Green Flash Le Freak

Brewed by Green Flash Brewing Co.
Style: Abbey Tripel
Vista, California USA

20080831 Bomber from Red Bank Spirits. Golden with lofty, rocky white head, clumping, coating lace. Looks like a tripel, for sure. Aroma is hoppy with tropical and citrus notes, and also yeasty with spice, herb, and grassy notes. Nice. Medium-full bodied with mild pale ale feeling across the front, sharp hop bitterness in the middle, and mixed finish of light sweetness but fruity, sharp, pithy lingering ending. Dusty at times. I could see this being a great match with grilled white meats and sweet corn with enough balance of sweet and sharp to counter either aspect. I could also see this having been brewed by Fantome, though they may have done a drier beer. Well done stuff. Good thing, too, because this one was pretty pricey at over eight bucks a bomber -- a bit of a price shock for a Green Flash brew.

Beautiful golden soft pour with a large, frothy white head. Satisfying blend of green, grassy, dry hop cones with a slight saison funk, that pillowy yeast with hints of cobwebs and cheese, it works well here. Bright and flavorful, rich and frothy and soft on the palate, hoppy and bitter for sure, but also delicate, with the hop flavors complimented very well by the sticky but dry cheese-feet yeast note (still quite mild). I like it.

On tap at Beechwood BBQ in Seal Beach, Calif. This was a fantastic beer and perfect for a scorching hot summer day. Really good sweet Belgian flavors married with crisp and bitter hops. I was very impressed. I’d love to try more of this when I don’t have to drive. I’m very surprised that this entry shows this at 9%, it did not seem that strong in alcohol.

Le Freak (which for those of you who do not speak French, translates to "The Freak") walks a fine line between Double IPA and a Belgian Triple. Is it a DIPA with Belgian yeast? Is it a Tripel with a lot of hops? Ultimatley the hoppy part win out, but there is alot of complexity, with pleny of yeasty banana and bubble gum to compliment the rough piney, citrusy hops. Good stuff. From Brawley’s, Charlotte.

Pours a hazy orangeish brown with a huge off white foamy head and crazy lacing. Aroma of citrus, malts, hops, yeasts, spices. Flavor is bitter and floral yet sweet and hoppy, a little coriander and fruit peeks it’s head through the bitterness though and balances out things rather well in the grand scheme of things.

Rating #400. Hey, here’s a surprise... I thought this was pretty great. Bright beautiful cloudy golden orange pour. Lovely retention on the head. Citrus hop aroma as well as very present peaches and apricots. Rather than Trippel/IIPA, this tasted just like a Belgian golden/IIPA to me. Both flowery and floury. Crisp bitter finish. I loved this beer!

the yeastiness competes more than it needs to be creative or is it the other way around? regardless--notes of alcohol, pine, and sugar primarily, with some fruitiness and caramel as well, ends bitter and too clean... disappointing as I was hopeful for such a crazy idea to work amazingly well.

The aroma is very good with notes of pine, spices, and malt. Pours with a white head. The color is similar to that of apple cider. The hop flavors of pine and grapefruit come through clearly with the spice and malt character of a belgian trippel complementing in the background.