Green Flash Brewing 'Le Freak' Belgian Style Imperial IPA. 9.2% abv. 101 IBU. Orange-honey color. Hazy. Two fingers of foamy white head. Nose of bright sweet citrus, orange, biscuit, tropical fruits. Outstanding retention, excellent lace.

Front taste is passion fruit, strong pine, bitter herbal hops. Aftertaste is marmalade, abundant floral and herbal hops, strong citrus rind, dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, jammy, sticky.

This is an exceptional beer, a big DIPA with a ton of tropical and citrus flavors, particularly orange, complemented by huge herbal hop bite. This beer is actually a blend of Green Flash's superb Belgian Tripel and Imperial IPA, a wining recipe that's become a reliable favorite and classic American craft ale. 

The bottle I enjoyed was aged for at four years, which no doubt helped mellow the tall hop bill, allowing the round bittersweet citrus tastes room to spread their wings. The result is a wonderful balance of flavors. I'm curious to compare this to a new bottle of Le Freak in a little flight. I'll look into it. In the meantime, this beer, regardless of age, is definitely worth your palate. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"First of its kind Belgian-American freak. Le Freak is the first-ever hybrid ale of its kind: the convergence of a Belgian-Style Trippel with an American Imperial IPA. This zesty Amarillo dry-hopped, bottle-conditioned marvel entices with fruity Belgian yeast aromatics and a firm, dry finish. Aromas of orange and passion fruit with sweet bready malts, and flavors of orange marmalade and citrus fruit pith. Experience a legendary beer."

[source: greenflashbrew.com]

Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale. 10.9% abv. 85 IBU. Dark brown-red color. Two finger of thick tan bubbly head. Good retention, outstanding lace. Nose of sweet roasty malt, tangy dark fruit, sweet bread, alcohol on the back end. Rich plum comes out as the temp rises. Front taste of molasses, bread-cake, bitter herb sustain. Aftertaste of earthy herb, bitter cocoa, citrus fruit candy. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, boozy, carby.

This is an outstanding beer, a barleywine with a load of flavors: tall sweet malt, dark fruits, herbal, sweet citrus. My bottle was three years old, which I imagine rounded out some of the hop edge in this high-IBU barley wine, resulting in a thick, sweet, meaty citrus peel hop taste in the background, particularly in the aftertaste. Complex swirl of flavors throughout. Wonderful stuff. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"A four hour boil intensifies the caramel malts and enormous Pacific Northwest hop charge. The result is a rich, eatery brew with toffee notes and citrus hop flavors layered throughout. Enjoy fresh today or lay it down and see how the flavors of each vintage evolve."

[source: bottle]

Green Flash Brewing 'Road Warrior' Imperial Rye IPA. 9% abv. 80 IBU. Hazy red-brown color. Finger+ of foamy ivory head. Superb retention and excellent lacing. Nose of bread, abundant floral and herbal hops. Front taste of herbal hops, bright spice from the rye, bitter hop bite on the back end. Aftertaste is bitter, botanical, strong rye presence on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, bubbly, astringent.

This is an outstanding rye beer, possibly my new favorite in category. The rye grain is noted throughout, particularly in the vivid aftertaste. The hop bill offers a wonderful aroma with a bitter-forward taste that reaches out to hop head beer lovers. If you like rye malt and you like hop bitter zing this is your dream beer. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Hop on and enjoy the eye of your life. 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!"

[source: bottle]

The head retention was outstanding.

Green Flash 'West Coast IPA' Double IPA. 8.1% abv. 95 IBU. Deep amber color. Clear. Finger of creamy-foamy ivory head. Excellent retention and outstanding lacing. Nose of sweet citrus, tropical fruit, floral hops, bready back. Front taste of bittersweet citrus rind, tall fruity bitter hops, sweet orange on the back end. Aftertaste of ample bitter fruity hops, grapefruit peel on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, slightly sticky, botanical, astringent.

This is an excellent DIPA. The hop profile is tall and vibrant, with a balanced bitter and flavors of sweet fruit, bitter citrus, and bright floral throughout. The malt taste is light but ever present with sweet and bready notes. This brew is worthy of your palate, particularly if you are a lover of hops. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Taste a piece of history. 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."

[source: greenflashbrew.com]