Finback: Coconut Drip

Discussion in 'Extreme Beer Box: BIG STOUTS (2023)' started by Todd, Jan 15, 2023.

  1. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,172) Aug 23, 1996 California
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Please use this thread to discuss and post pics for...

    Finback Brewery
    Coconut Drip
    11% | 16oz can
    Imperial Stout with Invisible Force coffee, peanuts, vanilla, and coconut.

    ...and don't forget to rate the beer (click on the beer name above and then "Rate It") on BeerAdvocate!
     
  2. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (3,772) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

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    Had this last night and it was awesome.

    4 extras is a lot to work with in one beer, 2-3 too many for my taste generally. But damned if this doesn't come together extremely well.

    The base beer is robustly chocolatey and stands up well to all the competition. The coconut is pretty potent throughout and the peanuts come on strong at the end. At the exhale there is a nice tingle from the coffee. Can't I get much if any vanilla but I am really enjoying the whole package. The mouthfeel is full and creamy but not sticky.
     
  3. thomapa1

    thomapa1 Initiate (125) Nov 29, 2017

    First blood! Great beer. I thought it would be too busy, but it was actually well balanced and smooth. Rich dark color, nice head. Only complaint is that I split it with my son vs drinking it all myself
     
  4. cjfrye

    cjfrye Initiate (0) Jun 28, 2005 Ohio

    Impressive!
    I pulled this one out first, thinking I'd get it out of the way before diving into the rest I was sure I'd like more. I'm not a fan of peanut butter in beer, or of coconut in general. What a surprise! Considering all that is in there, this might be the best balanced big beer I've had yet. Neither the peanut nor the coconut stand out in ways I'd dislike; instead they add grace notes to fill in the rich surround sound of the finished beverage. Normally I'd look for a little oatmeal to finish off the mouthfeel, but this luscious, viscous pour isn't missing that at all. Well done!
     
  5. dbl_delta

    dbl_delta Grand Pooh-Bah (3,715) Sep 22, 2012 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Rated this last night but forgot to post anything here. Extreme Beer Box #4 for me. Pours dark brown with ruby highlights and a very thick, dark tan head. Peanuts, chocolate, coconut, and a touch of coffee. Not sweet yet not bitter. Mouthfeel is smooth, thick, and creamy. Just excellent - very enjoyable and very drinkable!
     
  6. jdm1

    jdm1 Initiate (0) Jan 24, 2023 Colorado

    Unfortunately, the box I received today didn't include this selection. Instead, there were 2 of the Flux. What can be done to help?
     
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  7. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,172) Aug 23, 1996 California
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    There were a handful of boxes that this happened with. Please contact Half Time so they can try to make it right: beeradvocate@halftimebeverage.com or (845) 462-7899
     
  8. PurdueBrad

    PurdueBrad Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2020 Illinois

    Cracked this first with mid to low expectations as I enjoy each of the flavors involved but I also know it takes a really deft hand to pull them off...
    and Finback absolutely pulls it off. Honestly, an impressive surprise and now I wish I held it back until later!

    It has a beautifully rich color and a great pour. Drinks a touch thick but, honestly, it just works to slow me down as a drinker. This sips beautifully. I get a touch of all the flavors; they play together well. I love the warmth of this beer and it never drinks boozy and doesn't even drink sweet despite the potential to go there. The aftertaste is a tremendous blend of peanut butter and coffee. Honestly, as a bottle drinking snob, I couldn't tell you at all that this came from a can.

    This was my first experience with Finback as a brewery and will absolutely try anything they make simply because of how well-balanced this beer is.

    What a freaking awesome start!
     
  9. darktronica

    darktronica Grand Pooh-Bah (3,076) Aug 29, 2014 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess I'm the hot take here, but I really didn't enjoy this one. To my palate, the peanut butter came across as more of an artificial-tasting powdered peanut product, and it really didn't play well with the coffee, which had some over-extracted pyrazine notes. For having coconut as the namesake and label art, it really got drowned out by the peanut and coffee. I hate that I'm saying this, but it could have used some more sweetness to balance the bitter coffee char and whatever was going on with the peanuts.
     
  10. Beersnake1

    Beersnake1 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,978) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    First can from the box, and it's a big win!

    Poured at fridge temp. Pours really thick and viscous. Midnight black with a thin layer of dark brown head. Looks like a monster of a beer! The nose is light peanut butter, coconut, vanilla, roasted malts, coffee beans, raisins, slight tobacco, and some charred wood. Really smooth.

    The taste generally follows the nose. Man, this is a thick beer. Toffee, very dark chocolate, coconut, vanilla, roasted malts, oak, French roast coffee grounds, and some peanut butter. Really well-rounded and very nicely done!

    The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Fantastic, IMO. The aftertaste is a nice mix of nuts and roasted malts. Overall, I'm really loving this one.

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. CB_Michigan

    CB_Michigan Maven (1,436) Sep 4, 2014 Illinois
    Society Trader

    Beer #2 from the box! This is impressive. It’s rich, roasty, and nicely balanced considering how many flavorings were used. I’m picking up a LOT of peanut butter and coconut up front. The coffee is definitely present but it’s more of a mid-palate taste to me. From the aroma, I was expecting something sweeter, but it’s nicely restrained. The only knock is that it seems super boozy. I’m getting tons of alcohol heat, like every bit of that 11% is coming through loud and clear.
     
