Beer Me! — Green Flash Brewing Company — San Diego, California, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Green Flash Brewing Company

(SweetWater Brewing)

(Closed)

6550 Mira Mesa Boulevard
San Diego CA 92121
[Update]

Notes

Opened: 2002

Closed: 2021

Annual Production: 100,000 bbl

Contributors: Diane Crawford, Melodee, Ralph Wells, Siegfried Binge

Formerly located in Vista CA.

Updated: March 17, 2022

News

2022-01-24: Green Flash Brewing Company’s San Diego Brewery Up For Sale (ProBrewer)
2021-12-21: SweetWater Brewing buys Green Flash and Alpine Beer (Craft Brewing Business)
2020-03-25: Green Flash Cuts ‘Meaningful Portion’ of Staff (Brewbound)
2018-04-03: GREEN FLASH BREWING INC. FORECLOSED, SELLS GREEN FLASH AND ALPINE ASSETS (The Full Pint)
2018-01-05: Green Flash consolidating workforce and distribution network (West Coaster)
2017-01-17: Green Flash Brewing Lays Off ~25 Employees (The Full Pint)
2015-09-28: Chuck Silva Leaving Green Flash (Brookston Beer Bulletin)
2014-07-24: Green Flash, St-Feuillien announce partnership to brew, bottle and distribute in Belgium (Craft Brewing Business)
2013-11-21: Green Flash CEO: New facility for barrel-aging, Virginia Beach location online in 2015 (Craft Brewing Business)
2012-06-26: Green Flash Brewing planning to build East Coast brewery (BeerPulse)

Beer List

7th Anniversary Red Rye Ale

American-Style Rye Beer

5.70% abv.
Barleywine

Barley Wine-Style Ale

10.00% abv.
- Date: February 15, 2007 (#6327)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Bright red, just a bit darker than Speakeasy Old Godfather. Thick head.
  
  Aroma (3)
  Fresh piney grassy hops. Hint of alcohol.
  
  Mouthfeel (10)
  Big smooth body. Richly malty with lots of grassy, fruity, resiny hop flavor and bitterness. Lots of caramel. Clean lingering hoppy finish.
  
  Overall Impression (3)
  Great beer with chocolate!

Belgian Style Stout Ale

Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale

8.80% abv.

Bière de L'Amitié

Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale

9.50% abv.

Black IPA

American-Style Black Ale

Date: February 22, 2013 (#9021)

Package: draught

Place: Krug Park, Omaha NE

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thick head.

Aroma (4)
Huge piney, spicy hops!

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and malty, spicy and hoppy. Roasty, bitter, spicy, malty.

Overall Impression (3)
Wow.

Citra Session Ale

4.50% abv.

Double Stout

Imperial Stout

8.80% abv.

Date: January 26, 2012 (#8712)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Roasty, fruity. Some licorice.

Mouthfeel (9)
Thick and creamy. Nicely malty and roasty, with a grassy hop flavor and mild bitterness. Hint of coconut. Roasty bitter finish, nice and smooth.

Overall Impression (3)

Extra Pale Ale

English-Style Summer Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2006 World Beer Cup
Bronze Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

First Anniversary Ale

Strong Ale

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2004 World Beer Cup

Date: April 16, 2004 (#5348)

Package: draught

Place: Liars' Club Bar and Grill, Mission Beach CA

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright red. Thick head. Big citrusy spicy hop aroma. Big body. Massive dark caramel malt with lots of fruity hops, a fair amount of bitterness, and lots of fruity esters.

Date: June 12, 2012 (#8836)

Package: draught

Place: Lauter Tun, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Thick head.

Aroma (2½)
Very sulfury, grainy. Faintly floral.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium body, creamy. Malty, but real dry. Floral hop flavor, medium bitterness. Lots of sulfur.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: March 10, 2015 (#9497)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Deep red-brown. Massive head.

Aroma (3)
Bready, toasty malt. Fruity hops. Spicy alcohol.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, fairly fizzy. Toasty sweet malt with a big gingerbread spiciness. Fruity hop flavor, very low bitterness. Fruity, spicy, bready finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real tasty beer! Why did I wait so long to try it?

Date: October 13, 2008 (#7462)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Red. Chunky. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Intense spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smoothly malty. Lots of caramel with lots of spicy, fruity, resiny hop flavor. Fairly bitter and nicely dry.

Overall Impression (3)
Dry hopped with Amarillo.

Date: February 16, 2008 (#6884)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Huge floral, earthy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body. Big smooth maltiness supports a big earthy, resiny bitterness. Not nearly as bitter as Ølfabrikken 100 Gram IPA.

Overall Impression (3)
Clean tasty hoppy beer. 101 IBU.

Date: January 27, 2012 (#8707)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, phenolic. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Sweet and spicy, with a big grassy bitterness. Grainy, a little smoky. Hints of fruity esters. Lingering bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Tasty, but not real complex.

Date: September 6, 2012 (#8946)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Golden. Translucent. Massive head.

Aroma (3½)
Peppery. Coriander.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fizzy. Sweet malt and lots of coriander. Citrusy hops, fairly bitter. Peppery. Lingering hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: April 24, 2016 (#9576)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright and pale. High carbonation kicks up a thick fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Tart, citrusy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Light body, fizzy. Nicely tart with a clean malty background. Spicy like a Witbier.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer. "Ale brewed with spices, Aged in wine barrels".

Date: June 11, 2012 (#8841)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Deep amber. Very hazy. Big thick head.

Aroma (4)
Huge piney, citrusy hops. Earthy. Toasty.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and chewy, with a massive piney, resiny hop flavor and bitterness. Citrusy. Grassy. Malt for body, not flavor, although there is a background sweetness. Big lingering resiny piney bitter finish.

Overall Impression (3)

Date: January 28, 2013 (#9012)

Package: draught

Place: Krug Park, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly roasty, malty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body, low carbonation. Malty, mildly sweet, mildly roasty. Grassy hop flavor, low-medium bitterness. Malty, grassy, mildly roasty, chocolatey finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Good mild beer.

Date: January 26, 2012 (#8714)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Huge head.

Aroma (3½)
Big herbal, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Huge spicy, earthy hop flavor, fairly bitter. Graham cracker malt character. Grassy, fruity, fizzy finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: April 1, 2013 (#9039)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright yellow. Thick fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Floral, sweet, citrusy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light body, very fizzy. Sweet and mildly grainy. Fruity, floral undertones. Clean, mildly spicy finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: October 11, 2008 (#7455)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Golden. Hazy. Huge head.

Aroma (4)
Malty, spicy, earthy, alcoholic.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and fizzy and malty and spicy. Nice fruitiness and phenols. Mildly warming.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer. Bottle conditioned.

Date: January 20, 2012 (#8715)

Package: draught

Place: Brass Monkey Sports Bar, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Dense creamy head.

Aroma (4)
Resiny, piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Chewy, biscuity malt background supports a huge, resiny, bitter mouthful of hops. Lingering clean bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Real good beer.

Date: December 28, 2013 (#9315)

Package: draught

Place: Krug Park, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Hops, citrus and tropical fruit. Perfumey.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Huge fruity hop flavor, big bitterness. Mild grainy malt in the background. Big hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)