Phillips Black Toque India Dark Ale

Brewed by Phillips Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Victoria, Canada

Bottle. Pours a dark brown-mahogany coloured body with a small white head. Unique aroma has some leafy hops, caramel, sweet plums, and toasty malt. Toasty malt flavour with plenty of green and chewy hop bite. Malt is a little bit under-represented but it still manages to be quite tasty and especially as it warms up. Cool. Sampled at Volo on April 29, 2006.

Smoother on the hops then the IPA’s (thank god!) but still has that pacific fresh flavour that comes with the northwest coast brewers. Roasty with a creamy texture and a light coffee and pine-like flavour. Delicious!

Bottle at Volo shared with GregClow and DougShoemaker. Dark ruby red/brown, medium bubbly off-white head. Nice fresh hop aroma with hints of dark malt. Medium body. Tons of hops up front, lots of roast and burnt notes. Hops in the finish as well - long linger. I am quite impressed - this is a hearty hoppy beer that is light enough to be a patio sipper. Unique and solid.

Bottle at Volo. Auburn brown, creamy tan head, low carbonation. Mild gentle roast, creamy aroma with malt and hops around. Faint alcohol feel. Light coffee mocha with milky overlap, gets darker with time. Interesting blend of hops and roast characters.

Bottle (650ml). At Volo. Poured hazy dark ruby-brown with a big creamy-foamy rocky tan lasting head. Solid aroma of resiny hops, milk chocolate, dry roast malt and a hint of lemon juice - a little sweet, a bit like a roasty and hoppy scotch ale. Flavour is almost burnt roasty chocolate malt, with balancing resin/citrus hops and a hint of roast coffee beans - has a quick finish and is well balanced - the bottle went incredibly fast and easy. Mouthfeel quite creamy, lightly carbonated and somewhat sweet - very nice; oddly roasty for an APA, but a great beer - well done! We’re sure proud of this brewer up here in the Great White North.

(500ml bottle) Brought back from BC by my wife. Pours a medium, beige head with a deep mahogany body. Nose of lots of hops with a balance of smokey malt. Resembles an IIPA more than an ASA; amazed at the lw ABV. Flavours of the hi-hopped Cascade with a very mild deep, roasted malt. Good.

Bottle at Volo - shared with tupalev & DougShoemaker. Deep mahogany colour with a small tan head. Awesome nose - hops, smoke, coffee, malt. Equally awesome flavour that manages to balance elements of roasted coffee, juicy hops, wood smoke, and a hint of bitter chocolate. A very unique & enjoyable beer.

Bottle at Bar Volo. Pours a dark ruby-brown with a small lasting frothy tan head. Nice mild aroma is predominently citric hops along with some slightly roasted malt. Delicious flavour of big citrus and pine hops along with some caramel malt and mild roastness and a touch of smoke and chocolate -- all really well balanced. Medium bodied. I really liked this, it’s definitely an interesting take on the style but it works really well, it’s quite flavourful and I easily drank a whole bomber. Phillips are really starting to impress me.