West Coast IPA

Green Flash Brewing Co

A hoppy delight!

Reviewed by RD

7.3% ABV

Colour: A super clean pinkish copper, like brand new penny. A small foamy off white head sat on top. lively carbonation but that maybe down to the hi-tech glass given to me by Alex at AllBeer.co.uk All in all, it looks like a finely crafted beer.

Nose: Fragrant but all so pungent and sappy, I blame the Columbus hops, piny but not resinous. A whiff of freshly stripped lemongrass, grapefruit, but citric like Cascade hops. Text book IPA but with a little something extra. Its smells like you’d expect but there is a certain quality to this that makes it a bit more special. I really can’t put my finger on it. I love the smell of IPA, I find myself thinking throughout the day…”That smells nice, it smell like a well hopped IPA”.

Taste: Bitter-sweet, sappy fresh Simcoe hops. Grapefruit but not acidic. A good burst of sweet hops with a hint of smooth caramel.Very clean, medium bodied mouthfeel. A little carbonation keeps it lively and from being flat. A long, lingering fragrant hoppy aftertaste which is clean and with a pleasing level of bitterness…but not much.

Overall Experience: There is plenty of sweet malt but it is dominated by the hops. Green flash say it is “Extravagantly hopped” but it is a beautifully balanced beer. Easy drinking considering its full flavour and sappy hop profile.

While writing this conclusion I read some people’s thoughts on Beer Advocate and many people think you have to be a big hophead to enjoy this beer. Rubbish, I could give the beer to any of my beer loving friends and they’d be bowled over. It is fantastic! I was going to have another beer tonight but I don’t think anything can follow this.

This beer came all the way from Illinois to Bradford in the hands (and suitcase) of Lee Birkitt (UKbrewer on Twitter), a friend who recently had to come back to the UK soon after Christmas. As two beer geeks (sorry Lee I’m tagging you as a Beer Geek, live with it and love it!) we had to swap a few brews. I drank the bottle of Three Floyds Dark Lord 2009 with Zak at Beer Ritz on Sunday and no doubt me and my fellow HopZiner Matt will drink the bottle of Two Brothers Hop Juice very soon.

Thank you Green Flash and thank you Mr Birkett.