Style: IPA (Hazy Double)

ABV: 8.5

95/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	5

Finback Brewery Whale Watching : 2022

What the brewers say

“DDH double IPA dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Idaho 7, Strata, and Nelson.”

What our panel thought

“Bright citrus aroma—lemon, lime, tangerine, grounded by subtle pine, earth, and Angostura bitters. Lemon-like citrus flavor backed by subtle malt sweetness, tempered by bittering notes of green tea, pine, light earth. Bitterness lingers into the finish, melding into citrus pith.”

What our editors thought

“Clean, fresh, interesting—nothing stands out, yet everything adds. Tropical fruit, crisp floral notes, citrus, light grass. Lightly sweet sip supports tropical notes. Crisp backbone feels bitter without being bitter.”

Review printed in: The IPA Issue: Cold IPA, New West Coast, Hop Saturation & More (August-September 2022) (View All Issues)

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Finback Whale Watching

Bright citrus notes of tangerine, lemongrass, with earthy, dank garlic and green pepper. Inviting. Fruit-forward flavor, citrus-peel with solid malt sweetness—caramel, biscuit. Stone-fruit esters contribute to sense of sweetness. Balances well.

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“Aroma is a symbiosis—the first few chews of Fruit Stripe bubblegum, immediately after puffing a fat bowl of good weed. On the sip, up-front herbs give way to sweet oranges and mangos. Bit of heat, to be expected; alcohols brings forward hop intensity. Bitterness on the lower end, considering the sweetness.”

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“Among the grainy malt, pleasant hints of pine and earthy dankness emerge out of the floral and perfume-like hop-forward nose, for a nicely complex and inviting aroma. The malt flavor comes across a bit thin and struggles to support the nuanced hop notes. The clean edge seems to further strip away nuance.”

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