Miasma
Finback Brewery

MiasmaMiasma
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From:
Finback Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
7.2%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 10.49%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
49
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 30, 2017
Added:
Feb 05, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  7
Smoked Black Rye IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sirsteve42:
Photo of sirsteve42
Rated by sirsteve42 from New York

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Feb 20, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of JerzDevl2000
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Traded for this a while ago, as the beer had a date of 12/7 with "2 AM TWEETS" written above it (guilty as charged!). This was the first dark beer out of a can that I had from Finback and it was a winner, though it could have easily been classified a Porter as well as the American Black Ale that it's currently under. Roasted, thick, and grainy from the rye, this had a lot going on but still managed to hold itself together and stay smooth for the duration, without much of anything in the aftertaste that needed a chaser of water!]

Such a dark and mysterious pour to this as the beer was a few shades of brown short of appearing jet black, coming closing to being a dark oil slick. Tons of frothy, chocolate head topped it off and remained as scattered, spotty lacing on the side of my pint glass. Roasted malt, cocoa powder, and rye were in the muted nose with more of those all coming into the taste. Blood orange juice, creamy french cheese, and grainy rye were all here as this really came through as it warmed up. Quite smoky, it didn't last for long as an undertone of dark, spicy bread took hold and melded everything together. Not a lot of hops here but there was some slickness that coated my mouth once this finally went down.

The amount of alcohol was spot-on here as it went hand-in-hand with the warming effect that this beer had without overpowering it or lingering for too long. This was a very interesting beer that wasn't anything like Finback's other offerings or other Black IPA's that I had. A solid example of the style, the malt was a bit too much for the hops but in the end, it was a *relatively* smooth sipper that I'd easily have again. Nice job on this one!
Jun 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.44 by CreightonSM from New York

Apr 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.52 by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

Apr 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by PatGreer from Massachusetts

Mar 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.95 by aibkstaff from New York

Mar 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by alexsergio from New York

Mar 04, 2017
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Had on tap. Pours opaque, black in color with 1/4 inch head. Taste is big smoke, pine, cocoa, and light roast. Heavy bodied for the style, slightly bitter and moderate carbonation. Really tasty and different for the style. I like the additional smoke. If I wanted the style, I would reach for this one.
Feb 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by Spoild from Massachusetts

Feb 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.86 by TheOldMachines from Vermont

Feb 13, 2017
Photo of BucannonXC5
Reviewed by BucannonXC5 from California

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Type: 16-oz. can
Glass: Modern Times willybecher pint
From: My friend Charlie
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received Jan. 27, 2017
Consumed: Feb. 3, 2017
Reviewed as: American Black Ale
Misc.: Canned on Dec. 7, 2016

Was lucky enough to get 10 pretty sweet beers sent to me by a college buddy. Not the biggest fan of Black IPAs lately, but did like the last one he sent me, El Jefe from The Alchemist. Hoping for at least a 4.

Poured a pitch black oil color with two fingers of frothy tan head. Serene setting underneath. Outstanding spiderweb lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled smoky malts, rye spices, charred wood, black licorice, dark cocoa powder, roasted chocolate, black coffee and hints of dark fruit. Was digging it. (Smell - 4.25)

Taste was even smokier. Not initially appealing. Got smoky malts, charred wood, smoked beef brisket, dark cocoa nibs, ashtray, anise, black licorice, roasted black coffee malts, dark chocolate and some spicy rye. Smoke dominates the rye here. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, smoky finish. (Feel - 4.25)

This was OK. Much smokier than I’d like, but it somehow works. (Overall - 4.00)

4.00 | 90 | A-
Feb 06, 2017
Photo of orcrist_cleaver
Reviewed by orcrist_cleaver from New York

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Miasma. An interesting name considering the connotations: effuvia, disgust, deleterious.

An unrelenting, deadly black hue. A thick, dark tan head rests atop keeping the dark depths stolid, eerily clear, and inviting.

Smells like a mischievous schwarz: a puff from a culinary smoker with apple, clementine, and pine in the chamber.

Tastes like an IPA with a twist. Toffee notes beg for a sinful apple coated woth a stick, nutty mallow. Candied orange, tanned leather. Overall, juicy but not sweet. The spice of the rye really contains the body well--finishes quite dry. The smoke was very innocuous, but it's a pernicious beer especially because it's so hard to stop drinking.
Feb 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by Gawz from New York

Jan 24, 2017
Photo of ichorNet
Reviewed by ichorNet from Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Always enjoy checking out Finback's creations as they tend to be kind of experimental when they're not straight-up IPAs, and this one fits the bill as a smoked rye black IPA. What the what? Full disclosure, I got a four pack of these and have already had the other three, so I'm not going into this blind. Additionally, the can I'm reviewing is about a 5 weeks old at this point. Not sure it really matters, but might as well mention it.

