4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Tap at Tired Hands. This is perhaps the first true black IPA. Muddy brown pour with massive tan lace. Nose is fresh pine, blackberry, blueberry, pie, fresher Amarillo floral/citrus hops. No olive, roast, chocolate. Palate is nuts: so clean, long dry birch wood bitterness, mild lemon, muted roast to near zero. No porter or stout character- something different completely. I think Black IPA lovers may be shocked when they try this. Best Black IPA palate wise by a mile. Not as aggressive or dense as Zombie. Easier to enjoy, soft, delicious. Maybe could be described as dark fruit and berry heavy rather than coffee and chocolate.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
dark tan, creamy tan head that lasts. Earthy nose, dusty and piney with considerable wood, like a packing plant, with light skunk. Flavor is very dry, roasted mid with mint and cocoa through the earthy, piney finish. Soft carbonation and full throughout, contrasting most black ipa metallic thinness and over-hopping. Fantastic profile, thanks in part to heavy roast, and probably the best black ipa mouth I’ve had.
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
UPDATED: MAR 1, 2013 Dark brown body, medium sized pale tan head, spotty lacing. Nose is pine with some grapefruit and traces of roast. Flavor is a little more mellow with more muted hop character. Medium bodied, light bitterness, slightly thin in the finish but I think it works. A pleasant dark IPA that leans toward a pale ale with roasted accents.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours black with a thick, creamy tan head...great retention and lacing. Aroma has nice roastiness...a bit like rye, a hint of black pepper, and lots of pine. Flavor has nice piney/burnt bitterness balanced with roasty malts that hint at rye and bitter chocolate. Mouthfeel is medium and silky with a piney/peppery dry finish.
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