\n\t 
As I mentioned in my last couple posts, it’s my wife’s birthday and we’re out on the town. After a nice dinner at Kobe Steakhouse and swalling a Tsingtao and Asahi Super Dry, we headed over to Destihl for a beer or two and enjoy the evening before having to pick up the kids. Ever since I had Deschutes’ Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark ale and the Walnut Brewery 1123 IPA during my trip out to the Great American Beer Festival, I’ve been a fan of black IPAs. So, when I saw they had one on the menu, I thought I’d give it a try.
Numbers: 6.7% ABV, 85 IBUs, 32 SRM
Appearance & Aroma: It was black in color, with a little bit of brown and ruby colors when held up to the light. It had a very thick, creamy, tan head on it. There was a very obvious citrusy aroma to it as well.
Taste & Feel: The head added a smooth and creamy mouthfeel to the medium bodied brew. It had a light roasty flavor up front, followed by a very grapefruity Amarillo-like hop flavor, which continued well into the finish. In the finish, there was also a bit of a bitter black malt flavor as well, giving it a hint of a coffee-like flavor as well.
Food Pairing: Given the big citrusy hop flavor, as well as the coffee-like bitterness, it would need something thick and solid to accompany it. I would probably go with something like a shepards pie or chicken and dumplings.
Overall Impression: I like this style of beer because it does bring some unique flavor pairings. However, I think I prefer a bit more of a citrusy-piney hop flavor, rather than the huge grapefruit flavor this one had. Additionally, I would have preferred a bit more of a roasty flavor than the coffee-like bitterness from the dark malts. I don’t want to give the impression that this was a bad beer, because it was decent. However, it was a bit extreme on both the grapefruit hoppiness as well as the coffee bitterness.
My Rating: 
Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]
Recent Comments