Big Al Hop Villain

Brewed by Big Al Brewing
Style: Black IPA
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Bottle. Dark pour, decent lacing, white head. Mild chocolate malt notes in aroma. Chocolate flavor, mild sour twang, not much hop bite here. Ok

Bottle:   Brackish brown in color, much like pond water, thin sudsy off-white head, little lacing.   Soft roasted malts, carob, bakers chocolate, and pasture.   Watery astringent roastiness up front, slight touch of sourness, a little bit of carob and pasture.   Thinking about Wookie Jack that I had a little while back, this stuff is doesn’t even compare.   Finish is thin, a little bit of roasted astringency.   Seems more like a Schwarzbier than a Black IPA in that there appears to be no IPA in here.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate, but leaning heavily towards the thin side.   Yeah, this is no Black IPA.   Could make for a decent Scwharzbier tho.

650ml bomber from 99 Bottles in Federal Way, WA pours brown in color with a 2 finger white head that retains well and leaves some decent lacing behind. Aroma is citrus and pine with some light chocolate and light roast grains. Taste is citrus, pine and roast grain bitterness with a light chocolate and grainy malt sweetness. A medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. A nicely done brew and recommended.

Bomber from Malt & Vine. Pours almost brown with a slight creamy beige head. Aromas of chocolate and mixed hop. Med + body. Flavor has a touch of chocolate, a hint of sour, and mixed hop - not to mention some dark malt. If the sour indicates infection, it was a lucky result. This stuff is typical black IPA with a little extra kick to it. Finishes very dry. Definitely bitter. Sour note persists. Drinks very pleasantly.

Pours black with a medium size tan head that sticks around, and good lacing. Smell is of hops, dark malt, some roastiness, a little pine, and nutty. Taste is tart up front, bitter, cola-ish, a touch of caramel, hops, and malt in the back. Ends dry and bitter.

22oz bottle in enumclaw Washington. Not my favorite black ipa - the blend seemed wrong, maybe a bad batch. Decent nose, but the hop/malt dynamic seemed forced

Root beer colored body, chocolate cream head. Jubilantly roasted nose, sweet coffee, and some chocolate. Altogether, the chirm of aromas is more in-your-face than a typically refined BIPA. Hops seems to take a back seat. The body is also saturated with a coffee roastiness. Roast barley seems evident, along with fresh grain dust. This makes for a better hoppy porter than it does a Black IPA.

Bomber. Dark brown colored with substantial foamy tan head. Aroma is a mix of dark chocolate, citrus and pine. The taste opens up with tart and acidic lemon, orange and grapefruit notes as well as some mild roasted malt and chocolate before the citrus rind takes over again. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with adequate carbonation and an acrid, roasty finish. OK but not quite enough balance between the malt and hops flavors.

Light roast caramel earth floral hops touch of citrus. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Flavors of light roast earthy hops a little pine and citrus caramel moderate danky bitter finish. Medium carbonation. Somewhat smooth.

On draft. Black/brown with reddish beige/brown head. Aroma of roast and green hops. Some sour notes early with cocoa and caramel sweetness. A hop bitterness builds from light to medium as you drink, finishing dry. Medium-bodied, modest carbonation. A villain in name only: this was the hero of the day for me.