trend-setter, but a milestone example in the evolution of American brewing prowess and experimentation. Crazy hoppy long ago.

 

Green Flash used to get much more positive attention. Their beers were highly regarded CA beers. In the eyes of the beer geek, they started to look more and more old-school as sexier offerings grew. When they rebranded, people thought "too little too late"... but when the Alpine situation came about, the beer-geek attention became much more negative. It was like the "craft beer" version of hating AB-InBev for changing the recipe of an acquisition.

@Davidstan , if Sea to Sea looks like a fit for your tastes, it is a worthwhile purchase. I like it.

 

They don't do anything for me personally. Their IPAs are way to bitter for my liking, and their other offerings never wow'ed me enough to revisit them. Old branding/new branding, pre-Alpine/post-Alpine they have just never stuck out to me.

However, I have heard their barrel aged offerings are really good, but at like 20-25 a bottle around me I'll take other's words for it.

Just my two cents, but try them out before making any hard opinions.

 

Very good beers as a whole, IMO. Just a tad pricey. But the West Coast IPA, Stout, Palate Wrecker, and Hop Head Red are tasty!

 

Green Flash has always made ho-hum beers IMO...too malt forward, badly hopped and no balance on most of their IPAs and everything else is pretty run of the mill to me.

 

Big fan of Soul Style, regular and Tangerine

 

Try them--some good, some really good. Some average.

Our issue in NC is getting stuff even remotely fresh.

And they have not been able to keep up with Nelson.

 

I always overlooked Green Flash for some reason. Maybe just because the bottle design never caught my eye. But on a whim I grabbed a bomber of Le Freak and was blown away. Definitely overlooked by me!

 

I really liked their Saison Diego but I would stay away from their Alpine stuff. I haven't been impressed with any of it.

 

From having a "best before" area on their label and it being completely blank, to actually having a date there (dated some 6 months out), I personally have no time for them when I go beer shopping.

 

Palate Wrecker remains one of my a favorite palate wreckers. I loved their west coast IPA before the recipe change and while it is a strong DIPA now , it was very different before that. I have their sea to sea lager and they are putting some of their beer in cans.

 

I haven't had any of their staples in a while, but Palate Wrecker and WC IPA stand out to me. All I've gotten from them in the past year are the "single hop" series they do. When they start brewing and bottling out of VA Beach (starting next year, I think), I'll probably revisit everything they do, just to see if it distinctly changes. Hoping I get it super fresh being <10-15 miles away.

 

Palate Wrecker is a very good beer, and Cosmic Ristretto is worth a shot too.

 

Some of us still hold a grudge because of first teasing us with a stellar, easily available, reasonably priced wild ale, Rayon Vert, and then ruining it and discontinuing it.

I'll buy a Double Stout on occasion, but their other offerings are usually not as fresh, nor as good as other locally made and better offerings