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  12. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (4,328) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Im finally back to having some of these stout box beers. Early soccer game this AM, kept me away last night, but Im back at it now.

    onto my review:
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    Sampling a 16 oz can at cellar temp and poured into my snifter. The beer is datestamped "something" /22.
    Beer pours a black coffee color with no light passing through at all. Even with an aggressive pour I only get .5 cm of creamy brown head. This foam fades to a sturdy edge layer soon after the pour. The edging does create some tight lacing when I take a sip from the glass.
    Aroma is peanuts, roasted husk and shell notes, some dark fudge and dark cacao notes come in and roasted coffee grounds too. I dont really get the coconut nor the vanilla on the nose. Sometimes with so many additives, they dont all make a showing. But the nose is appealing. Also no hops and not boozy at this point.
    First sip reveals a medium to thick body with fairly bold and tingly carbonation. The carbonation definitely feels assertive on my palate.
    Flavor is fairly similar to the nose. I get some roasted malt and coffee ground briefly up front. This moves to some fudge and light roasted peanut notes in the middle and here I do get the faintest hit of vanilla just before I swallow. Although this flavor lingers on my lips a bit, fairly marshmallowy. No hops anywhere, and I also dont find this one to be boozy in flavor or warmth.
    I enjoy this big stout, only drawback would be Im not really finding the coconut, but otherwise I enjoy this beer.
    4.35 in the BA DB
     
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  13. Luscious_Malfoy

    Luscious_Malfoy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,107) Oct 5, 2016 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

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    beer #2 from the stout box. solid enough. a very interesting combination of flavors here. i don’t get hardly any coconut but it’s still very good. sweet but not too sweet. since it had coffee in it i used that as an excuse to have it as a breakfast stout :wink:

    cheers!!
     
  14. MadMadMike

    MadMadMike Maven (1,324) Dec 11, 2020 Florida
    Society Trader

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    “Peanut butter” seems to be a theme in this Extreme Beer Box.
    I’m happy it’s not cinnamon.,.
    Right fine effort, this Coconut Drip. It has all the hallmarks of a great base Stout and all the adjunctiness you could ask for. Very balanced attack on the senses, looks and smells good, big time flavor.
    It’ll rate well, I think.,
     
  15. kalexeff

    kalexeff Devotee (354) Nov 15, 2020 Ohio
    Trader

    I guess I’m in the minority here. This is classified as a Pastry Stout. I could see it as a Coffee Stout (because that’s all I get). But as a Pastry Stout it fell short for me. I got barely any coconut (maybe just a hint in the nose) and virtually no peanut. But that’s actually a good thing. I don’t know who decided that coconut and peanuts go together, but they should have their head examined. They don’t! And we have two of twelve that tried it (both disappointments for me). This would be a good Coffee Stout, if they billed it as one. Unfortunately, I’m not crazy about coffee. I got a faint hint of Tiramisu in the finish, or I would have rated this as 3.00/5.00. As it stands, 3.50.
     
  16. dcat151

    dcat151 Crusader (472) Jan 18, 2022 Georgia
    Society

    Very dark pour with a small amount of head. Aroma is coffee and chocolate. Very smooth feel to it. Drinks lighter than it looks. Peanut butter and slightly bitter coffee equate to a good balance. Finish is like a brownie with burnt edges. I don't get a lot of coconut in this, but it is a very solid stout.
     
  17. brentk56

    brentk56 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,831) May 13, 2004 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I enjoyed the powerful coffee and dark chocolate flavors and was pleased that this was not overly sweet. I could pick out the vanilla and peanut butter but the coconut was hard but not impossible to detect. Overall I enjoyed it but I wouldn't have put coconut in the name.
     
  18. Eddieeight

    Eddieeight Zealot (730) Jul 30, 2017 Ohio
    Trader

    Got in the Extreme Stout Beer Box courtesy of Beer Advocate. I'm on the verge of going out of town so I need something to relax me. Rather simple can, rather simple label. Some drippy coconuts. Poured out thick jet black, no head and just a thin ring around the glass. The smell is HUGE! Great chocolate, coffee, coconut, just a big wall of scented deliciousness. One of the best smelling stouts I've encountered. The taste is full of dark bittersweet chocolate, thick gooey fudge, smooth peanut butter, molasses, and some roasted coffee. The coconut taste is there, but it's daint and in the background. It's more of a dark toasted coconut that's been baked into a delicious cookie rather than raw white coconut. However it is not the predominant flavor, which makes me question the name of this brew. The beer is quite thick and heavy, but light bubbles dance around my tongue as I hold it in my mouth. When i was in elementary school, the cafeteria workers used to make my favorite treat - peanut butter chocolate oatmeal fudgies. That's what this tastes like, and it brings me back to those good old days. Overall quite a good beer, a dessert like treat meant to be a slow sipper.
     
