Greenwich Black IPA

Deep dark brown coloured body with a nice, lighter brown head, about three centimetres tall. Aroma of deep caramel, toffee, earth and some licorice and a tiny amount of grassy hops. Medium-bodied; Assertive nutty and earthy flavours with a big dose of peat and smokey flavours right behind with some bacon, grain, burnt toast and a hint of mushrooms noticeable, all with some lighter hop elements and a hint of earth. Aftertaste shows more of the nutty and peaty flavours than anything else - some of the hops cut through all the malt, but not too much, and shows more of a slightly hoppier porter than typical, or a slightly more malty and alcoholic mild ale. Overall, a decent attempt at a Black IPA from our friends across the pond that shows decently well, but not in the full-blooded hop-centric way that we expect as Americans. That said, I had this in Hong Kong, so it was well received and better than most of the other local beer I can find here, plus I didn’t have to cart it across the pond or the Pacific, either! I sampled this 50 cL bottle purchased from Marks & Spencer (Surprise, Surprise) at Central [MTR] Station in Central, Hong Kong [island] on 04-August-2017 for HK$39,00 , sampled in my hotel room here in Admiralty, Hong Kong on 04-August-2017, with a best by Date of 28-February-2018 (HK label) on the bottle.

2016 catch up - I’ve had two and although it is a tasty beer, I couldn’t call it a black IPA. There are some hops, but it is much more of a porter. I’ve increased the score after the second one as it is a well made and tasty beer.

Dark brown to black colored, medium to small creamy tan head. Aroma is of chocolate, some roasted malt and coffee, medium- floral and citrus hops. Taste is medium sweet malt and chocolate, bit caramel roasted malt, coffee, medium- floral and light citrus hops, medium bitterness, dryish finish. Medium bodied, soft+ carbonation, bit oily. Enjoyable but could go for more hops.

Bottle 500ml. [ As Marks & Spencer Greenwich Black IPA ].Clear dark black brown color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting to diminishing, beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, light chocolate, moderate hoppy, grapefruit, wood. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, woody, grapefruit, dark malt, sweet malt. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft - lively. [20150216] 7-4-7-3-14

500ml bottle from M&S Darlington. Pours a black-brown colour with a frothy beige foam head leaving lacing. Aroma of roast malt and tangy hop. Taste is roasted bready malty, mollasses, alittle coffee, with some mellow citrusy hop bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry roast bitter finish. Quite drinkable.

Bottle from Marks and Spencer, Enniskillen [011115]
Black, frothy fluffy beige head, light lacing
Aroma of soft roasted malts, some dark malts, earthy note, light nose for abv, no hops
Taste of dark caramel malts, some roast, bit of an earthy note, some bitter hops, little citrus but just generic hop bitterness, soft savoury, robust flavour
Palate - Soft carb, medium body, soft bitter. Finish is slightly dry, more roast comes through, quite a rich dark malt linger
Overall - No fruit or citrus flavours in here, which I would expect in a BIPA. Some nice dark malts, roast bitterness and hop bitterness blends together well, more a hoppy stout rather than a BIPA

Bottle from a shop at St. Pancras station in London, apparently belonging to a brand produced for Marks & Spencer by Meantime. Thick and frothy, prettily cobweb lacing, tan coloured head lasting forever, over a very dark mahogany brown beer with yellowish hue, but practically black as long as you do not hold it under a very bright light. Attractive aroma of bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, white pepper, dried flowers, cocoa, some dried banana, wood ashes, burning pipe tobacco, dried grass, sweet gingerbread, vanilla, dried seaweed, caramel, hint of iron but not in a bothersome way, toasted brown bread, dried leaves and just a hint of dry grapefruit peel, but certainly not as citrussy or piney as most American BIPAs. Onset of sourish brambleberries, dried figs and a lot of nutty malts already, increasing in strength as the palate develops, becoming very toasted and even slightly roasted in the end, like black coffee grounds and black chocolate; mouthfeel is soft and creamy, slick, with soft carbo, perhaps a tad metallic here and there. Finishes in a firm, leafy and floral, peppery hop bitterness with certain dried citrus peel characteristics but restrainedly so, with a retronasal aroma much more reminiscent of European noble hops than American citrus hops, not a bad thing as such, of course; this resiny bitterness lasts for a long time and finds good balance with the roasted malt bitterness. Very European interpretation of a very American beer style. I love black IPAs and I am a happy man seeing them pop up in western Europe more and more often, clearly this style is gradually acquiring more popularity here. This one is more than decent, I would use it as a stepping stone towards the more fragrant, citrussy examples from the New World to any European beer lover interested in the style, but it is a good BIPA in its own right as well.

Bottle. Brownish black with a medium head. Aroma of roasted malt. Flavor of malt, burnt tea, bitter fruit finish.

50 cl bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a huge off white head. Aroma is roasted and dark malty. Bitter and roasted dark malty finish. Roasted dark malty and slight metaloic. Roasted finish.

Bottle from M&S Beggars Bush; dark brown pour with a creamy tan head, aroma has plain chocolate, some roast and a hint on piney hop, taste has smooth chocolate, a hint of caramel, bitter coffee, all with a decent pine hop undercurrent, recent XDA.