Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA

Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3Black opaque. Tan head that laces the glass nicely.  Foamy with big bubbles.

AROMA: 3.5/4Peppery and hoppy.  Piney with tropical fruit aromas (New Zealand hops?) Subtle roast aromas.  Pretty.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Flavor: 3.5/4: Black pepper spiciness.  Citrus and tropical fruits hop flavors dominant. Sweet high notes fade to peppery bitterness.  Woody and sour.
Finish: 2.25/3: Bitter pepper tastes linger on the tongue.  Sour hints.  Bitterness sits in the center of the mouth.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Big.  Alcohol and pepper tingle.  A little chewy.  Bitter floods in nice and full.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Union Jack with rye sourness and roasted malt coffee, burnt toast flavors.  Spicy, peppery, full and satisfying.

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

COMMENTS:

Another winner from Firestone Walker.  A tad on the bitter side, but aroma, flavor, and body are great.  A gusty attempt on what is lately a popular style of beer.

New Glarus Black Top Black IPA

New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus, Wisconsin

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Dark mahogany color.  Pretty espresso head that lingers.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Hop nose! Sweet-dark Belgian candy. Some grapefruit (cascade hop?).  Nice piney-citrus aroma.  Pretty.

TASTE: 8.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Lots of hoppy high notes.  Citrus and pine.  Some licorice and molasses flavors.  Roasty and burnt toast bitterness.  Woody.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Sweet that fades to a really nice woody bitter.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Great balance, the roasted bitterness is perfect to pull back the malty flavors.  Bouncy on the tongue.

OVERALL: 3/3: This is what a Black IPA should taste like.  Lots of hop character, full-bodied, and nicely balanced.  A well done beer.

TOTAL: 16.75/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Unexpected.  I didn't know New Glarus had a Black IPA.  As good or better than any I've had.  I have no criticism except that I can't get more!
Ben: Wow.  I really like this beer - a lot!  Citrus, pine, hoppy, yet nicely balanced with brown sugar, licorice and molasses maltiness.  A great example of what a Black IPA should be!

Alaskan Black IPA

Alaskan Brewing Company
Juneau, Alaska

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep red-brown to black color. Dark but not cloudy; steady stream of bubbles, almond-colored head.

AROMA: 3/4
Hoppy-citrus nose. Sweet caramel. Roast is subtle. Not overly aromatic.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Strong roast and hop bitterness. Grassy, citrus hop flavor up-front. Roasted caramel, sweetness that quickly goes to bitter.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitterness strong on tongue, lasts. Woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Light-bodied, effervescent. Mouth-puckering bitterness.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Good. Lighter bodied than some Black IPAs. Roast is strongly bitter, but missing chocolate and coffee flavors typical of the style.

TOTAL: 14.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Unique, a nice attempt at a Black IPA—nicely bitter, interesting flavor. Could be hoppier, bitterness is a bit much, and it's very light, but it's not bad.
Ben: Hop bitterness overwhelms. Could use more hop aroma and flavor. Missing body to offset bitterness. Not bad, but I've had better (Grand Teton comes to mind).

Deschutes Hop In The Dark Cascadian Dark Ale

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Black opaque, like black coffee. Perfect head: rocky, fine bubbles, espresso-colored. Beautiful lacing.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Green-grassy with a hint of roast—like an espresso. Meadowy, with a hint of chocolate.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Sweet, grassy and biscuit, with a touch of coffee. Sweet cream up-front, fades to hop bitter. Nicely balanced.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Roast coffee aftertaste, some coffee. Subtle hop bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Light-bodied, smooth.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: It's good, a good example of the style. Would have liked to seen it a bit bigger. But good.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Nicely done, and I'm a sucker for Cascade hops. I was expecting a bigger beer–in a 4-pack, I might have accepted it better. A sweet take on the style, and tasty.
Ben: Lighter-bodied than I expected. Roasty and hoppy, a good example of a black IPA. Tasty, lip-smacking, I'd buy it again.

Odell Mountain Standard Double Black IPA

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Thick, rocky, almond colored head. Big bubbles. Black almost opaque color. Head lasts.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Roasted aromas dominant - coffee, subtle chocolate. Grassy hop notes. Some malty caramel sweetness.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Roasted flavors - burnt coffee, burnt toast, nutty. Also sweet malty notes. Molasses and dark candy sugar flavors. Woody hop flavors ans some hop bitterness. Balanced.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Roasted flavors and bitterness lasts. Some residual malty sweetness. Slight alcohol but masked well.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Fizzy. Full. Alcohol warming. Very smooth.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
A solid black IPA. Big, roasty, and coffee flavors. A good solid offering from a great brewery.

TOTAL: 15.75/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Tasty - really silky smooth, I like it. A nice balance of bitter and sweet. Nicely done.
Ben: A solid black IPA. Nice and roasty with good coffee notes. I like it.

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.

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Stone Brewing Company
Escondido (San Diego County), CA

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Black. Thick, rocky, espresso-colored head. Pretty–laces the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Grassy, woody hop aroma. Coffee, roasted nose. Surprisingly, not overly aromatic.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Strong coffee/roastiness up-front. Bitter dominant. LOTS of woody hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Strong bitterness that lasts. Really bitter–almost too much roasty, burnt coffee bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Fills the mouth, bitter on the tongue. Big but not boozy; alcohol is nicely masked.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Definitely a black IPA. Very roasty. Almost too bitter, but leave it to Stone to pull it off (though if you don't like coffee or roasted flavor, skip it).

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice change of pace—not overly complex, though too bitter, it's a straightforward beer. Simple, well done, a solid Black IPA.
Ben: A great, hoppy, roasty Black IPA. Another great offering by an awesome brewer; pick up a Stone, you can't go wrong.

Tommyknocker Hop Strike Black Rye IPA

Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub
Idaho Springs, CO

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Dark brown to black opaque color. Espresso head fades but rings the glass. Nice coffee color.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Coffee. Grassy hop aroma. Some woody notes. Sweet cream at top. Subtle peppery nose.

TASTE: 6.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Mostly malt upfront. Woody hop flavor. Some roasted malt, some sourness.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Subtle hop bitter finish. Lingering pepper taste.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Dry and malty. Starts full then drops out.

OVERALL: 1.75/3
More subdued than we'd hoped for. Rye character overshadows the hop you'd expect in an IPA.

TOTAL: 13/20–I'll Try a Pint

NOTES:
Matt: With a name like Hop Strike I expect a powerful hoppy beer. This leaves me wanting. Just okay.
Ben: This is more a rye beer than an true IPA. Interesting, different, but one is enough. Meh.

Trout Hop Black IPA

Grand Teton Brewing Company
Victor, Idaho

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Thick, rocky, espresso-colored head that lasts. Big bubbles. Deep red-brown, almost black. Pretty.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Hoppy! Piney, citrus notes. Floral, some woodiness. Could use more of the malt nose.

TASTE: 8.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Nicely balanced. Lots of hop flavor, fades to bitter at end. Sweet maltiness up-front, fades quickly.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Piney, lots of citrus. Subtle roastiness at middle, coffee notes at end. Bitterness lasts.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Smooth and creamy. Thick, flows right down your throat. Luxurious.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: This is a good beer. An IPA first, with some unique roasty notes. A great winter beer for hopheads!

TOTAL: 17.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I like this a lot! A good balance of bitter and smooth, complex flavors and delightful hop aroma. Tasty.
Ben: This is a good beer–paired with the trout on the label, it would complete a delicious meal.