No Fun
Finback Brewery - Glendale

 

Tried home, 2/17/24

 

 

 

A: The beer is very hazy to cloudy whitish yellow in color. It poured with a quarter finger high white head that gradually died down and left a narrow collar around the of the glass.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of gooseberry, lime, lychee, mango and
passion fruit are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has a strong mélange of fruit flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied, juicy and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Between the smell and taste, this IPA has a lot of different aromas and flavors going on from the variety of hops being used.

Serving type: can

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass, I have been struggling to find a date on it, but I would say canned in the last 3 weeks because I have not seen it at the store until yesterday. Pours a milky hazy yellow with a finger sticky white head that leaves some thin streaks of lace, with nice retention. LOOK? 4.75

I get passionfruit, pineapple, peach, tangerine, and apricot. AROMA or SMELL? 4.5

Passionfruit, pineapple, peach, tangerine, and apricot really well balanced. TASTE? 4.5

Soft gentle carbonation almost creamy, not sticky or dry, drinks bigger than average in bod, and at 7.5% which is close to double IPA territory extremely easy going down, but loaded with flavor. MOUTHFEEL? 4.75

This is a very impressive beer. I would highly recommend giving this one a shot. Finback just keeps delivering excellent New England IPAs single or double they are consistent and always a excellent beer experience. OVERALL? 4.5

 

 

Poured into glass from can. Totally opaque and orange juicy-like. Aroma is hop forward with some resiny character along with the lemon zest character of west coast hops. Flavor is full of citrus and tropical fruits. Soft finish, medium body. Easy to have a few of these.

 

 

 

 

That's a lot of hops there, Finback. The last time I had something from this brewery that claimed to have all sorts of crazy hops in it was extremely underwhelming (Don't Kill The Whale), but it was also weirdly cheaper at the store I usually go to for my beer than the typical Finback pint, so maybe it had less of a hopload or something. Anyway, this has Amarillo, Citra, Hallertau Blanc, Bru-1, El Dorado, Mosaic, Waimea, and 007 (formerly Idaho 7). Interesting combination of old favorites and weird new varieties that have found their niches in styles other than the IPA.

The pour is a typical hazy/creamy Finback IPA (looks like orange-pineapple juice, basically) with a nice, fluffy head that builds up to about three fingers at its highest point, and sinks down to a retentive and solid finger of compact bubbles. The lace here is soapy and fairly-consistent, and some decent legs seem to come about as the head sinks as well. What can I say? Looks great for what it is.

I was definitely worried about this one based on just how many hop varietals they squeezed into the recipe, but my fears were allayed when I brought this to my nose for the very first time. Candied grapefruit, tangelo, tangerine, wildflower honey, succulent pineapple, mango, and a raw dank/grassiness that just comes across utterly pungent and intense. I know Bru-1 hops are one of those new varietals that could be great in something funky or saison-like with its stone fruit and spice notes. Kinda like Ella and, to a lesser extent, Loral. Idaho 7 (or 007 as I guess it's being referred to now) typically seems really weird, but it's sorta in the background here. I really get a lot of the Waimea and Mosaic honestly. Dank, bright citrus, a bit green/dank, and ripe tropical fruit are the main descriptors I'd use, for sure.

On the tongue, this is soft and juicy, with an even temperament and no hop burn. Slightly less fruity, with a bit of acidity and a wine grape like character. Must be the Blanc hops, or maybe the Amarillo messing with some of the unusual varieties. Fun and complex citrus as I sip and think about the beer. Finback has been a bit more hit-or-miss to me lately, but this is a definite success.

Carbonation is a bit on the lower end even for a New England hazy IPA, meaning it drinks a bit heavier than it probably should. But for a 7.5% NEIPA, this is filling and very intriguing. It has a slightly raw flavor to it despite being two weeks old at time of consumption, and it reminds me a bit of some of the better Oscillation stuff I've had from these guys, just slightly chewier and less ethanol-forward. In spite of the name, this is a very fun beer. Give it a shot if you see it and like NEIPAs!

 

Canning date/8/26 right off the press.
Light golden color with a 4F head in a Spielgelau IPA glass.
Very strong pineapple, some tropical fruit.
Smooth, almost silky MF.
More pronounced pineapple and tropical fruit in the taste.
Moderately hoppy finish.
One of my favorites from the brewery.