2015 Hop Ticket #1: Black IPA
Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Series Out of Production|
Score
7.05
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draft from old town whole foods. Pine resin predominantly. Roasted malts. OK unspectacular.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
27th May 2015: on-tap pint at 83 Degrees, Carlsbad. Came black with a mini-wisp for a head: looked foreboding. Aroma over roasted malts with some woody and earth notes in the nose also. The taste was also leaning towards malts, dry and non-sweet in nature. Interesting but I think it might have been towards the end of it’s life when it saw the light of day: fresh it might have faired better.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Sample at Bob’s Bar for CCBW. Pours a dark cola brown color with a medium foamy light beige head that diminishes steadily. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of roast malt, pine and hops. Medium-bodied with flavors of resiny hops, roast malt and chocolate. The finish is roasty malt up front with a piney hops aftertaste. Above average overall.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Licorice and orange peel nose. Mahogany, thin tan head. Charcoal, licorice. pine needle. Bitter char end. Medium body, easy carbonation. Heavy on the char but good.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Draught at Lulu’s, 3/28/15
Dark brown with some lighter magenta hues on the edges and a light beige head that is large and well-retained. Clarity seems high, though it’s not completely conclusive.
Nose is full of wintergreen, very light chocolate notes (dark chocolate), leafy, somewhat juicy pine and ruby red grapefruit. Dusting of cocoa on the end, with a touch of light caramel as well, but it’s not over-malted and nor are the hops overly aggressive, but rather quite aromatic and pleasant.
To my great surprise, there is pretty much no dark malt flavor here. The last thing I want to taste in an IPA is bitter, astringent roast and/or vinousness (I didn’t order a porter, I ordered an IPA). Some light chocolatey sweetness and perhaps a hint of coffee flavor seems to be the extent of the dark malt. Mixing with the base malt it gives body and balance to the citric, liberally-hopped but not resinous finish. Grapefruit, lime, wintergreen and a touch of lychee are in harmony with both the supportive, soft texture and medium to medium-full body. Sweetness does just enough and does not build up on the finish. That I would very happily drink again says a lot as I generally despise black IPAs. No alcohol noted.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Draught @ The Shannon Rose. Dark brown with a reddish tint, small spongy beige head, grassy hop aroma, low carbonation, hoppy roasted malt taste, long finish with burnt aftertaste. Quite enjoyable.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
Tap at stags head. Pours lovely deep brown with big head and good lacing very enticing. Nose is resin pine and slight diapers. Tastes of pine, roasted malt, coffee grinds, resin, light grapefruit. Smooth lactose palate but with hop kick. Coats the mouth.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draft at Spacebar. Opaque black, beige head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of fresh pine, light riast. Taste is bitter coffee, pine resin, cocoa. Tasty.