Alaskan Pilot Series: Double Black IPA

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
Juneau, Alaska USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Bottle: Pours a pitch black color with a nice tan head. The nose is nicely hopped and.... malted with a crisp floral citrusy hop note and a mellow roasty chocolate/carob nose. The flavor is balanced, chewy body and a creamy mouthfeel amongst a lightly bitter and somewhat astringent flavor. Malty chocolate and roast and grapefruit/pine notes. Great Black IPA.

Bomber bottle and served in Bells snifter: Pours a deep brown with ruby and amber highlights topped by a frothy beige head, good lace. The aroma has notes of grassy, herbal and resin hops along with debittered black, roasted, toasted and a hint of wheat husks malting. Some anise, tobacco, leather, tar, bakers chocolate, coffee and walnuts too. The taste is nicely balanced between layers of dark malts and classic hops but there is a hint of pine and citrus too. Undertones of licorice, molasses, plums, mango, McCafe Mocha coffee drink, and smoke. The mouth feel is lively and aggressive, utterly dangerously drinkable at 8.5 ABV with very little of the ashy or chalky tones found in many Black IPAs. This is well put together and worthy of a try for anybody digging the new frontier of craft brews.

22. Pours nearly jet black with a dense and creamy dark tan head that really sticks around. Through a window, you could be forgiven for mistaking this for a stout. Breathing the same air, though, there’s no possibility for confusion. Smells like the most roasty delicious hop-forward IPA you’ve had in, well, days. They make a lot of these now, and, while this one keeps up with the pack, I won’t see it’s the class of the bunch. It’s "merely" very good. Nice big oily acidic pine and grapefruit nose. Shows a little boozy twang before it breathes for a while. Big creamy body, very satisfying right from the first sip. Roasty, toasty, caramelly, piney, grapefruity. Really a delicious beer. Long roasty bitter pine resin finish. Coherently integrated and still very bold and forward. Good stuff and worth revisiting.

Bottle, shared with Parksy. Very dark brown with a persistent light brown head. Aroma is equally roasty and hoppy, leaning more toward the roasty side actually, which appeals to me greatly. Sweet dark malt base, roast and chocolate, some molasses too. Piney slightly resinous hop profile, not too aggressive, but allowing the luscious malts to have their say. I like this interpretation of the style, where there is an equal (if not greater) emphasis on the dark malts as there is on the hops. Loving this Pilot Series so far!

Very dark brown with a creamy tan head. Big chocolate and citrus hops aroma and taste with a watery palate.

Bomber shared by Malrubius I think. POurs a deep dark near black- oily, good frothy head- lasting. Aroma is toasty, nutty big chocolate followed by good grassy citrusy hops, orange, grapefruit and slight weedy dank hints. Flavor is chocolate, toast, grass, floral hops, resin and light pine. Solid easy drinking finish- pretty fresh and good overall.

Bomber at Paul’s tasting. Pours black with tan head. Nose of grapefruits, peel, hops and chocolate malts. Taste is same with little pine in the finish.

Bottle from Healthy Spirits. Pours black with a rich tan head and a chocolate aroma. There is a dark chocolate flavor with a dry slightly bitter finish. It’s an interesting combination of tastes.

(Draught) clear espresso/ruby, creamy tan head. Nose of chocolate malt, citrus hoppy. Taste is very chocolaty, citrus peel bitterness, but very well balanced. Light coffee and cream here too.

Bottle:   Deep deep brown, ruby highlights, moderate to large frothy beige head, fairly nice lacing.   Hoppy nose, slight roasted malts, carob, campfire, charred wood, and miniscule cow pasture.   Semi-sweet citrusy hopiness, a little citrus rind, some astringency, touch of roasted malts.   For its color its not as roasty/burnt as I would have thought.   Remains with the citrus rind towards the backside.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   The 8.5% ABV is well hidden.   As this warms I get more lactose like cow pasture.   Body and mouthfeel are fairly moderate.   Remains citrusy, with a mild sweetness towards the finish.   Certainly more towards a regular IPA than a Double IPA, and certainly not as "Black" as others.   Otherwise, not bad, clean, but perhaps a simple Black IPA would be more appropriate.