Subspace
Finback Brewery - Glendale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look: Light orange and hazy, fluffy white foam head, not much lacing.
Smell: Herbal and grassy, also sweet, some orange and other citrus.
Taste: Nice mild bitterness mixed with sweet citrus and wildflowers.
Feel: Effervescent and light.
Overall: A good mild IPA I'd certainly have another.

I've been burnt out on IPAs lately, but this one seemed at least like it could be pretty interesting, as it uses a fun and unusual hop combination. Amarillo, Belma, and Idaho 7 is definitely a combo I haven't experienced before, and I'm not quite sure what the aim is there. Grapefruit/orchard fruit/berry/tannins is kind of what I'm expecting, but who knows?

The appearance is pretty nice. It's a hazy but bright and saturated golden-yellow color with orange overtones when held up to light. Opaque, but pretty lively looking for the most part. Head is tightly-formed with about a finger-and-a-half upon initial pour, building up decent legs and leaving behind moderate lace. Surface is also semi-covered and blanketed by some nice white suds. Overall, it's good but nothing spectacular.

The nose here has hints of orange, lemon, and florals with some light melon and tea-like notes from the I7 hops. A touch of apricot, some grapefruit rind, and maybe even a lighter edge of "dankness" or grassiness as it opens up. Actually, this is pretty nice smelling. It's not overly dry-hopped or intense, and since it only clocks in at 6.5% ABV, I'm not let down by it at all. I'm thinking it'll end up being a pretty drinkable and solid IPA with maybe some unique flavors if the nose is anything to go by. As I said, this hop mélange is novel, and that can definitely be a good thing when you have varietals working well in concert. Hopefully that happens here.

On the tongue, Subspace is pretty palate-coating and juicy with some flavors I didn't expect. I get pineapple, mango, and tangerine, which I didn't get much of in the nose at all. Layers of apricot, pine/spruce, and pink grapefruit add in as I sip and enjoy, and... well, this is pretty good! I think Belma is probably one of these new hops that does better with some help from more aggressive/weird varietals (like Idaho 7 in this case), because I've never been convinced by it before, but it fits in here with some nice pulpy grapefruit/citrus and pineapple/melon notes which I think are bolstered by the hops it's been paired with. Feel is crisp and lively for a beer that looks like it'll be heavy and dense. I have been a bit iffy on some of Finback's newer IPAs, but this one is worthwhile. Also, not sure if they messed up the typography on the label here or if it's on purpose, but it's weird to see one of their beers without an "all-caps" name on the label. As a type nerd, this bothered me a bit. Not enough to affect my rating, of course, but yeah. Yikes, sorta.