BLACK FOREST IPA ~ BEAU'S
I am lucky enough to have several local bars & cafes that have rotating taps. My 'regular' has a live draught list on line of their 25 microbrewery taps, and I often peruse it before going out. I was so excited about tasting this beer. I am fond of almost everything this brewery does, but this one stumped me. I tried to like it; I suffered through a pint, but was disappointed by this brew. I have read others reviews and didn’t quite taste what they had tasted; since this was sampled on draught, I hope it wasn’t an off-keg. Black Forest IPA is a dark IPA, and is No.49 in Beau’s Wild Oats series. The black IPA is a newer beer style, originating in the West coast of the US. The name is a nod to Black forest cake, a German sweet with cherries and chocolate, chocolate is somewhere buried in this beer, and cherries are yet to be found.
The beer poured a dark unfiltered brown, with deep coppery highlights. There was a little beige head, which left some lacing. The first thing that I found off-putting was the smell of this beer. I found there to be a VERY odd smell, a mixture of wet cardboard, slightly burnt rubber bike tire, lots of hops and trash. I should have just asked for something new, but thought if I could get over the nose it may grow on me. My first impression of this beer is ashes, and bitterness. I have tried other Black IPA’s with much higher IBU’s and did not find the same level of bitter dryness that I did with this beer. I found the ashy bitterness overpowering; the cascade and Simcoe hops were bitter, the roasted dark German malts seemed bitter and the dried sweet cherries were nowhere to be found. There was also an earthy peatiness, unsweetened cocoa powder and floral hops. I could not find the any sort of sweetness to balance this beer until I detected a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste.
The beer poured a dark unfiltered brown, with deep coppery highlights. There was a little beige head, which left some lacing. The first thing that I found off-putting was the smell of this beer. I found there to be a VERY odd smell, a mixture of wet cardboard, slightly burnt rubber bike tire, lots of hops and trash. I should have just asked for something new, but thought if I could get over the nose it may grow on me. My first impression of this beer is ashes, and bitterness. I have tried other Black IPA’s with much higher IBU’s and did not find the same level of bitter dryness that I did with this beer. I found the ashy bitterness overpowering; the cascade and Simcoe hops were bitter, the roasted dark German malts seemed bitter and the dried sweet cherries were nowhere to be found. There was also an earthy peatiness, unsweetened cocoa powder and floral hops. I could not find the any sort of sweetness to balance this beer until I detected a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste.
I will not be venturing another sip of this, sorry Beau’s.
7% from Vankleek Hills. Ontario 50 IBU
Ingredients: Local spring water, organic barley malts, organic cherries, organic hops, brewer’s yeast.
Malts: Vienna, cararoma, acidulated, chocolate (all organic)
Hops: Opal, simcoe, pacific gem (all organic)
Yeast: German Ale
7% from Vankleek Hills. Ontario 50 IBU
Ingredients: Local spring water, organic barley malts, organic cherries, organic hops, brewer’s yeast.
Malts: Vienna, cararoma, acidulated, chocolate (all organic)
Hops: Opal, simcoe, pacific gem (all organic)
Yeast: German Ale
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