Dystopia
Elusive Brewing in Finchampstead, Berkshire, England 🏴
IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Regular|
Score
7.16
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You know we love a Black IPA and we had to feature one as part of our 9th Birthday line-up. This reimagination of Elusive classic, Shadow of the Beast, leans hard on Citra and Mosaic which interplay wonderfully with the gentle roast of the malts in this textbook BIPA. #BIPACOMEBACK
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7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 6
Overall 7
10/7/2025. Cask at the Ealing Beer Festival 2025. Very nice BIPA, but from cask in this heat it was a bit warm which was a detractor. Would be better from keg/can I suspect. That said, it was still enjoyable.
Tried
from Cask
on 10 Jul 2025
at 18:02
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Gravity cask at the 34th Ealing Beer Festival 2025, day one, 09/07/2025.
Black topped with a khaki head.
Nose is charr, roasted nip, cocoa powder, pine needle.
Taste comprises dried fruit rinds, mellow tropicana, soapy notes.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close spiked with earthy hop bitterness.
Okay CDA ... the soapy notes I pick up in the flavour let this one down for me.
Black topped with a khaki head.
Nose is charr, roasted nip, cocoa powder, pine needle.
Taste comprises dried fruit rinds, mellow tropicana, soapy notes.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close spiked with earthy hop bitterness.
Okay CDA ... the soapy notes I pick up in the flavour let this one down for me.
Tried
on 09 Jul 2025
at 11:08
7.5/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 9
Overall 7
Can from Against The Grain. Black body with a thick tan head. No visible carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of blueberries, dark chocolate and spring onion. Flavour of pine, cranberry and an ashy finish. Medium body with a smooth, slightly frothy mouthfeel. Soft fizz. Piney and easy drinking.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Jul 2025
at 21:13
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Nice CDA, rich ashy dark roast, bitter cocoa, charred pine, orange peel. Nicely balanced. Bittersweet finish.
Tried
from Can
at
Elusive Tap
on 17 Jun 2025
at 21:43
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Cask at The Nags Head, Reading, Berks. A very dark brown/black coloured pour with a decent beige head on top. Roasty, malty, chocolate, slightly hoppy and fruity. Decent enough.
Tried
from Cask
on 11 Jun 2025
at 10:36
7.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 9
Keg at Elusive. Inky. A brown tint. Foamy beige head. Aroma combines malty creamy chocolate with bitterness from espresso and herbs. A resinous element also makes an appearance. Medium bodied. Slick to oily. Soft carbonation. Long dry astringent finish. An Elusive BIPA so not a surprise it's well decent bruv.
Tried
from Draft
at
Elusive Tap
on 16 May 2025
at 18:45