Magic Rock Magic 8 Ball

Brewed by Magic Rock
Style: Black IPA
Huddersfield, England

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Keg at the Southampton Arms. Dark brown colour with a thick creamy golden head. Aroma is lots of pine hops, bit of citrus, orange and grapefruit. Also quite malty, roasty and creamy, bit of chocolate and a whiff of smoke. Texture is very smooth and quite thick. Taste is very roasty, chocolate milk, bit of spice and something burnt. Finish alternates between lingering bitterness and more roasty chocolate maltiness. Really nice.

[Bottle from Westholme Stores, Goring] Black with a moderate tan head and a light fizz. Grapefruit and urine up front (fortunately the urine gradually fades as you drink more) with a smear of something tropical. Then the malt flavours come through - soot, tar, tobacco and leather, with peppery hints. Then back to the hops - lots more grapefruit and this time pine and maybe something tropical. Then back to the smokiness, with some peat bog, cocoa and definitely a comfy, patched leather sofa. And then maybe a hint of ginger at the back of the throat. But at the end I think the hops just win the ping pong battle. A fascinating, interesting beer - like Thornbridge Raven, it pulls off the rather unique trick of mystically switching in turn between the malt and the hop flavours rather than mixing them together. However, I didn’t think the hops in this worked quite as well as those in Raven, and thus it gets a lower mark. Still a damn tasty beer though.

(330ml Bottle) The most reserved ’Black IPA’ I think ive drunk , not that ive had loads, but this feels more resemblance to an American stout with the customary abundant use of aromatic hops , than a marring of two styles. Deep jet black, attractive beige head. Nose is hoppy and dark ,basically . On the palate, resiny bitter hops are tropical ,floral ,zesty and bitter ...dark malts are a bit subdued but ’there’ in muted sense .

Overbearing hop aroma, which sadly borders on the unpleasant. Very bitter in the mouth, with flavours of bread yeast and hairspray. Thick and oily, although with very little lacing. For me, this one does not work particularly well.

Bottle at home in London, care of Nate Dawg. Pours black-brown with a vivacious, foamy beige head. Aroma holds a healthy dose of roasted malts with edges of pine and deep citrus. The flavor is heavy and bold and, immediately, I can understand why some people aren’t crazy about this beer. There are people who can’t take a punch, who’ve never gutted it out properly in the dirty, the under. There’s a gritty bitterness to this beer that’s just barely offset by a righteous roasted malt character sweetened by charred, beaten dark malts. The bitterness is earthy and piney, with only subtle hints of bright citrus. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Finishes slightly dry with still some resinous, earthy and piney hops. Within the roasty undertow there are notes of coffee and bittersweet cocoa. The ending impression is that of grapefruit, charred malts and hope. Awesome beer.

On tap at Euston Tap. Black as hell. Thin beige head. Keg beer served too cold. Some roast on aroma. Some decent black currant fruit. An odd black ipa. Not sure what to make of it. Some liquorice lots of fruit. Some hops. Some bitterness. Not sure whole thing works. Bit bizarre

330ml bottle from Nina’s Mini Market, Edinburgh - strong fruity hop aroma, black ale, decidedly bitter taste with a sour aftertaste, not very nice

Bottle from mr_h. Hop & tar aroma. Very dark brown colour, not much head. Hoppy flavour. Smooth with bitter aftertaste. Good but not the best black IPA.

STUNNING, hop-smothered aroma; strawberry chew and guava with a waft of peated malt, smoked mackerel with black peppercorns, and patachouli incense rearing up in the background. About as perfect a marrage of hops and malts as I can imagine. Taste: yes. Breakfast mostly- juice, smoked mackerel, slices of fresh papaya, big slug of Laphroaig. I’m not usually up for breakfast but I’d imagine that’s what people have. Body: thick, slimy malt. Good as pitch with a firm, speckling tan head. One of the few BIPAs I’ve had that genuinely fuses the citrus and smoke without either detracting from the other. Discordant, harmonious, whatever. Delicious beer.

Bottle. Pours black with a big ol’ tan head. The nose is a bit spicy, plenty of wood, grassy hops, some bitter chocolate too. The taste is initially dry, a bit peppery, hoppy with hints of tropical fruits dipped in chocolate. The finish is long, flavorful. The body’s medium, the carbonation active. Overall, a very nice black IPA.