Beer Valley Black Madness

Brewed by Beer Valley Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Ontario, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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I had this beer at the Pizza Port Hoptoberfest in San Clemente, CA 2010. Sorry, but this beer didn’t work for me. There were various influences going on: hops, roastiness, but it just didn’t all come together.

Draft at the Pine Box. Pours jet black, absorbing light from all nearby celestial bodies, with a dense and creamy light tan head. Huge roasty coffee nose, very deep and rich and overshot with herby, piney hop as well. Creamy thick dense heavy body. Enormous delicious coffee mid palate, hoppy finish. The hop gets almost minty here. Gigantic heavy beer that manages to stay fairly drinkable...for ten and a half.

Tap at Bier Stein. Dark brown pour with small tan head, no lacing. Big aroma of earth and citrus hops, roast, coffee, a little chocolate. Flavor was earthen, citrus and pine hops melded quite well with chocolate and coffee flavors. Very nice black and tan styled beer, I would definitely drink it again.

Tap @ Belmont Station... Poured dark brown with a thick, frothy, khaki head. Nose was super hoppy, dirty, pine and citrus. The taste contained a lot of the hop qualities, but the roast of the Black Flag really took over. Very clean all around, great carbonation and foamy mouthfeel. Short finish though, a dry leader finish similar to an IPA opposed to the lingering malt finish of a strong stout.

On tap at Pizza Port San Clemente’s Hoptoberfest. Listed at 10%. Pours with a hazed deep amber brown body with a tan head. Aroma is nutty, brown sugar, molasses, maple and fruit. Flavors are bitter, brown sugar, maple and floral hops. Medium dry. A very confused beer.

Growler served in a tulip. Murky, dark brown pour. Medium sized tan head with good retention and lacing. Potent aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, earth, spice, and big resiny green hops. Full body, sthicky texture (sticky-thick), mild carbonation, and an ultra-bitter, charry finish that comes on quick and plays out in waves. The marriage of Leafer Madness and Black Flag is an impressive alliance. An intense CDA.

On draft in a tulip at Belmont Station. This beer is a spectacular blend of the Leafer Madness Imperial Pale and the Black Flag Imperial Stout. Coming in at a whopping 10.5% ABV this beer is extremely well balanced. All the best characteristics of both beers. Unofficially the first Imperial CDA or Black IPA that I’ve had. Roasty, toasty and caramel malt with citrus and resiny hops in the nose. Deep brown with ruby highlights, slightly hazy, frothy persistent head. Taste is medium sweetness with the roasty and caramel flavors and medium-high bitterness with the citrus and piney hops. Great hop bitterness on attack with malty aspects coming into play soon after and marrying back into a long slightly astringent finish, thanks to the roast, with hops ultimately winning the battle. Medium body and carbonation. Makes me want to go and get a bottle each of the Leafer and Black Flag to do some blending of my own.

Clear copper color/ light tan head. Chocolate malt aroma with pine, grapefruit. medium bodied. Big pine sap flavor with sweet chocolate and caramel, nicely dry bitter finish. @ Tap House Grill’s IPA Fest.

Black with minimal head, aroma is coffee and floral hop. Bitter coffee, bitter hops, just bitter, a tinge of sweet on the end. The aroma is very enticing but the flavor fights itself. Finish is dry no alcohol, I’d like a little less roast maybe some more residual sweetness but solid.

Back -N- Black – Brouwer’s Café – Seattle Beer Week 2010
Aroma – Smoky malt with coffee and dark malt aroma.
Appearance – Black in color, Clear with a thin head.
Flavor – Rich flavors with a smoky flavor they where enhanced with the rich thick flavors of the roasty malt.
Palate – Dry finish with a Nice Mouthfeel.
Overall – Rich cask flavor. This was a great beer.