Finch’s Beer Co.
Chicago, IL
The specialty grain bill on this beer includes Melanoidin and Victory malts. We use First Wort Hopping (Columbus), then add a generous amount more for bittering. Late flavor and aroma are provided by Columbus and Galena. We then dry hop with a combination of Summit, Galena and Columbus.
ABV: 6.0
ABW: 4.8
COLOR: 13
BITTERNESS: 90
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1060
AVAILABLE: CT, GA, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, TN, PA
This beer sure is a looker in the glass. From the can, it pours a bold, slightly hazy, nearly pumpkin-orange color with a crisp, white head that lingers long and strong. Resin-y pine notes are the first to greet the nose, with a touch of citrus and tropical fruit sweetness along for the ride. The first sip nearly assaults the palate with a resin bitterness, but an undercurrent of sweetness enters just in time to keep things in check. Still, as quickly as the sweetness arrives, it disappears again, leaving a residual grapefruit and pine bitterness that pricks the sides of the tongue.
An IPA in can that delivers in both flavor and freshness. Juicy, earthy, leafy hops run right through the beer, also contributing sherbety orange and intense, cleansing resins. The taste falls on the sweet side, despite all those hops with their zesty orange notes bouncing around the palate. If it’s just a touch cloying on the swallow, then the beer redeems itself quickly as more tangy, leafy, citrus hops run through the finish and a welcome dryness follows. A tasty, solid beer in a handy package (one for barbecues, picnics and train journeys!).
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.
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