Green Flash Imperial IPA

Beer Name: Imperial IPA
Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
ABV: 9.0%
How sold: 22 oz. bottle (650.6 mL) or kegs
Where bought: John's Marketplace (Portland, OR)
Price: $6.99
IBU: 101
Date Opened/Drank: April 2, 2015
Best By Date: June 17, 2015

What's on the Label: "King of the Mountain of Hops. Reaching new heights, the mountains of Summit and Nugget hops in this intense high gravity Imperial IPA will thrill even the extreme beer adventurer. Unearth savory pine, evergreen, and pineapple aromas and experience the colossal rush of a happy adventure. We challenge you to conquer this mountain, then sit back, relax and savor the magnificence of the brew."

When brewed? Year-round beer.

Where distributed: Green Flash ships to several states in 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles, and kegs. The beer should be found in many bottle shops, taprooms, and pubs.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured orange-copper into a pint glass. Significant carbonation (tiny bubbles). Temporary head of about a few millimeters that dissipated rather quickly. Trace lacing inside the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Intense combination of pine, hops, and pineapple. 4.5/5

Taste (40%): A lingering blast of hoppy-pine and pineapple flavors. Interestingly enough, this beer does reminds me of the mountains and the high-altitude environment. The alcohol attempts to intervene on the aftertaste, but the pine and pineapple subdue that and keep the alcohol flavors to a minimum. It's a beer where you can sense it meets 9%, but drinks like 6-7%. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium body experience with some carbonation on the tongue. Intensely bitter, but still retains a refreshing side to it. Very solid. 4.5/5

Overall (20%): Green Flash comes through with another excellent Double IPA. I still prefer the West Coast IPA over this one, but at this point, it's probably one of the best beers I've had so far that has an IBU over 100 (West Coast IPA clocks in at 95 IBUs). Well worth the money at $6.99 for a 22 oz. bottle. 4.5/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.5/5