Whether you call it black IPA, Cascadian dark, or something else, this unholy union of hops and darkness enjoys a cult following that continues to watch the style evolve.
This throwback American black ale goes for ample hops and rich malt, without overdoing it on the roast.
This old-school Cascadian dark ale embraces piney Chinook hops in Sasquatchian proportions. Don’t worry about the IBUs—this should end up relatively balanced, with enough malt and hop flavors and aroma to provide depth for the bitterness.
Julian Shrago, cofounder and brewmaster of Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Huntington Beach, California, shares this homebrew recipe for a hoppy dark IPA similar to their award-winning Beachwood Hoppa Emeritus.
Maybe that P in IPA can stand for “pitch-black.” Once again helping us to extract the most characterful beer from extract brewing, Annie Johnson has the details on Cascadian dark ale, aka American black ale or black IPA.
This award-winning rich black ale with dark roasted malt flavors is blended with bittersweet chocolate, a blend of three Mexican chile peppers, and cinnamon.
Before there was hazy or even a defined West Coast style, there was an IPA that emerged as a brashly hopped counterpoint to British ale. It never went away—but it evolved. And today’s brewers are making it better than ever.
A restrained touch of caramel, firm bitterness, citrus-forward hops, and a pitch of thiol-promoting yeast all come together for a new spin on the classic American IPA.
Brewed since 1988, when Rogue Brewery got its start in Ashland, Oregon—home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival—here’s a homebrew-scale recipe for the OG of American oatmeal stouts.
“Mecha Red is a modern amber ale intended to be malty and caramelly, but not a sticky caramel bomb,” says Van Havig, cofounder and master brewer at Gigantic in Portland, Oregon. “It’s mildly fruity from hops and esters and finishes with a hint of chocolate.”
**Aroma:** “Classic Northwest hops citrus nose with notes of sweet orange juice, low resin, and multidimensional. Light malt sweetness with notes of honey (like Bit-o-Honey candy), but not overpowering. Fruity yeast esters hint at apple, strawberry, and pear. Ester aromas are strong—the fermentation character is almost stronger than the hops aroma.” **Flavor:** “Medium body for an APA, medium to high carb. Honey character and citrus tartness return in the aftertaste. Reasonable bitterness but could use a bit more hops flavor. Malt is sweet but flat. Alcohol evident. Balance is a bit on the malt sweet side, but the lack of bitter is made up in hops flavor.” **Overall:** “Predominant orange creamsicle character is interesting. It's a more malt-focused pale ale that wanders a bit into winter warmer territory— it borders on ‘English’ in terms of yeast character. There’s enough malt complexity and richness here to back up a bolder showcase of hops.”
**Aroma:** “Piney and citrusy hops notes up front work well with the malt spiciness. A touch of malt sweetness comes through, maybe with a hint of caramel. Medium yeast notes of plum and apple cider. Pine and citrus hops give it a slightly earthy character.” **Flavor:** “A bit more subdued on hops flavor than most APAs, with the hops flavors competing a bit with rye and maybe even caramel malt notes. This pale doesn't make the hops the star of the show; it’s more a bit player behind an intriguing maltiness with bread crust, caramel, and biscuit notes. Earthy and spiced notes of rye add complexity.” **Overall:** “I like the complexity the rye malt adds, but think it would work better with larger amounts of spicy hops, such as Chinook. The citrusy hops don't seem to play as well with the rye. Enjoyable, and a different take on APA. The spice and malt character blend well with the hops that come through more in the finish than on the front. Very drinkable.”
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Aroma: “Grassy and lemony with a touch of pine and peppercorn. Some maltiness and caramel.” Flavor: “Bright hops character throughout—lots of lemon and pine with a touch of grass. The underlying beer is clean, has a nice caramel malt backbone, and supports the hops. The finish has really nice clean pine notes with a grassy dry hops profile.” Overall: “Pretty solid pale ale with great hops expression that adds a bunch of character but isn’t overdone or out of balance. You definitely get some of the grassy dry-hop character, but it adds complexity to the underlying pine and citrus. The finish is bitter, yet overall refreshing and bright.”
Heftier than your typical American pale ale, this rye imperial pale ale features the sticky, resinous flavor of Chinook hops, plus piney Simcoe and citrusy Centennial in the finish.
American Pale Ale should be a beer that drinks easily and highlights its American hops flavors and aromas. Its closest analog isn’t IPA; it’s British Golden Ale, Americanized! Here’s how to brew a great one.
was an India pale ale legendary among aficionados, brewed from 1890 into the 1990s by the Ballantine Brewing Co. of Newark, New Jersey (late...
known internationally as the quintessential Australian beer brand. However, it is curiously less popular in its homeland than it is around ...
once a popular style in North America, can be summed up as a “bigger” incarnation of the standard American mass-market lager. In the day...
When it comes to craft ales and lagers, there really is no good one-size-fits-all temperature. And even if there were, it probably wouldn’t be ice cold.