Green Flash Hop Odyssey: Citra Session IPA
Brewed by: Green Flash Brewing Co.
Beer Classification and Specs
- Style: IPA
- Variation: American
- Limited: June-July (On tap only)
- ABV: 4.5%
- IBU: N/A
Notes: Part of Green Flash’s Hop Odyssey series.
Brewer’s Notes and Ingredients
A pale gold citrusy brew with notes of lemon and floral undertones, this is the perfect summer IPA.
Hops: Citra
More Hop Odyssey: Citra Session IPA Images
First Impressions
Artwork: Tap only beer, no label artwork. But Green Flash does have marketing materials for the Hop Odyssey series in general.
Color: Golden yellow.
Aroma: Smoky hops.
The Tasting
Arrived in: Growler
Served in: Official Green Flash pint glass
We sampled Green Flash Citra Session IPA at the tasting room, and immediately decided we wanted a growler fill.
Let’s examine the name real quick — Citra Session. “Citra” is a type of hop, with citrus / fruit characteristics, and “Session” is a lower alcohol content beer, allowing you to drink several in a row (a session).
Citra Session IPA champions both the terms above, and its billing as “a perfect summer IPA.” Perfect might be a stretching things a bit, but this beer is definitely above average, and succeeds with a trait very non-characteristic to IPAs — lightness.
Citra Session had a refreshing non-filling body, with low levels of carbonation, making this IPA very sessionable.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a quality IPA weigh in at a mere 4.5%, but the lower ABV gets made up for in taste. Citrus flavor was there, but we also detected peppery mild smoked hops in the finish.
Final Score: 4/5
Green Flash Citra Session is an ideal summertime IPA. Its lightweight body, mild hop flavor, and lower alcohol content are uncommon traits to (most) IPAs, but these features are Citra Session’s most redeeming qualities.