Lakewood, New York
APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Black, opaque. Tan creamy head, fades to ring the glass with nice lacing. Looks like coffee.
AROMA: 3.25/4Dark/semi-sweet chocolate. Roast, burnt toast. Subtle black licorice. Coffee, mocha. Woody notes.
TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Rich, chocolate. Very malty, coudl use a bit more hop to balance it out. Quite sweet, molasses sweetness and some woodiness.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Burnt coffee; malty sweetness up-front, moves to bitter, roast lingers, but could use more hop bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full and rich—fills the mouth with darkness. A little boozy, maltiness coats the tongue. Not quite cloying (but close).
OVERALL: 2/3: It's good; not sure it's as IPA-ish as it could be, more like an imperial porter than an IPA. What the hell, not bad.
TOTAL: 15.75/20–Pour Me Another
NOTES:This imperial black has a lot going for it. Definitely could use more hop—it's an IPA, man! Hop it up! It's a really dark, big beer that needs more hop intensity to offset the body. And nice roast!