Style: Black IPA

ABV: 7.2

93/100

Aroma:	10
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	5

Green Flash Brewing Company Black IPA

What the brewers say

This nearly jet black American-style IPA has high hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma, balanced by a moderate degree of caramel malt and subdued dark roasted malt. Pacific Northwest Warrior, Citra, and Cascade hops imbue juicy, fruity, floral, and pine notes to give our Black IPA a classic West Coast IPA hop character.

What our panel thought

Aroma: “A pronounced butterscotch aroma upfront with toffee and a slight roastiness. Sweet malt notes with light vanilla evokes roasted marshmallows.”

Flavor: “Prominent hop bitterness balanced by malt sweetness and the requisite roast and toast. The butterscotch aroma carries through to the flavor and works well. The sweetness is quickly overtaken by aggressive hop bitterness that finishes with a lingering astringency.”

Overall: “Has a slightly lighter body and could be described easily as a hoppy American porter, but this was like a campfire in a bottle with charred roasted marshmallows and toasted pine. ”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: The New India Pale Ale (Spring 2014) (View All Issues)

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REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Eastlake Craft Brewery Nicollet Mauler Black IPA

“Aromas of cocoa and coffee mingle with piney hops. Flavor boasts big dark chocolate with classic IPA bitterness. Clean astringency that’s just this side of too dry. Prickly bitter hop presence on a soft bed of roasty malt.”

To Øl Brown Paper Bag

**Aroma:** Citrus hops—more orange rind than pure grapefruit. Big spicy hops redolent of pineapple and mango. More American than noble hops character. Some toasted caramel malt sweetness. Little to no sulfur or esters. **Flavor:** Huge hops-forward flavor with plenty of malt to back it up. A bit raw or grassy with alcohol in the aftertaste. Bitterness is assertive and barely tames the alcohol burn, but there’s enough malt sweetness to carry it. Clean with no esters. **Overall:** Sticky, resinous hop flavor overpowers this beer—it’s a hop bomb that finishes hot. Unique and very tasty, this offers a lot of complexity and a clean fermentation profile.

Green Flash Brewing Company Dia De Los Serranos

**Aroma:** “Bright chile note up front with a slight fruity (cherries and peaches) characteristic. Low smoke note, similar to pit smoke. Light chocolate with a hint of roast.” **Flavor:** “Cumin and other Mexican spices up front remind me of enchiladas. Chocolate malt first, but then it steps aside for a strong perfumed chile flavor with a delicate flash of heat. After a moment to savor the pepper, the chocolate comes back with a touch of roast. The finish revives the slight burn, this time with an alcohol edge, but overall it’s a mild heat.” **Overall:** “I would pair this with Mexican food, although with the bigger body it would pair best with something that does not include a lot of cheese. Nice flow of flavors paces through chocolate then spices then a burst of chile heat. Enjoyable, simple, and straightforward spiced stout that with only a mildly complex chile mole character.”

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