Must
Finback Brewery - Glendale

Traded for this a while ago, finally getting around to it tonight. The date on the bottom of the can read 7/20 with 'ERICHKS" written below that. If you like something that tastes, feels, and smells like grape, than you've found your brew here. There was enough else going on here that this wasn't one-dimensional but in the end, this lived up to the label in every way possible...

Not a bad pour to this as the beer was a muted melon with plenty of head to top it off. Once that settled, there were lots of rings of lacing that were quite thick and extensive. Lots of white grape, passion and tropical fruit, and white wine notes in the nose as all of those came out more in the taste. Light wood, musty grape, earthy funk, and herbal notes came out in the taste but this was just a bit odd to me; even after it fully warmed up. The mild carbonation and slickness kept this from feeling too heavy but I got the impression that this should have been served in a glass with a stem with white meat as the accompanying meal...

Amazingly, I never felt a drop of the alcohol in this as this was about a textbook a session beer as a brew could be. The malt was relatively basic but it felt like saltine crackers, in keeping with the basic nature of this beer. Not a bad session beer but this was just a bit odd when all was said and done. Worth a try for a break in the midst of all the more typical IPA's that come from this neck of the woods...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchased cold - 16oz can dated 7/20/17 and labeled "ERICHKS" - Poured into an English pub glass

L - Pours a hazy beige straw color, with a thick foamy one finger head on a mildly aggressive pour. Moderate retention for the first few sips before circling the edges of the glass and lacing it intermittently as it goes down.

S - White grape must, guava, papaya and some tropical citrus.

T - Following the nose, bold yet delicate white grape must, juicy guava and papaya with a quick jab of tropical citrus on the tail end. No malt backbone to be found.

F - Medium bodied with light-medium bubbly carbonation.

O - Admittedly I'm a huge fan of Finback, however once again I'm left wanting more on the palate complexity. All of the flavors were beautifully balanced, and absolutely delicious but I want that deeper flavor that really makes you pause and contemplate. I'm not talking a full on metaphysical awakening here but just something more...

 

 

16 oz. can dated 7/20/17

Pours cloudy hazy amber gold with a frothy white foam head. Smells like toffee, vanilla, honey, caramelized bready malt, grape must, grapefruit, orange citrus, tropical notes of papaya, mango, pineapple, guava and the like, with some floral dank earthy herbal grassy pine. Tastes like grape must, some grapefruit, orange citrus, papaya, mango, pineapple, guava, some bready caramelized malt, toffee, honey, vanilla, with floral dank earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium-light bodied, creamy with moderate carbonation. Overall a nice session IPA with grape must.