Drakes Chinookian Dark Ale

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
San Leandro, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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On tap. Pours with a black body and a large tan head that stays and leaves great lace. Aromas of cocoa, coffee, roast and tangerine. Flavors of tangerine, dry and astringent roast, citrus and pine. Lingering roast bitterness/astringency that isn’t entirely pleasant. Lively bubbles and pretty dry.

A: The pour is a very dark brown color with a creamy tan colored head. S: Lots of roasted malt that provides a bit of a chocolate note to the nose. The hops are much more toward the strong piney and woody variety, which holds up nicely to the roast character. T: Despite the intense pine nature of the hops, this is not overwhelmingly bitter. That said, it’s still quite bitter with lots of roast and chocolate malt flavor and a subtle sweetness. At times a bit of grapefruit hop flavor peaks through. M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation. D: Not a bad Black IPA at all. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, especially after having the Port -bal Imperial Stout with Blueberries.

Dark garnet brown with a creamy off white head. Malty aroma with a good citrus hops presence. Tastes of mild chocolate, roasted grain and citrus hops.

Draft. Toffee colored beer with a light tan head. Light fruity aroma with light toastiness. Red fruit flavor with grapefruit and light caramel. Medium bodied. Some bitterness. Red fruit and grapefruit lingers with caramel/toffee and light pine. Something seemed off.

On tap at Beer Revolution. Pours black with very little head. Hoppy resin aroma. Smooth burnt malt with a good dose of hops for flavor. Bitter finish.

Tap @ K & B. Pours a deep cola brown with a one finger thick beige head. Nice piny nose with some roasted malts in the background. Nothing amazing but tasty.

On tap at Beer Revolution poured a hazy dark brown with a small lingering tan head. Aromas of earthines, pine, grapefruit and light roastiness. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of roasted malt, earthiness, grapefruit and light pine with a smooth dry lingering bitter roasty finish.

I thought Drakes was suppose to get their distribution going better after the purchase, but I am the 4th rater of this far better than average beer. Good hop level and nice malt...all balanced and turned up to IPA level. A low competition style, but a solid contender.

One of the best Black IPA’s I’ve had. Nice cross bitterness between the hops and roast. Notes of bittersweet chocolate, but only a small note. Some nuts and hemp flavors in there.

On tap at Pete’s in Danville. It pours dark brown with a giant tan head. The aroma is all piney hops with minor notes of citrus peel and caramel. The flavor is also big earthy, piney hops with a distinct smokiness to the very bitter finish. Pretty dry and chewy. Really nice.