North Peak Furry Black IPA

Brewed by North Peak Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
Traverse City, Michigan USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Bottle: The aroma consists of dusty chocolate, pine, and a touch of roast. It pours a dark brown with no transparency and a huge creamy tan head with good retention. There is quite of bit of sticky clumps of lacing left on the sides of the glass. The flavor starts with moderate chocolate. The finish has moderate-heavy pine, dusty notes, grapefruit, and a touch of burnt flavors. It has a high level of carbonation that is rather prickly at times. Overall, the dusty notes don’t fit and the carbonation really needs top be toned down.

(tap) clear very dark amber colour with small tan head; aroma of roast, citrus; balanced flavour with long medium bitter finish, quite good

Lil stubs from Belmont Party Supply, Dayton. Been impressed with these North Peak beers but I wasn’t feeling this one quite as much as some others. Modestly full pour with decent carbonation and a medium filmy head on a dark brown body. Nose is sharp dry hops and a dose of molasses. Prickly mouthfeel, perhaps a bit to the thin side. Dry, dry, dry in the flavors, and while I appreciate the relatively modest roasts it just doesn’t come across as a beer with much of a personality.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 2/14/2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with awesome retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some nice spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange, herbal, pine, toasted malt, biscuit, earth, and dark fruits. Some pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of grapefruit, pine, biscuit, caramel, herbal, roasted malt, light coffee, floral, and earthiness. Nice sized bitterness on the finish, with lingering notes of caramel, citrus, pine, roasted malt, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. There is a nice malt backbone to balance things out as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable black IPA. Nice malt balance and very smooth to drink.

11.5oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Appearance is pitch black with a two finger rocky tan head that stays forever. Lots of pine hits you right in the face along with orange and a little bit of coffee. The flavor is tons of orange up front which kind of surprised me. Almost like orange juice. More citrus follows and a touch of pine. There is just a hint of roasted malt but not as much as I would have expected. A strong bitterness rushes in and drowns out any remaining malt flavors but you can tell malt is there. A nice dry, almost ashy finish. Overall this is another impressive beer from North Peak. An awesome black ale and one I would love to have again.

This brew pours brownish-black with a medium off-white head that recedes steadily. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malt and hops. Medium body with flavors of sweet toasted malt, citrus and hops. The finish is roasty and malty at first with a citrusy hops aftertaste. Above average overall.

Bottle. Aroma has notes of tropical citrus fruits, grapefruit and toasted malts. Dark brown hue that sits almost black in the glass with a small off-white head that left little lace. Flavor is medium sweet and bitter. Palate is medium bodied and watery average. Overall a nice BIPA.

From notes. First reviewed 6/28/2011. Poured from a 11.5 oz. bottle into a tulip. The appearance has a dark molasses brown color - it looks thick and viscous, but the color thins out considerably at the edges when the glass is tilted. An off-white, thick, creamy head rests on top before leaving behind a few sheets of lace and a thin film. Dark roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, herbal and earthy hops, with a bit of grapefruit citrus create the aroma. Medium/dark roasted malt pairs with cocoa and a bit of coffee - a firm malt backbone. The hops are on the herbal / earthy side, with just a little bit of grapefruit bitterness, making this a little bit like a hoppy porter. The mouthfeel is nearly perfect. A good creaminess really compliments the roasted malt up front, while a crisp carbonation matches the later hoppiness. The finish is clean, and for 7.2%, the body is just right. Medium / full body and carbonation. If I have any complaint it is that it gets a touch watery at the end of the sip. Furry Black IPA is very smooth yet still crisp, with a bitterness throughout that is balanced between the roasted aspect of the malt and the hop additions - this is worth a repeat purchase.

12 oz shorty bottle purchased at Pace-Hi Beer and Wine Shop in Columbus, Ohio. Jan1812 stamped on label. The pour is a slightly hazed copper brown with a smallish khaki head. The aroma is pineapple, fruity floral, some vanilla, and then a faint char roast. The taste is more of the roast up front, along with the pineapple hop, and the floral aspect. Way in the back, some nice soft pine shows, then turns back to the original roast. Nice integration and transition of flavors. The palate is medium to light bodied, softer carbonation, and a dry (almost chalky) roast finish. Nice beer.

Bottle. Poured clear dark brown color with an average to large frothy light brown head that mostly lasted and produced excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy complex toasted earthy hop and complex malt aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy toasted bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration. This beer exceeded my expectations.