Style: New England-style Imperial IPA

ABV: 10.0 IBU: 42.0

93/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	5

Finback Brewery Four Year

What the brewers say

“Triple IPA dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo, Columbus, and both Mosaic and Citra lupulin powder.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “All the onions. Blend of green, red, white, and yellow onions. Some shallots, because the brewer is fancy like that.”

Flavor: “Pretty juicy (orange) and not a huge onion bomb that the aroma made it seem like it was going to be. Definitely has alcohol, but it isn’t overpowering. For a high-gravity IPA, this has a good amount of hops flavor (pine, resin, orange) and malt backbone. Balanced toward bitter as it should be, but all in all, it has a lot of other stuff going on.”

Overall: “Great job getting flavor from malt and hops to overpower the alcohol presence. Onion is present but citrus flavor prevails.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: The Annual IPA Issue (August-September 2018) (View All Issues)

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Burgeon Beer Co. Thuja

__Aroma: __“This one has a big nose that is complex and a lot of fun. Dank, piney, and resinous, and maybe just a touch of red onion. Juicy with notes of orange, grapefruit, a little lemon, and some pear. A nice malt biscuit sweetness.” __Flavor:__ “Medium-high body and lingering bitterness carries the dank and piney hops profile throughout this one. Great balance, though maybe pushing the limits of a single IPA, even if West Coast. Lots of grapefruit and lemon. There is a sweetness from the fruit notes up front, but the bitterness cuts the sweetness and carries through the finish with a body to help support the big hops bitterness.” __Overall:__ “Classic West Coast IPA that might have taken a few steroids somewhere along the way. This one doesn’t mess around on anything except subtlety. Not an all-day kind of beer, but I would finish a pint of it and be happy because the esters and hop flavors play together well.”

Finback Brewery BlueShift

“Pleasant aromatics of earthy berries mingle with the spicy aspects of the cinnamon to create the impression of tart-and-spicy blueberry oatmeal. It’s blueberry pie meets mulling spices to create a tart, spicy, yet fruity take on the kettle sour.”

Stone Brewing Company Ruination Double IPA 2.0

Aroma: “Lemon and red grapefruit– hops aromas, grain sweetness, and nice hints of pineapple as it warms. Bitter orange, candied citrus, green onion, garlic, and honey add to the juicy character.” Flavor: “Aggressive hops bitterness is piney, resinous. Biscuity malt helps round out the finish. Hint of higher alcohols in the finish. Bitter orange, more scallions, a touch of earthiness, and a lovely caramel note. Complex flavor and great mouthfeel. Finishes with a lingering bitterness.” Overall: “Big earthy hops bomb with very light oxidation. This beer is high enough in IBUs that you really need to let it warm thoroughly before drinking. As it warms, some nice fruity, citrusy flavors help balance out the aggressive hops bitterness. The hops profile comes across somewhat murky, which isn’t to say it’s bad—it leaves one guessing, which can be quite rewarding. A nice double IPA overall.”

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