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  19. Violentvixen

    Violentvixen Aspirant (287) Jul 25, 2021 Oregon

    This was really good. I think the coconut is more of a coconut milk/cream profile than dried sweetened coconut, and that works much better in a stout in my opinion.

    Wait, has anyone made a curry stout? Because I would try a curry stout.
     
  20. Jasonrm72

    Jasonrm72 Maven (1,320) Apr 29, 2012 Colorado
    Trader

    Glad HalfTime made good and sent this, and I'm glad I didn't wait until the weekend.
    Pretty viscous, sticky sweet, just my style. Full flavor, some chocolate. I didn't get much coconut. But then, I may actually be losing my ability to taste coconut. I've had some coconut beers where my wife swears it's strong, but I barely get it.
    Regardless, this was still a great imp stout even sans prominent coconut.
     
  21. bluejacket74

    bluejacket74 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,709) Jul 4, 2005 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Maybe Ballast Point's Indra Kunindra would be the closest I've seen to a curry stout but I haven't see that one around in years.
     
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  22. bluejacket74

    bluejacket74 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,709) Jul 4, 2005 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

  23. GrumpyGas

    GrumpyGas Grand Pooh-Bah (4,221) Apr 7, 2009 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Must be too many roasty stouts for me today(8 half {shared})beers over several hours, because the dark coffee bean roast flavor is killing me. Some coconut aroma, and flavor, but, given the name, I expected more. Again, I recognize I am ≈50oz in, but...

    [​IMG]
     
  24. ZebulonXZogg

    ZebulonXZogg Pooh-Bah (2,414) May 5, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Jet black inky looking pour, nice frothy brown head, some nice lacing. Snot locker says artificially flavored peanut candy, there's some chocolate buried down there and a bit of coffee. Sickly sweet finish. Smooth creamy feel, carbonation left after the pour. Another overly sweet, added junk laden stout.
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    My score was a resounding 3.32!
     
  25. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,248) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Blank ink pour on this one, with an equally dark head, relative to most. First whiff seemed somewhat Mounds-like but as I sit with it I am getting more dark chocolate and chocolate liqueur with something more peanut-butter like than coconut in the nose. A nutty coffee opens for me, with a dark chocolate bitterness that is countered maybe a tad too well by thick malt sweetness, especially in the late taste into the aftertaste. I can find coconut because I am looking for it, but I think it is what is feeding into what I am getting as a sprinkling of artificial sweetener. The GF said it was "pretty good but more chocolatey than coconutty."
     
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  26. johlac66

    johlac66 Pundit (956) Jul 19, 2014 California
    Society

    Time to get my drip on.
    Lovely notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and peanut butter. There's maybe a touch of vanilla and coconut. Full, rich mouthfeel with a nice roasty peanut finish. A pretty solid stout. Quite good!
    [​IMG]
     
    #26 johlac66, Feb 16, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2023
  27. F4Phantom

    F4Phantom Devotee (383) Dec 30, 2008 Georgia
    Society

    I went for this to finish up the last of the peanut butter stouts in the box. My first impression came from the aroma of peanut butter. However, as it warms up, I am getting much more of a chocolate flavor with some mild notes of coconut. I do get some coffee flavor but the chocolate dominates. To me, this is not a bad thing as I prefer that over a strong peanut butter flavor. Overall, not too shabby!
     
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  28. MonDak_Joe1953

    MonDak_Joe1953 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,190) Aug 4, 2017 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Great combination, not often encountered, of chocolate malts, coffee, peanut butter, vanilla, and coconut. Some sweetness and some bitterness that seem to swirl around in combination and ultimately work well together. Definitely some higher ABV& here but not to a burn-the-mouth level. The vanilla and coconut work to bring in sweetness, the coffee to bring in bitterness, and the peanut butter to bring in earthiness. The chocolate malts bounce off all for balance and to introduce seldom encountered flavor samplings. Quite unique to my palate.
     
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  29. eppCOS

    eppCOS Grand Pooh-Bah (3,844) Jun 27, 2015 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Huh - guess I never got this in the box.
    Recounts... yep, two FLUXes, zero on this one. It's alright - glad to read the reviews on this one. I'll look forward to trying it out someday... but these FLUXes kept me happy. Cheers... still have a few to work through on the big boy box.
     
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  30. Curmudgeon

    Curmudgeon Pundit (946) May 29, 2014 Massachusetts
    Society

    This was an awesome beer but did have a bit of harsh bitterness at the end. The head was nice and thick and the beer had a rich chocolate aroma with some spiciness too. For as much as I enjoyed it, I don't have any notes on coconut or peanut butter.

    [​IMG]
     
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  31. mjwellman

    mjwellman Zealot (621) Jun 14, 2014 Texas
    Society

    Last couple beers were ok so I didn't have high expectations for Coconut Drip but was I wrong. A wonderful imperial stout. Great way to end the day

    L: Pours dark like coffee with a small head.
    A: vanilla, coffee and chocolate
    T: sweet, chocolate with hint of vanilla and coffee
    F: smooth and silky like drinking a chocolate shake
    O: wonderful imperial stout that's like a desert.