Skin Crawlers
Phantom Brewing Co. in Reading, Berkshire, England 🏴
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.15
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Black IPA is back at Phantom!
Our latest Black IPA is bursting with balanced notes of dried apricot, juicy mandarin and zesty red grapefruit.
Our latest Black IPA is bursting with balanced notes of dried apricot, juicy mandarin and zesty red grapefruit.
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7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
14th January 2026
Panda thanks to Cloin. Near clear amber brown beer, small bubbly pale tan head. Airy palate, decent fine minerally carbonation. Soft malts, an oaty sweetness and a mild tangy chocolate. Soft pine into mild but juicy citrus, the back end dominated by candy fruits. Light finish. Not bad, good malt base but unusually for Phantom, needs more hops.
Panda thanks to Cloin. Near clear amber brown beer, small bubbly pale tan head. Airy palate, decent fine minerally carbonation. Soft malts, an oaty sweetness and a mild tangy chocolate. Soft pine into mild but juicy citrus, the back end dominated by candy fruits. Light finish. Not bad, good malt base but unusually for Phantom, needs more hops.
Tried
on 14 Jan 2026
at 23:22
7.3/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Can at home, 28th November 25. Pours black. Aroma is malty, cocoa. Taste is bitter and malty, chocolate, lacking a hops a bit
Tried
from Can
on 29 Nov 2025
at 09:10
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tried
on 06 Nov 2025
at 00:33
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Can at home, from HOTM online, 20/10/2025.
Light black topped with a khaki head that thins to and remains as a swirl.
Nose is mellow roast, charr, earthy, cola cubes, pine needle.
Taste comprises roast malts, cocoa powder, pine needle, toffee, charr.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close spiked with earthy hop bitterness.
Solid CDA.
Light black topped with a khaki head that thins to and remains as a swirl.
Nose is mellow roast, charr, earthy, cola cubes, pine needle.
Taste comprises roast malts, cocoa powder, pine needle, toffee, charr.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close spiked with earthy hop bitterness.
Solid CDA.
Tried
on 20 Oct 2025
at 17:14
7/10
Grapefruit, dried fruits, roasty
Tried
from Can
on 18 Oct 2025
at 19:54
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
440ml can. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, with a beige head. Aroma of dark malts, zesty citrus and some dried fruit. Taste... definitely a hop forward BIPA, lots of citrus, grapefruit, mandarin, and very zesty, some dried fruits, dark malts with the faintest hint of chocolate, no roast though, and a moderate bitterness to finish. Medium bodied.
Pretty decent but *very* hop forward, could do with more malt character for the 'Black' part of the IPA.
Pretty decent but *very* hop forward, could do with more malt character for the 'Black' part of the IPA.
Tried
from Can
from Left Field Beer
on 02 Oct 2025
at 21:33
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Isle Of Wight Holiday Beer#69. Another Lifecraft supplied beer for Basecamp. Excellent tropical fruit nose, with its carbonation impacting a little on its similar taste. Solid traditional tasting example of the style.
Tried
from Can
from
Lifecraft
on 10 Sep 2025
at 18:45