7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Thank you Geert! Sampled bottled @ Modeste 2018. Black, small head. Nose is sweet mocha, old school BIPA, blue cheese, weird sweet oak,… Taste is bit odd, muted caramel, blueberry, not much barrel but strangely muted with dark bread, blueberry, nice but also slightly strange, thick malty, interesting, good, unusual, not fully sure where they went with but they were probably part of the Jameson deal collab that they are doing all over the place. Interesting that this is top 50 style.

8.3

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

F: thin, tanned, average retention. C: black opaque. A: dark fruits, vinous, cocoa, chocolate, bit herbal, tropical fruits, grapefruits. T: dark malts, fruity, vinous, bit woody, dark cherries, dry on the palate, vanilla, bit tropical fruits, pine resin, bit warming alcohol, full body, lower carbonation, very nice fruity whiskey woody tones, fully enjoyed, 33cl bottle from BeerLovers in Vienna.

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Barrel aging IPAs in general is (still) a rather unusual phenomenon, but black IPAs aged on barrels are a downright rarity, even if great names like Founders and Odells have experimented with the idea in the States; this is in any case the first one I personally encounter, presented by the probably best-known representative of the few dozens of new generation craft brewers in Austria. From a purple paper-wrapped bottle bought at Beerdome. Medium thick, pale beige-ecru, creamy, proportionally very stable head lacing in streaks over a purplish-brown beer with glowing ruby red hue, very dark but still fully translucent (under bright light), initially clear but misty and more deeply burgundy-hued with sediment. Aroma of salmiak, dried prunes, dried grapefruit peel, whisky, oak furniture, old liquorice sticks, black pipe tobacco, wormwood and other bitter herb leaves, black chocolate, dried porcini, hard caramel candy, roasted hazelnuts, dry earth, pine resin, notes of black tea, dry tree leaves, black olives, burnt brownies, 'drop', old cloves. Restrained sweetishness from dried 'Zwetschke' prunes with a blackberry-ish dash of vague sourishness and a black olive-like umami note, softish carbonation, thickly oily mouthfeel; maltiness is very present from the onset onwards, deeply (roasty-) nutty and (hard-) caramelly with a bitter toasty edge, but, as it befits a Cascadian dark ale, the bitterness refrains from becoming coffeeish-roasted and in turns shifts to hoppy, in a rooty, piney, tonic water-like, leafy way, enhanced by the wryness of very obvious whisk(e)y - a bit too obvious really, as it burns a bit on the tongue already at the beginning and makes the root of the tongue cringe with wryness. Outspoken and pleasant, but notably drying wooden cask tannins further enhance this effect, but the maltiness here is thick and full enough to - albeit barely - prevent the finish from becoming unpleasantly harsh. This maltiness even becomes a tad sticky in the very end, but the combination of hop bitterness and whisky astringency dominates, so that the whole does still end quite wry and very bitter. Not one to anyone's liking, that is certain, but that goes for black IPA in general I suppose and in any case within a European - and certainly Austrian - perspective, this is an interesting and fascinating 'bière de dégustation'. Still very recognisably black IPA too, contrary to some barrel aged 'pale' IPAs I had in the past; I like a good Cascadian dark ale from time to time and this one makes me wonder what the basic beer is like. Judging from this complex, somewhat challenging barrel aged version, it must be a more than decent one - and therefore another one on my long list of beers to hunt down... I enjoyed this Gallink, after all, even if for me personally, as a liquor-hater, it is just a tad too overly boozy; if the Jameson component could be tuned down a bit and the wood aging as such amplified, this may well have the potential of becoming a truly world class craft beer.

8

Interesting one, not sure if 1+1=3 in this case. Base is a mildly hoppy black IPA, good thickness, bit boozy, some bitter and fruity hops, but not roasted enough for me. Add the barrels, giving lots of buttery whiskey sweetness. Not great, but very good.

6

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Draught @ Kandinsky IPA event. Murky brownish color, average sized off-white head. Aroma and flavor are malts, dark malts, hops but also a light underlying tart note. Aroma is a bit more faint and instead of tart there's oak barrel notes. Whisky is definitely present, beer is a bit alcoholic, at least it has a light alcohol burn on the tongue. Decent beer. The barrel aging is well done but the combination isn't my thing.

7.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle, thanks Sandi! Murky brown. Soft mild aroma... Barrel, raisins. Soft malty taste, oxidised orangey hops, some random fruit, raisins, light and just a tad woody, barrely... Nice, but nothing too special.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle, 330 ml, courtesy of and shared with JFK10000. Pours black with beige head. Hoppy pine aroma, caramel, some chocolate, malty, more pine, some barrel, smooth. Moderate sweetness, medium bitterness. Medium bodied.

8

Quick review:base black ipa really stands out,gentle whiskey addition,well rounded with slightly warming feel at the end

7

Red fruits, malts, milk chocolate, more malt, sweet whiskey notes. Intense sweetness, boozy, tart. Very sweet.

7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

0.33 l bottle from Pivoteka. Shared with Višnja 666 and Pilot Goran. Dark brown to black, lasting small off-white head. Moderately hoppy, still fresh. Fruity and herbal hops. Slightly roasty, burnt. Some barrel. Light whiskey touch. Alcohol very well hidden. Very soft, silky. Light whiskey presence. Balanced. Soft finish. Lacks richness, but has the balance. Low bitterness. Not bad, but not as interesting.