Pours a very brutal, deep dark black into my pint glass. Towering, voluminous mocha-colored foam forms headily atop this seriously oily brew. Leaving sticky and consistent tiered lace as it fades, the aforementioned foam retains with several fingers even after 5-10 minutes in my glass. A very well built appearance that keeps on giving.

The nose is very smoky, roasty and charred, with notes of chocolate, pine and citrusy fruit (mostly rindlike, not really juicy at all) atop some earthy dankness and moderate rye-like spice. Kind of leathery as well. They absolutely didn't hold back on the smoked malt here, as this has a very woody and burnt nose. More like a porter than a black IPA, even with the slight hop support that tends towards elements usually found in IPAs, but there's something about the roast profile that feels jarring with the brewery's intentions, but it still smells great and pretty unique.

On the tongue, this is a bit juicier with some citrus and light tropical fruit notes mingling with the smoke here and there. Mostly, they stay pretty delineated however, with the fruitiness upfront and the smoke more towards the mid-palate, where some chalky cocoa and roasted malts also take up residence. The finish is charred pine needles, through and through, with some spice and woody, herbal flavors as well. Very cool stuff here. More convincing as a "black IPA" on the palate than in the nose, but I digress. I feel like the smoke just loses out a bit to the hops here, but your mileage may vary.

Feel and drinkability are pretty good, but just a touch worse by virtue of the way the flavors cascade and the thin-ish body overall. I don't pick up much alcohol at all, and the medium-heavy body is serviceable. However, this feels like two different beers kind of smashed together and even though it's very enjoyable to drink (nevermind beautiful to look at), it can be a bit jarring as some black IPAs are wont to be. Perhaps, then, it's a testament to how damn well made this is that I can look past the fact that I don't think the idea here is a great one and still find it to be great beer.
Jan 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.8 by AlpacaAlpaca from New York

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by fthegiants from California

Jan 13, 2017
Photo of Kendo
Reviewed by Kendo from New York

3.92/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured from the can into a Duvel tulip. Motor-oil black on the pour, with a hint of mahogany/red on the edges. A half-finger khaki-colored head settles on top, leaving a bit of lacing behind.

S: Interesting nose, with leather, tobacco, burnt wood and a touch of pine.

T: Loses steam here - lots of charcoal and smoky-type flavors. Some ash. Over-roasted coffee beans/burnt coffee. Finishes with some piney bitterness, though lingering aftertaste is more smoky again.

M: Medium in heft, carbonation is on the finer side, though with a little "bite."

O: OK, not great. I like my Black Ales to have more sweet and chocolatey flavors than the smoky, woodsy flavors I get here.
Jan 07, 2017
Photo of angrybabboon
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for the can

Consumed 1/4/16

A: Deep, dark brown with a jet black core - some clarity around the edges - pours with a medium size, beige head, fades to a wispy cap, maintains a small-medium collar, leaves streaks and spots of lacing

S: Smoky and burnt - straight-up smoke, smoked grains, char, charcoal, and burnt bread - hints of tobacco - charred rye bread with some rye spice - roasty chocolate and coffee, semisweet chocolate, some dark chocolate, baker's chocolate - nutty - not getting much citrus, expecting some for the style

T: Lots of smoke - way too much smoke, actually - smoked grains, burnt bread, tobacco, char - burnt malts, dark roast coffee - dark chocolate malts, some touches of sweeter chocolate, semisweet chocolate, cocoa - some lighter citrus flavors under the layers of smoke and char, with some orange and grapefruit rind, touches of charred pine needles - burnt and hoppy bitterness, a touch acrid - finishes dry with lingering burnt heat

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, sharpness from the rye spice and the smoke

O: The vapors!

The amount of smoke in the aroma and flavor is remarkable. It's super burnt, too, which guides my thoughts more to a lump of charcoal rather than the meaty character in some Rauchbiers. It's unique, to say the least, but a bit much.
Jan 05, 2017
 
Rated: 2.76 by logicalparadox from New York

Jan 04, 2017
Miasma from Finback Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 49 ratings