Epitome
Carton Brewing in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Regular|
Score
7.41
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We don’t have many rules at Carton Brewing and those we have we made up for ourselves. In general though, we strive for drinkability through balance and harmonization of flavors. But even self-imposed rules are meant to be broken. With Epitome we decided to embrace the teenage metalhead in each of us and get discordant with a seriously hoppy, high gravity, black ale. The only notions accepted were to make it bigger, bolder, hotter & faster. A Beast. The ABV had to push past 10, the black had to be “none more,” and the hops had to be American and piled on like a double bass drum kicking faster and harder. Drink Epitome because things worth doing are worth over doing.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Draft from mark BAr in greenpoint. Pours dark brown to black. Nice malts and piney hops.
Tried
from Draft
on 20 May 2025
at 01:24
8.4/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
s: toffee - earth - cream a: rich dark brown body - great brown head t: rustic - nutty - citrusey hops p: sweet - caramelised sugars - pitted fruits o: balanced - alcohol-hidden - bitter from both hops & roasted malts 16oz can - Premier Gourmet: Amherst/Buffalo, New York - purchased: 20-July-2023 - 'journey began': 23-November-2022 - US$5,69 - sampled: 18-September-2023
Tried
from Can
on 15 Sep 2024
at 06:10
7.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
BGH: pours black with a light beige head. Aroma is piny, some light citrus and some dark chocolate. Taste is somewhat bitter, slightly tangy. Lingering piny aftertaste. Good.
Tried
on 12 Mar 2023
at 20:02
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Can care of Leighton. It pours cloudy dark brown with a medium beige head. The aroma is fresh, piney, roasted malt, zesty citrus, candied peel, sugar and cookie dough. The taste is dry, bitter, rich roasted malt, toasty, coffee, earthgy, charred wood, orange peel, charred and pepper with a drying finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Rich and flavoursome. Decent.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Jul 2017
at 09:19
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
8th December 2016
Bottleshare at Leighton’s Gaff. Thanks to Leighton for the can. Almost opaque dark brown beer, tidy tan head. Palate is airy, soft and has modest fine carbonation. Dry dark malts and rich with roasty bitterness. Trace of dry malt cream. Dry spicy bitter fruits. Smooth dry finish. Long bitter linger,. Robust and quite dry!
Bottleshare at Leighton’s Gaff. Thanks to Leighton for the can. Almost opaque dark brown beer, tidy tan head. Palate is airy, soft and has modest fine carbonation. Dry dark malts and rich with roasty bitterness. Trace of dry malt cream. Dry spicy bitter fruits. Smooth dry finish. Long bitter linger,. Robust and quite dry!
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2016
at 12:25
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Can split at Bespin (farewell ?), thanks to Leighton, 08/12/16. Light black with a decent beige cap. Nose is charr, liqourice, spice, light roast, cocoa, bitter red berry, hoppy pangs. Taste comprises pine needle, cocoa powder, biscuit, spice, tropical fruit rinds, baking powder, leafy hops. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with an earthy hop dusting. Solid CDA.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Dec 2016
at 12:48
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle at Leighton’s place. 8/12/2016. Many thanks to Leighton for this one. A dark mahogany brown coloured pour with a lasting mid tan head. Aroma is dank pine, dirty pine needle, hint of earthy roast. Flavour is composed of semi sweet malts, liquorice, black malts, dirty pine needle, sticky hop. Assertive bitterness. Palate is thick and chewy, sticky hop, moderate carbonation. Lingering liquorice. Dirty roast.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Dec 2016
at 12:48
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Can shared in London - many thanks to Skrip. Pours deep brown with a frothy, tan head. Nice toasty brown bread in the nose, a bit of cocoa, some dark fruit, berries. Medium sweet flavour with a little oily pine, subtle ashy roast, bittersweet cocoa, ripening orange. Medium bodied with fine, massaging cabonation. Good balance in the finish, light resin, baking cocoa, some warming alcohol, orange rind, impressions of citrus juice. Really solid.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Dec 2016
at 12:45
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
16 ounce can. Pours a nearly opaque black color topped by a small but firm light tan head, reminiscent of espresso crema. The nose is fragrant and bursting with notes of pine resin and grapefruit. There is a hint of dark roasted malt as well, though it is fleeting. First sip brings stinging notes of bitter chocolate, strong espresso and lemon peel. The bitter hops are upfront and credulant and stay the duration of the tasting experience. This is a hop lover’s epiphany. There is a slight roasty maltiness that remains in the background. Long after your last sip, you will taste the bitterness that the hops have gifted to you. They just won’t go home. At 10.3% ABV, drink one of these and go home.
Tried
from Can
on 02 Dec 2016
at 22:58
6.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 5.5
Poured from a can. Aroma is malty with balanced hop notes. Some toasted bread, dark caramel, toffee, light roast and nuts. Moderate pine resin and grapefruit notes with some light woodiness. Pours dark brown, but not quite black with a medium sized, thick, right tan head that is slowly receding and lingers as a thin film. Flavor is slightly sweet with some toasted bread, dark caramel and nuts. Hints of chocolate and roast. Very bitter. Moderately strong hop flavors with a strong woody note. Some lighter grapefruit and pine. Some light alcohol spice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and medium low alcohol warmth. Overall an alright beer, but definitely not my favorite. The hops smell and taste very much like Northern Brewer which is quite possibly my least favorite hop. I’m also not a fan of Black IPAs or whatever this is. So bitter. Very dry.
Tried
from Can
on 07 May 2016
at 00:34