New England IPA
Finkel & Garf Brewing Company

"limited release no. 009" in case that alters what profile this goes under.

Pours a murky pale orange with two fingers of white foam. Aroma is juicy papaya, tropical fruits, mango, and guava. Sweet all the way through. Flavor profile is mango, papaya, tangerine, and orange zest with some resiny, grassy hops at the back. The latter add some bitterness, but it's mostly juicy and sweet. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with mild chalk and grit up front that softens just a touch at the finish. Overall, tropical fruits with some gristy texture.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalu tulip from a 12oz can.

 

My bestie from Charlotte, NC gave me a can of this beer. It poured an hazy pale golden with very thin white head that is leaving some lace. The scent had citrus fruit peel notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with mild tropical fruit presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.

 

 

 

L - Appropriately hazy, pale orange in color. It certainly looks like a NE IPA. Lacing is faint, and head retention is fair - about a 1/2" first, though it dissapated swiftly. Poured into a 12oz tulip glass.
S - Fruit-forward, with tropical notes and a tease of hops at the end. Sweet overtones throughout, but lacking complexity.
T - Fruit flavors are strong here; there's an exhibition of juicy pineapple and papaya and some grapefruit. However, I was disappointed in a distinct lack of the characteristic hoppiness that I would expect from the NE style. The fruit flavors came along with a bit too much sweetness for my taste.
F - The beer exhibits some crispness despite its light carbonation. It came off as a bit flat and unsatisfying.
O - A solid approach to the style, but disappointing overall in light of the competition in this style. Slightly below average in my opinion; I would love to see them iterate and improve on this foundation.

 

L - Poured 12 oz can into goblet. Slightly hazy, burnt orange in color. Pours light, one finger head. Thin lacing, retained down the glass.
S - Smells of muted papaya, pineapple, with pine and the faintest bit of hops. Nose not nearly as complex as this one is on the palate.
T - This is where this brew shines. A sweet (but not too sweet) tropical explosion of pineapple, mango, and papaya greets the palate, with a crisp, well-carbonated middle and bright, hoppy finish that leaves the perfect amount of bitterness lingering. I really enjoy this.
F - Medium bodied, carbonated to my preference. On the less-carbonated end of the spectrum, but still enough for a crisp and refreshing mouthfeel. Finishes smoothly.
O - A fantastic Colorado take on the NE IPA style. Limited release, grab it if you can! One of my favorite representations of the style in the state of CO