3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20Decent black IPA with good bitterness, just a little thin. Didn’t get everything that it needed to out of the malts and ended up a little watery compared to the best black IPAs. Still had good hop character and a clean finish. Decent beer, just not great.
1.5 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 3/20
A - Pours dark brown with a small tan head.
S - Spearmint, rye bread, astringent mildewed pine, caramel malt underneath.
T - Follows the nose, solvent pine, rye seeds, dry spearmint, all above a thinly flavored charred malt.
M - Moderate carbonation, medium body.
This one’s hard to drink. The hops seemed off and the malt was watered down and wasn’t even trying. The only thing that kept me drinking was to find out what the weird off-putting flavors were. I love Full Sail but this is a whiffer.
Serving type: bottle
04-06-2011
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Black with an off-white head. Aroma and flavor are full of roasted malt with a little chocolate, as well as some pine. Low bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Roast, pine needles on the nose, a bit stale. (Full disclosure, I bought this several months after Christams on the half price rack). The appearance is deep black, off white head. The flavor is like the aroma, with the staleness. A bit of dark, unsweetened chocolate. The finish is roasty, pine, citrus, stale. Medium to medium/thick in body. OK.
2.6 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Dark and roasty + hop bite sounds promising but this one adds up to less than the sum of its parts. Dark brown with minimal head. Faint chocolate and citrus but that’s about it. Past its prime?
3.2 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bomber. Citrus, chocolate and dirt. Missing the roasted malt flavors that I like in a India Dark Ale. Thin body. Light bitter finish.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 11/20
This was one weird beer..I expected a black IPA but this was very dark brown. The smell and taste were weird! Like aromatic Rosemary and herbs, very strange. This was nowhere close to a black IPA...dissatisfied..this was just too weird. Needs more hops!
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 02-14-2011 04:19:03
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
22 ounce bottle
Thanks to Santa for the bomber which I tried on a hot summer evening. I remember Full Sail’s beers being better than this. Maybe it is just this recipe but it is weak for a West Coast black IPA. Perhaps on draft it has more punch.
Aroma / Appearance - A rusty brown base was more brackish than black with hints of red. A head the color of yellowed parchment paper covers the top like a thin spread of butter. Anise, malt, and vegetetal notes are present more so than the hops. it’s not off so much as completely lacking.
Flavor / Palate - Malt and hops merge into a liquid velvet cake. The wet refreshing mouthfeel warms the back of the throat. It lacks the punch I was expecting but this isn’t the worst black IPA on the market. Then again unless I happened to run across it on sale for under $4.99 I would probably pass.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Okay, but not one of Full Sail’s best. Has a nice chocolatey and tobacco characters. A bit of a watery body and a tangy and spicey ending from the hops. Bitter aftertaste.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Bottle. Thanks to adnielsen for sending the bottle! Pours a dark brown with a white head. Aromas similar to a brown ale - burnt, roasty, dark malts. Roasty, chocolate, and caramel flavors at the start, and subtle yet slightly bitter citrus and grapefruit hoppiness at the finish. I’m a fan of Full Sail, but this beer is just average.
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