Sungasm
Finch Beer Co.

 

 

"Partake by 10/5/16"; drank 5/16/16 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque yellow/orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a HUGE bright white head (careful pouring!); a curtain of frothy lace.

Banana, mild orange citrus & faint cane sugar notes in the nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

Banana & mild orange citrus flavors up front; dry yeast notes & some bitterness on the finish.

Fruity, dry Belgian vibes; enjoyable.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a veautiful deep and hazy copper-orange color wth a moderate head.
Aroma: Light on the aroma. Subtle aromas of orange citrus and tropical melon. A faint hint of Belgian spice underneath.
Taste: Taste follows the nose. Little flavor upfront, but flavor improves as the beer warms. Orange citrus and melon hop flavors followed by a subtle Belgian yeast. Lots of clove giving it a slight plastic, medicinal quality. A little coriander and pepper. Minimal bitterness, if any. Wheat malt with some darker caramel notes. It's definitely got a weird orange medicinal and plastic quality that I assume is from the clove and orange. Orange, clove, and caramel here.
Feel: Medium bodied and well carbonated. Crisp and light. Alcohol is nondetectable. Finishes clean and subtly sweet.

Overall: Sort of an American twist on a Belgian style beer. American flavored hops with some Belgian yeast with a darker malt profile. It's like an attenuated Belgian IPA. Not a bad Belgian Pale Ale for the ABV, but heavier on the clove, giving it a medicinal, plastic flavor. Like a sweet orange-flavored antibiotic. The flavors are well-balanced through the Belgian yeast and American hops.

Taste: citrus, orange peel, crisp, tropical hopped, sweet wheat dry finish. Semi sweet bread and citrus nose. Golden hue, hazy, foamy head, with broken ring of lace. medium body. 35 IBUs

 

 

Watery with a nice flavor

 

12oz can, "WET BEAK BY 09/15/18" stamped on the bottom of the can. Tall & frothy ivory head holds excellent retention atop a hazy apricot colored ale. Spicy & bready Belgian yeast couples with some tropical hop aromas. Flavors meld well with more notes of spicy, bready, and fruity Belgian yeast; hop profile is modest but adds some tropical fruit notes of guava and passion fruit, but the overall flavor reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum. Medium body, creamy and smooth with a balanced finish. This was pretty good but not sure I'd recommend it.

 

 

 

 

 

As a young brewery that stays in business mostly by making IAIPAs and strong stouts, I can't criticize Finch for putting too many hops in their beer. After all, heavy hopping is a survival tactic in a market of 4500+ North American craft brewers.

But this must be said: hopping an ale is not what distinguishes the Belgian tradition. Yeast does.

And except for the citrus and some tropical fruits in the Smell, this does not remind me enough of a Belgian.
The Taste misses the richness of the malt being activated by the yeast. Although, this is soft in the mouth.
But, it is hard to judge the Feel to be above average. Oh and the Looks? Average foam and color.

Actually, I try to encourage American crafters to improvise on the Belgian tradition. But, Finch should start over on this one with a yeast that resembles what Belgian yeasts do.

7/18/19 After that pan, I'm glad I tried Sungasm again and I did increase my rating slightly... with an edit. I also want to add that I went on their website and I'm glad that they are opening a taproom. And while I don't visit many, I do hope to visit theirs soon... particularly since its neighbor is On Tour Brewing.

8/26/20 Never visited their taproom, but did carry another Sungasm from the curb at Beermiscuous. Edited the review again and am satisfied. Keeping count over at UnTappd should I have this again.

12 oz can

Hazed, lighter, straw , frothy off white cap...leaving oodles of thicker lacing

Zesty, yeasty, citric nose

Tasty and highly enjoyable Belgian pale, more Belgian yeast qualities, some wheat, some ripe fruit...worthy

Belgian lovers go get some of this summery and crushable brew