Black Oak Ten Bitter Years

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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UPDATED: NOV 15, 2009 On tap at The Rhino - came a HAZY orangey golden with a super thick 2-inch white head that didn’t go anywhere. This beer glows. You can see little hop leaves floating and it’s so thick they don’t settle. Aroma is incredibly fresh, so beatifully citrusy and fruity, and reminiscent of West Coast IPAs that we don’t get around these parts. To have it unfiltered, fresh, on tap, was a thing of beauty. Flavour is incredibly complex, fruity, candy sweet upfront that fades into a lingering bitterness. Alcohol supremely well-integrated - never a noticeable burn, but the effect creeps up on you. Sticky, resinous mouthfeel, swept clean by perfect carbonation level. Lips get sticky. Layers of complexity in this one, sweet, fruity, acidic, bitter, grassy. A beautiful beer, and the best I’ve had from this province. BRA-F’N-VO Black Oak! Here’s to 10 more bitter years...

Black Oak Ten Bitter Years is a very clear, solid golden ale with a dense and foamy, yellowish off white head that has outstanding retention and lacing. It has a bright, fresh, hoppy aroma with notes of pine (maybe spruce?) and some orange. It’s pretty full bodied, very smooth and soft. The finish is clean and dry. It has a nice, bright, piney bitterness that’s well balanced with the dry malt. There may be a touch of peat. This is delicious. It’s incredibly sessionable for 8% ABV!

341ml bottle from Nick @ Chancey Smiths. Thanks!! Pours a hazy orange, with thick, creamy head. Very hoppy nose. Flavour is big. Big malts, lots of hops to balance it out, that leave a long, bitter finish, along with some alcohol warmth. Very nice beer. This needs to be brewed regularly and distributed widely. Please.

On tap @ Volo. All I can say is wow, finally a respectble Ontario IPA! Aroma is pungent citrus and even strawberry. Orange hue with a nice creamy head that laces the glass all the way down. Good balance with a nice lingering bitterness. Even at 8% I could drink this all night and damn the consequences!

been wanting to try this one for a long time! medium orange pour, hazy, and it looks thick. sticky off white head. HUGE aroma of citric floral hops, and a light cedar soapiness. the flavor is just a pallet thrasher! all hops, all the time! long lingering bitter finish. Easily the best IPA Ontario has ever seen.

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.

UPDATED: OCT 2, 2010 Cask at the Winking Judge. Way better than the first time I tried this. Intense, chewy resiny hop character with loads of bright orange and pine character. Intensely piny with loads of dry-hopped flavour on the back. Clean pale malt and a nice dryness that really accentuates the hops. Practically perfect for a session. Tap at bierbistro. Deep amber-red pour with a tight white lace over the top. The nose is quite grapefruity and hoppy with a bright, fragrant hop bouquet. Lots of fresh hoppy nose. Grapefruit and pine cones along with a soft kiss of resiny hop flavour. Lean-bodies with a touch of light toasty malt playing off of the citrus hoppiness. Sort of a long, clean lingering bitterness. Really tasty IPA - fresh and bright. 8 4 8 4 16

UPDATED: APR 28, 2010 Bottle: Decants a turbid orange color with a frothy off white cap. Aroma Is big on Citrus and pine resins, some exotic fruit tones and a whaft of malt. Mouthfeel is oily, big blast of hop mixture throughout the profile; piney resinous, leafy, citrus rind...very bitter but without a sharp delivery ...just enough malting to keep the bitterness from becoming overly astringent. Semi-dry finish alcohol shows...long lingering metallic taste. Sure is a hop bomb but if it were a tad better balanced it would be a great DIPA. UPDATE: On tap Second batch: Taps a clouded gold-amber with a billowy puffy 3 finger cap which rides out the drink. Massive aroma of citrus, passion fruit rich toffee lalts. Tastes about how it smells with a long drying finish with fruity esters and citrus-pine hops battling it out on the palate. Best West coast styled DIPA I’ve sampled in this market. Bottled version doesn’r do it justice

Cask at Volo. Pours cloudy brownish gold with moderate white head, decent retention. Big, fresh hoppy nose with grapefruit, citrus, floral and a nice malt balance to boot. Taste is also very hoppy but again well-balanced. Nice lingering bitterness. Liked this a lot.

Adrian and Ken, I salute you! This beer is outstanding, particularly since there are so few decent IIPA’s in Ontario. I’m currently sipping this at Beer Bistro, on tap. Colour is a hazy (could be the condensation on the glass) straw gold . Head is lasting, cream coloured and clings nicely. Aroma i both piney and citrusy hops with a faint whiff of malt. Taste is complex and rewarding; chewy mouthfeel full of west coast hop appeal, certainly hop funky and with a slight note of bubble gum. Malt is subdued but present...perhaps not as balanced as would be perfection. Still it’s hard to find fault with this offering. Finish is lingering, tongue puckering and overwhelmingly pleasant. How I WISH Black Oak had this as a regular offering. Excellent work and vastly more satisfying than the hop bomb.