Hopworks Secession Black India Pale Ale

Brewed by Hopworks Urban Brewery
Style: Black IPA
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

Interesting blend of dark strength and hoppy pep, with the most extreme components of each kind of mellowed by the other’s presence. An interesting brew.

22 oz bomber from "Lifesource" Salem. $4.95 Screen printed label..in the colours of the "Doug Fir" flag of the Republic of Cascadia. Mahogany dark brown ale with a nice thick creamy tan head. Great herbal,citric and pine tones from the hops in the aroma,hint of coffee from the malts. Surprising taste..very balanced but at the same time wildly swinging from the piney hops to the dark chocolate,toasted malts..then balanced again. Great mouthfeel very captivating..and a very tasty bitter after taste that lingers..like good dark esspresso coffee. Over all a very nice CDA

Bottle with Carla. Pours dark brown with tan foam. Smells very bitter with grassy notes. Tastes bitter with plant matter overtones and hint of roasted barley.

650ml bottle pours reddish brown in color with a finger and a half of light beige head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is dark roasted malts with an explosion of citrusy hops. Taste is a little more subdued with dark roasted malt sweetness and citrusy hop bitterness with a bit of smokiness. This is a really nice IPA with some decent body and carbonation leaving a decent impression on the taste buds.

Bottle:   Deep cola in color, large frothy light beige head, nice lacing.   Combination burnt malts, lactose, pine, hops, charred wood, and campfire on the nose.   Not as malty as the nose suggested, moderate hops, slight bitterness, a little charred wood/peat background.   Has a bit of cow pasture and minor astringency.   Finishes fairly clean tho.   Has a decent amount of sweetness, comes across as a bit of pine and lactose.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate, but does feel its on the thin side.   It almost needs to be more hoppy, more malty, and sweeter.   This seems like a Black Pale Ale almost.   Otherwise, not bad, a little simple for this new style.   Perhaps a good gateway example.

Bottle 22fl.oz. @ [ Tasting by fiulijn ].

Clear dark brown colour with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to light beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, burnt, coffee, moderate hoppy. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate heavy bitter with a long duration, citrus, dark malt, roasted - caramel, licorice. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20110916]

Bottle at Alex. Dark brown coloured with a medium sized beige head. Fruity aroma of hops, pine needles, grass and hops. Fruity flavour of hops and pine needles with notes of grass and grape fruits. Dry hoppy finish.

In short: A ruby ale with restrained hopping. A few nice things, a few problems. Just ok.
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed fresh a few weeks after receiving the bottle from mcberko, thanks a lot Matt
The look: Clear dark ruby body topped by a medium beige head with medium retention
In long: Nose is dank hops, spicy leafy hops as well as some fresh basic chinese tea notes. This is not a home bomb. Taste is low roastiness, a cold cup of coffee, soft red liquorice candy, light caramel, iced-tea, hard-candies, cold green tea, milk chocolate an some cocoa powder, chalk. Hopping is rather restrained. Leafy, tea-ish, tobacco, and a tiny bit piney. Bitterness level is below average for the style. This is not a hop bomb and nor is it malt heavy. Finish is annoyingly chalky. Overall I thought it was an ok beer but certainly not something I will seek-out again. Another bomber I drank alone while at home. They say that for an alcoholic it is hard to admit that you drink alone because it is a sign you are an alcoholic. But I don’t have a problem with that. It’s admitting that I drink alone because nobody loves me that I have a problem with.