Green Flash Le Freak Belgian Style IPA

Cloudy amber with a frothy head. Big belgian spicy Tripel aromas with piney hops. Smooth medium body.Sweet flavors are yeasty, spicy with coriander and other spices. This one’s a little rough around the edges. Draft @ the brewery and Liars Club Alpine, Ca.

On tap @ The Liars Club in Alpine. Very spicy nose with a good hop profile. Bitter in the right spots, not overly sweet - but not dry either. Pours hazy yellow with a slightly frothy head.

Golden color with a white head that has excellent retention and lacing. Bubblegum, citrus hops, clove, and nutmeg in the aroma. Bubblegum, clove, citrus, nutmeg, and allspice in the taste. This beer reminded me of New Glarus’ Dancing Man Wheat. Medium body and medium carbonation. I’d definitely enjoy having this again; very good beer!

Traded to me in a brewer bottled 22 oz. bomber by Eyedrinkale as part of the BIF 2008 Race package, Le Freak was poured into a Duvel tulip. The beer looked very clear, golden in color, and had a two finger thick head of foam. The initial smell provided an enticing whiff of hops similar to an IPA, but deeper breaths revealed floral, yeasty, and spicy scents more typical of the Belgian styles. The taste was also a near 50/50 mix of the two influences, with the hops up front, and tropical fruits and yeasty funk shortly thereafter. Candi sugar like sweetness was also apparent and the subsequent peppery phenols were finished off by a bitter aftertaste. I love that this marriage of two styles has managed to present the essence of both in a melded yet distinct manner. Seems like such an ordinary concept on paper, but others that have tried it don’t seem have pulled it off quite as well as Le Freak.

Sweet, sugary aroma with pear esters and thick caramel. Bitter, slightly fruity, but then spoiled by an icing sugar fruitiness. Belgian yeast and Green Flash aren’t getting along right now. Too bad. That stuff’s got to attenuate better to make the stuff drinkable.