Salopian Vertigo

Brewed by Salopian
Style: Black IPA
Shrewsbury, England

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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UPDATED: MAY 4, 2013 Bottle gifted from the lads at Salopian - thanks! Pours bronchial brown, with an inch of persistent cream top. Smells excellent - super hoppy with fuzz and prickled pear. Taste doesn’t quite match up to the aroma: it’s minerally bitter with an adder’s flicking tongue of gravelly charcoal, and a blend of dry hops, leaving some residue of West Coast pleasure. To sit at the top of the BIPA tree, the charcoal needs to be smoother and the hops, hoppier. But it’s going in the correct direction. (original rating 6th April 2013). RE-RATE - second bottle better than the first: seems smoother, more centred (a bit like Get Lucky by Daft Punk). Smooth (still minerally), great balanced flavour combining dark power and appropriate hopping). Like a lot.

330 ml bottle. A decent citrusy aroma gives way to good fruit and a little toffee on the quite complex palate. Not the blockbuster it should be mainly because it isn’t bitter enough, but well made.

Thin. Tegelikult mitte piisavalt hea. Kui ma langes sind kõrgus oleks sul sellest? Mis see ütlete? See sõltub sellest, mida sa maa peal? See on klassikaline Salopian minu jaoks. Mõned arvelt säästetud loomisele somet? (For those who struggle with Estonian, the following is a translation in English: Thin. In fact, not good enough. When I dropped the height you would you care? What’s that you say? It depends on what you do on earth? Salopian This is a classic for me. Some saved)

UPDATED: APR 2, 2013 Thin. Not really good enough. If I dropped you from a height would you care? What’s that you say? It depends on what you land on? This is classic Salopian for me. I wish I knew something about brewing. Is it that they need to take risks? I have absolutely no idea. Looking forward to their next installment though.

This black IPA warms you to your core, its hoppy flavours add a sharp refreshing kick which is mellowed by the roasted malts and chocolate flavours. Although this was only a 330 ml bottle there was ample life in this beer which carried a mixture of lemon, chocolate and coffee aroma aromas making you just want more. An interesting black IPA with great flavour, clearly created by someone who loves beer.

Cask @ The Kings Head, Hudds. The pour’s deep brown with a tight khaki head. The aroma’s roasted malts, some earthy tree root, chocolate milkshake. The taste is wonderfully creamy chocolate shake. Charred malts, ash. Nice earthy bitterness on the finish. Mild resin. Smooth, creamy body. Pleasantly drinkable stuff. Overall, pretty good.

On gravity at the winter beer festival, the Three Tuns, Bristol 23/2/2013. Dark brown with next to no head. Milk chocolate, a touch of coffe, some citrus fruits and hoppy, dryish finish. Good, but not the best black IPA.

Cask at Black Door, Helsinki. Colour is black with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Fruits, hops, chocolate and roasted malts. Quite dry and sour but very enjoyable.

Draught. Pours dark brown in color with foamy tan head. Dark chocolate mostly in aroma. Slightly hoppy and dark bitter chocolate in taste. Roasted malts, more chocolate and some slightly sweet berries in finish. Mild, pretty unoffensive with light hoppy aftertaste.

Draught cask. Black. Quite nice citrus grapefruit, hoppy aroma. A bit of roastedness as well, some chocolate. Body is lightish, refreshing. Lots of roasted tones, espresso even. Dark choco. But with a fresh hoppy twist. Overall probably the nicest black ipa ive tasted. Suitably hoppy, but with the dark licorice roasty twist. And as a cask ale, really smooth.

-- beerbasher/N9