Red Hare Rabbit’s Reserve #5: Bitter Hearts Double Black IPA

Brewed by Red Hare Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
Marietta, Georgia USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

growler. black with a huge, cascading, brown head. pine, dusty basement and cookie aroma. palate is pretty smooth for the abv. medium body. low to moderate carbonation. highly hopped flavor without being overly bitter. piney and floral. its one of the better ones. red hares reserve series continues to impress me, i just wish the series offerings were more available.

Poured on draft at Argosy. Delicious citrusy/herbaceous hop aroma. Dark color with brown lacing. Bold, sweet coffee flavor to start with a wet hop finish. The hoppiness lingers for a while in a great way. This might be my favorite offering from Red Hare. Great job, guys!

Growler from The Beer Growler near the Red Hare brewery. Pours nearly pitch black with a brownish edge appearing only under bright light. Topped by big, frothy, light brown head. This dies down rather quickly to a durable top coat. An ample amount of sticky lacing is left on the glass. Aroma: IPA credentials are intact with the powerful aroma of floral and citrus hops, but some roasted malts are there too and bring with them hints of caramel and dark fruits, and a faint suggestion of smoky coffee. 9% ABV apparent, rendering this a bit more boozy than ideal. T: The dark roasted malts are more prominent in tasting, and the hops are more in balance so that it is not overly bitter. Very rich flavor with a better integration of malt and hops than usual for style (Black IPA). Has a slightly overdone trace of smoke/charcoal. IBU seems notably lower than expected for style or from the hoppy aroma, especially in the finish and aftertaste, but this is not a bad thing. Hints of dark chocolate, expresso, licorice, and burnt toast. M: near full body with soft, low carbonation; no harshness from the high ABV but some warmth; fairly smooth. O: With some reservations, a very good black IPA worth seeking out. Recommended.

Growler from the Alpharetta Beer Growler. Pours pitch black with a big, rocky, light brown head. The lacing is perfect. Bittersweet chocolate, licorice, black pepper, and faint cinnamon. Very bitter flavor, with some sweetness through the middle. Medium to heavy body, acidic, and fairly smooth. Overall, this is a nice, drinkable, and very flavorful beer.

Dark, medium thickness pour. Tall, foamy, hoppy head. Medium lace. Dark, bitter chocolate front end. Roasted flavors linger. Solid black IPA.

A little bit of chocolate roasty malt. Not getting a huge malt profile but there is some grassy herbal aromas floating through. On tap at Augustine’s.

Opaque black with very thin head. Aroma is faint but fresh hops. Thinnish bodied, upfront hop bitterness, with a long roasted, dark, dry finish.

Growler pours a black color with a nice a tan head. Aromas of citrus, resin, with dark roasted malt. Full bodied, bitter finish, nice

Comes out of the tap a deep, deep sable that might as well be obsidian black, with a fairly thick tan head. Aroma has strong hoppy and roast malt notes with a hint of licorice. Hops dominate the smoky flavor, which is somewhat bitter but not fiercely so, with malt and hay notes and a licorice hint. Smooth, firm texture has plenty of fizz, leaving a hoppy and smoky finish.