Widmer Pitch Black IPA (Rotator Series)

Widmer Brothers Brewing
Portland, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Dark brown to black. Thin head. Looks like a Black IPA should.

AROMA: 3/4
Brown sugar, molasses, coffee. Some grapefruit-citrus hop. Malty, surprisingly complex.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Roasty, nutty/toasted nut flavor. Lots of malt up front, woody in the middle. Needs more flavor hop.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Fades to nice roasty hop bitterness, drops out after that.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Starts malty but drops out quickly, leaves you wanting. A little light-bodied for the style.

OVERALL: 2/3: Hop it up, and you've got a decent black IPA. This seems like a good first step.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not bad (though ours is better, of course). I feel like Widmer beers have a lot of potential, but this is probably the end result, not a starting point, so that's disappointing.
Ben: A little weak on hop flavor. Hop it up, and this could be a really good Black IPA. Otherwise, pretty standard (if thin) for this newly popular style.