Don't Kill the Whale
Finback Brewery - Glendale
- From:
- Finback Brewery - Glendale
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Hazy Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 7.6%
- Score:
- 90
- Avg:
- 4.15 | pDev: 6.27%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 10, 2019
- Added:
- Feb 10, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
Triple dry hopped IPA with Amarillo, Azacca, Belma, Blanc, Citra, Denali, Idaho 7, and Mosaic! We went overboard, overboard so right.
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Reviewed by ichorNet from Massachusetts
3.8/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Alright, here comes potentially the most over-the-top single IPA offering from Finback yet... a triple dry-hopped NEIPA with a bunch of new-school hops that I have very little experience with when used in tandem. 007 (Idaho 7) and Denali I have plenty of experience with in single-hop and newer "experimental IPA" recipes, but when combined with stuff like Belma, Azacca and Blanc as well as heavy hitters Amarillo and Mosaic, I have no real idea what to expect here. Will it be more than the sum of its parts, or a mess? Maybe somewhere in the middle? Let's find out!
Pours a super pale golden color that is dense and hazy, sure, but the body really isn't as opaque as I was expecting. It's hearty looking and certainly on the solid end of "translucent" but it is still not the haziest beer Finback's ever made. Funny considering the heavy-handed hopping rate here, of course. Great lacing and solid legs here. A winner for sure when it comes to appearance.
The nose carries distinct overtones of grapefruit, honeydew melon, pine sap, fresh-cut grass and succulent red berries. Maybe some pomegranate and strawberry as well hiding below the surface. Interesting, but it actually doesn't jump out as much as I thought it would. It's not messy, per se, but it's slightly less aromatic than I thought it would be. It's kind of West Coast smelling actually, with strong elements of resinous citrus and coniferous trees. Interesting... but a little bit disappointing, in a sense.
Flavor is kind of similar... it's a little bit static, maybe because there's so much trying to take the spotlight, but also maybe because the utilization of the hops isn't the best? It starts with strong pine and grapefruit... very Simcoe and Mosaic-like actually. Melon and berries in the mid-palate with sharp tangy citrus and an almost-acidic hop bitterness choking out the finish. Finish is indistinct but reminds me of mango/orange juice with a strong alpha-acid bite and full bitterness once again. Mouthfeel is rather light bodied for a 7.6% IPA. Is this a pretty good beer? Sure. Is it in my top ten or even twenty favorite beers I've consumed out of Finback's extensive portfolio? Nope. Have three more of these and I'm actually not too interested to drink 'em. It's just a plain ol' IPA at the end of the day, and nothing sticks out. Kind of a shame.
Mar 05, 2019Pours a super pale golden color that is dense and hazy, sure, but the body really isn't as opaque as I was expecting. It's hearty looking and certainly on the solid end of "translucent" but it is still not the haziest beer Finback's ever made. Funny considering the heavy-handed hopping rate here, of course. Great lacing and solid legs here. A winner for sure when it comes to appearance.
The nose carries distinct overtones of grapefruit, honeydew melon, pine sap, fresh-cut grass and succulent red berries. Maybe some pomegranate and strawberry as well hiding below the surface. Interesting, but it actually doesn't jump out as much as I thought it would. It's not messy, per se, but it's slightly less aromatic than I thought it would be. It's kind of West Coast smelling actually, with strong elements of resinous citrus and coniferous trees. Interesting... but a little bit disappointing, in a sense.
Flavor is kind of similar... it's a little bit static, maybe because there's so much trying to take the spotlight, but also maybe because the utilization of the hops isn't the best? It starts with strong pine and grapefruit... very Simcoe and Mosaic-like actually. Melon and berries in the mid-palate with sharp tangy citrus and an almost-acidic hop bitterness choking out the finish. Finish is indistinct but reminds me of mango/orange juice with a strong alpha-acid bite and full bitterness once again. Mouthfeel is rather light bodied for a 7.6% IPA. Is this a pretty good beer? Sure. Is it in my top ten or even twenty favorite beers I've consumed out of Finback's extensive portfolio? Nope. Have three more of these and I'm actually not too interested to drink 'em. It's just a plain ol' IPA at the end of the day, and nothing sticks out. Kind of a shame.
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts
4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Light orange honey color, 3F head, excellent head retention.
Aroma: Orange juice, citrus, sweet.
Pungent MF.
Excellent taste. Orange juice ( probably from the 007 hops-Idaho 7) citrus.
Good bitterness in the finish.
Great hop profile- read the bottom side of the can-Amarillo, Azacca,Bella,Blanc, Citra,DenLi, 007, and Mosaic .
Mar 04, 2019Aroma: Orange juice, citrus, sweet.
Pungent MF.
Excellent taste. Orange juice ( probably from the 007 hops-Idaho 7) citrus.
Good bitterness in the finish.
Great hop profile- read the bottom side of the can-Amarillo, Azacca,Bella,Blanc, Citra,DenLi, 007, and Mosaic .
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
4.23/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is quite hazy and slightly pale yellow in color. It poured with a quarter finger high
S: The smell has a mélange of different aromas including grapefruit, melon, pineapple, and strawberry.
T: The taste follows the smell and is rather complex. The grapefruit flavors seem to be a little stronger than those aromas in the smell. There is a faint amount of bitterness.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied and juicy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer uses a lot of different hops and I really like how it also had a lot of complexities in the smell and taste.
Serving type: can
Mar 01, 2019S: The smell has a mélange of different aromas including grapefruit, melon, pineapple, and strawberry.
T: The taste follows the smell and is rather complex. The grapefruit flavors seem to be a little stronger than those aromas in the smell. There is a faint amount of bitterness.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied and juicy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer uses a lot of different hops and I really like how it also had a lot of complexities in the smell and taste.
Serving type: can
Reviewed by yuriyt from New York
4.51/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours hazy light orange. Smells of sweet tropical fruits with some citrus. Tastes of grapefruit-kiwi-mango marmalade. Medium body with generously filling mouthfeel, though not sticky. Loaded with a who's who of all the cool hops on the market today and does not disappoint. This could be the best brewery in the state.
Feb 18, 2019
Reviewed by Abe_Froman from Massachusetts
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can into a glass.
Pours bright golden and sunny with a white head. It leaves just a little lacing behind.
Smells of sweet tropical fruits and juice.
Nice hop flavor and bite meet the tongue. More pine than I expected but there are hints of citrus.
Flows of the tongue quickly leaving the mouth bright with a hint of citrus sours/bite.
Feb 14, 2019Pours bright golden and sunny with a white head. It leaves just a little lacing behind.
Smells of sweet tropical fruits and juice.
Nice hop flavor and bite meet the tongue. More pine than I expected but there are hints of citrus.
Flows of the tongue quickly leaving the mouth bright with a hint of citrus sours/bite.
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York
4.18/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This triple dry-hopped IPA (with Amarillo, Azacca, Belma, Blanc, Citra, Denali, 007 and Mosaic) presents bright yellow with a deep haze and a 1/2 cm foam cap. The aroma packs a fruit punch -punch. The flavors include tangerine, pinapple, kiwi and some banana. The hop bitterness is moderate and the finish is somewhat dry. The hop combination works well. It is very good.
Feb 10, 2019
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