Great Lakes Brewing 25th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing (Ontario)
Style: Black IPA
Etobicoke, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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In short: A very hoppy Black IPA. Tasty, very good even if it felt a bit too yeasty.
How: Bottle 750ml, consumed fresh one month after first bottle rating. Bottle sent to me by blankboy, thanks a lot Paul.
The look: Black body topped by a large rocky beige head with good retention and leaving lots of lacings on the glass.
In long: Nose is intensely scented pine-tree and grapefuits, only light notes of coffee hiding in the back reminded me that this is a Black IPA and not a regular IPA. Taste is chocolaty malts, a sip of black coffee, burnt-blackened toast, fluffy yeast, coniferous hops with light citrusy notes. Bitterness level of medium intensity and a little resinous. The malts lacked presence for this type of beer and the beer feels a little too yeasty, felt a bit like a Belgian Black IPA. But I’m nitpicking here, this is a fine beer, above average example of the style. Hard to believe this is a 9.5% beer, I downed my 750ml bottle like it was session beer. It is because of beers like this that I’m getting increasingly frustrated with car cup holders that don’t fit 750ml bottles.

750 ml from LCBO, cool, tulip, shared. Deep brown black with a smallish ashen tan head. Rich, dank hops, resinous, pine, inky rich malts, molasses notes, peppery, lovely. Medium-full body, fine, relaxed effervescence. More of the same hops notes as the nose, tangy, rich molasses, really big; dry with good bitterness and a long molasses, licorice and dank hop finish.

Dark brown color. Hops outshine roasted malt in the nose. The mouth is surprisingly medium body for such a heavy beer. Very well balanced, with caramel, toffee and roasted malt in the back of the throat and grapefruit up front. Never too full on in any direction, or super complex, but just highly enjoyable black IPA. Moderate bitter finish. Very pleasant. beer.

750ml bottle. Huge mocha head, dark coffee body. Chocolate, grapefruit and piney aroma. Huge pine, floral and grapefruit hop taste, sweet chocolate malt with a little coffee. Slight sharp vegetable taste. Very little booze for 9.5% Body is slightly sticky, but not too heavy.

Bottle [750ml]. Pours a lovely dark brown, almost black, with a large lasting frothy light-brown head. Lots of lacing on the glass. Nice aroma of toasted malt, lots of leafy hops, some herbs, light alcohol and notes of coffee and lactic notes. Flavour is equally toasted malt and a good amount of leafy hops along with some coffee. Alcohol is pretty much hidden in the flavour. Medium bodied, slightly creamy mouthfeel. A fantastic Black IPA, in fact, one of the better ones I’ve had. Well done! ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Pours an opaque black with a small tan coloured head leaving a lot of lace up the glass. Aromas are citrus, roasted malts, chocolate. Flavours are roasted malts, black malts, citrus hops, medium-high bitterness, coffee like dry finish.

Thanks to cfrancis for this. Pours an opaque black with a brown frothy head that leaves lots of stucky lacing. Aroma of mild citrus hops, roast malts, some chocolate and cocoa. Taste is citrus hops, some roast malts and mild coffee bitterness. Very good balance of malts and hops but seems more like an American ipa rather than a black ipa in the taste.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large light brown color head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of bitter, floral and earthy hops with a nice side of roasted malt with light lactose notes. Taste is a great balanced mix between some roasted malt with dry bitter notes and light coffee notes overplayed with some good pungent, floral and citrus hops. Body is full with nice creamy texture and good carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Well brewed with lots of complexity.

I like these anniversary edition brews from GLB. I think this is my second time enjoying an Imperial Black IPA (the first being the Uinta Dubhe version in Vegas). Pours a real dark brown colour with little ruby highlights. The big head is mocha colour, foamy, creamy (like chocolate milk) but stays quite a long time and is full of lace. Beautiful fresh Cascade hop scent with the grapefruit notes. After breathing, light roasted malt appears in the aromas. Real smooth with burning at all. The hop shows up in the taste, but just a tad milder, or should I say, well-blended with the roasted malt. Pursuing are hints of coffee, chocolate and beautifulness. Wow !! So impressed by this one. I really hope they bring back this one, as it is simply awesome !

(on tap at Bryden’s, 12-31-2012) Pours pitch black with an inch of fairly dense and creamy tan head that left a curtain of lace. Aroma is massively citrus hop forward, some pit fruit, bit of pine resin, light roasted malt and a bit of alcohol when warm. Flavour is again big and hop-forward, citrus primarily with some pine, dark malt, light roast coffee coming through more on the finish. A little woody, big bitterness throughout, dry but not really astringent on the finish. As it warms, more sweetness up front from the malt plays in with the fruitiness, downplays the bitter coffee finish. Booze almost undetectable until warm, dangerous... Mouthfeel is quite full but not syrupy, a little overcarbonated as I find GL beers’ Achilles heel on draught to be. Top flight black IPA, nails the style on the head. Great impy IPA period, actually.