Black Oak Ten Bitter Years

Brewed by Black Oak Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Etobicoke, Canada

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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In short: A clean, sharp, citrusy and generously hopped IIPA. A by-the-book well done IIPA
How: Bottle 341ml. Comparing a slightly aged batch 1 and a fresher batch 2
The look: Clear golden body topped by a medium off-white head with medium retention
In long: The moderately aromatic nose has usual but always pleasant coniferous and citrusy hops. The batch 2 has a bit more oranges and tropical fruits and a bit less coniferous notes. Taste starts with typical toasted caramelized malts. The batch 1 showed a much more satisfying body with nice cookies notes and the caramel felt a lot richer. Some tropical fruits join in both batches. Hopping is assertive and it mostly fruity and grassy with light pine-tree resin notes. Bitterness level is medium. My slightly aged batch1 bitterness was a less sharp (of course) and the batch 2 bitterness was a lot more citric and astringent as the batch 1. Alcohol was nowhere to be found I batch 1 but was very apparent in batch 2. Overall I found my aged batch 1 better than the fresher batch 2. I can imagine why Ontarians went crazy on the fresh batch 1 of this crazy. I’m hoping that Black Oak can re-capture the lightning in a bottle that was a fresh batch 1 because I’d sure like to drink the shit out of it. The batch 2 as it is would only get a decent 3.4 rating from me. My aged batch 1 deserved a 3.6 but we’re talking about a bottle that is 8 months old. So I’m gonna be a bit generous and rate it 3.8 based on the fact that this 8 months old IIPA was still very good. If this was an American IIPA I would say that this is just another by-the-book well done IIPA. But this one is from Ontario. Wow, a good bottled Double IPA from Ontario, this is as unexpected as a Al Queada fund raising march in downtown New-York City.

Finally got my hands on some of this stuff! On tap at Wvrst. Mostly clear amber, with good head. Wonderful tropical fruit hopppy aroma. Bready malts up front, grassy and citrus hop blast after that, with a highly bitter finish. A definite winner!

On tap. Clear amber orange pour. Frothy tan head, sticky lacing, very low carbonation. Aroma is very bready malt, pine, grapefruit, fresh tropical fruit, slight sourness. Hops jump out as it warms. Oily but quite light. Booze incredibly invisible. Slightly sweet and malty up front, bitter citrus hop, slightly chaulky medium finish. Great balance, chewy and full flavoured but still refreshing, and did I mention ABV is almost undetectible?? Wow!!

Cask from barVolo. Lovely beer. Cask effect gives a really smooth beer, with great bitter presence. Middle is caramel with peachy/apricot finish. Pours a brown/orange with great foamy lacing that hangs like spider-man.

From the tap @WVRST. Pours a lovely amber with creamy head that fades to some persistent lacings. Aromas, pineapple, mango, tangerine, grass. A robust piney taste on the palate, hoppy, mildly malty, astringent with a soft warm solvent finish. Wonderful stuff. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Golden amber pour with a light white head. Orange, grapefruit and tangerine aroma. Lots of malt flavour. Lots of caramel and a bit of mango and pineapple. Solid beer.

RBAG 2012. Colour is akin to the sap in Jurassic Park through which the scientists extract Dino-DNA. Smells very tropical fruit like, mango, pineapple, peach, and noticeable tangerine and grapefruit as well, but the caramelicity is undeniable as well. Some vanilla mixes in and makes for a huge smelling IPA/IIPA. Taste is an amazingly rich double IPA. Grapefruit, mango, peach, but tons of caramel, vanilla. The flavours are intense but in balance with each other. Huge bitterness that helps to counteract the malt too. Substantial mouthfeel, light carbonation. Very enjoyable.

RBAG 2012 Nice orange amber colour with a small compact light tan head and some ropy lacing. Darker caramel aroma with a darker fruit side to it, rrgf, peach, bit ’o pine, good citrus with a light candy side. Pretty good taste and really bitter. Pine, sharp bitter citrus beating, grapefruit of both kinds, peach, caramel. Long bitter finish.. a hard bitter. lingering caramel and notable pine reminders. Tasty and simple.

RBAG. From 341ml brown bottle. Golden, clear pour, thin skiff of white head. Nose is hoppy with orange peels and some grapefruit. Malt background, bitter grapefruit hops. Medium body, smooth, light carbontion. Decent double ipa. Batch 2.

Great bitter hops but not quite as bitter as a regular IPA. Creamier, thicker and a fuller taste behind just the bitter hops. Excellent.

Bottle from Black Oak brewery. One of my favourite beers available. Pours delicious amber with slight white head. Strong hoppy citrus aroma. Sweet beginning and light bitterness to the finish in perfect balance. I wish I could buy this all year long.