From the Brewery: 

“Golden naked oats mashed with dark crystal and robust roasted malts create a luscious black brew with satin smooth finish. An old-world style, done the Green Flash way. Big, bold, flavorful and complex.”

“With a modern view on an old-world style, we valiantly navigated our way through 19th century British Stout recipes and set sail for new horizons. Our journey landed us on a  present-day, modern American Stout. Encompassing the best of both worlds, our Double Stout blends golden naked oats, and sweet caramelized crystal and roasted malts to create a sumptuous, chocolatey brew with hints of coffee. Its satin smooth finish calms even the stormiest of seas. When the sun’s not out, drink a Double Stout.” 8.8% Alcohol by volume.

The Pour: 

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my 16.5 oz. brandy snifter. The color is jet black throughout. The head is a dark brown espresso-foam color, and dissipates quickly. Heavy lacing was left throughout.

The Nose: 

Gives off lots of sweet, dark-chocolaty malts. Not too much else, but smells smoother/lighter than similar stouts in this ABV range.

The Mouth: 

Initially thick, with solid amounts of carbonation and mild bitterness (more as it warms). This brew really hides its 8.8% ABV well, with little alcohol burn prevalent. It is lusciously smooth and easy to drink, but thick and filling. There is a little malt and chocolate flavor up front, finishing with a roasty, dark chocolate bitterness. There is also a bit of hoppiness prevalent in the finish. While these flavors are on the palate, nothing really pops out, and all of the actual flavors are subtle. I get more sensory feelings (bitter, mild sweetness) than actual flavorings. The aftertaste lingers quite a bit, with the bitterness of super dark cocoa and a hint of black licorice.

Final Thoughts: 

This beer is good, though the tasting doesn’t quite match the description. It claims to be big, bold, and complex. Well…the alcohol is hidden well, the flavors are mild, and it is not overly complex compared to its Imperial Stout cousins. That doesn’t mean that this isn’t a good beer…it really is. This beer hits all of the right notes for a big stout, just maybe with subdued dynamics. I look forward to trying other beers from this brewery, because I quite enjoyed this Double Stout. 7/10.

Green Flash Brewing Company – San Diego, California