Subsidiaries
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 4
Overall 8
Bottle from London Beer Lab. A murky brown-black in hue with a thick, lasting beige head. Lovely, heady aroma of tropical fruits. Quite thick and oily in the mouth but a little powdery too - almost like powdered hot chocolate that hasn’t dissolved properly. Unusually for a modern IPA, the taste is even better than the smell. There’s a big aggressive bitter hop kick up front, but the bitterness fades to reveal a delicious mix of chocolate, lime, mango and clementine. Little bit of pine and spice too, but chocolate and tropical fruit are the main themes. Lots of chocolate in fact- good to see a black IPA that actually has the malt showing up amongst all the shouty hops. There’s a hint of warming alcohol in the finish but again it doesn’t detract from those main themes. Overall it’s a delicious, tasty, well-balanced brew that just needs the texture refining a bit to make it truly great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jun 2015
at 12:56
5.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle from London Beer Lab. Murky deep amber (barely dark enough for a dunkel) with a middling white head and a light fizz. Sweet and bready from the off with some banana flavour and the teensiest hint of grass. The flavours are on the mild side and the beer is possibly a little thin. Pretty easy-drinking though, just needs a little more of everything to zing it up a bit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jun 2015
at 12:56
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle at home in London - sourced from the Lab. Pours deep brown with a fizzy, fast-retreating beige cream head. The aroma holds moderate roast, some gooey chocolate, suggestions of burnt peanuts. Medium sweet flavor with lots of oily, sugary chocolate, a bit of powdered cocoa, dark berries. Medium bodied with fine, fizzy carbonation. Finishes sweet with more sugary, lightly oily chocolate, subtle burnt wood, minimal nuttiness, some cherry, a bit of earth. Not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2015
at 15:12
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle at home in London - picked up at the Lab. Pours mostly clear, rich honey-gold with a creamy, off-white head. The aroma holds lots of bready malts, jammy berries, ripe citrus fruits. Medium sweet flavor with notes of tangerine, slight marmalade, lightly toasted white bread, peach, slight caramel, a bit of oily pine and bitter grass. Medium bodied with fine to average carbonation. Moderately resinous on the finish with further pronounced malt character, ripe citrus, juicy tangerine, grassy and piney bitterness. It’s a bit chewy and oily, so not exactly my ideal IPA, but it grew on me as I drank it. Nice beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2015
at 14:50
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle split just below the flight path, thanks to Leighton of the control tower for another CDA scope, 10/06/15. Light black fading to extremely dark mahogany brown with a decent tan covering. Nose is earthy hop, pine, liquorice, charr, cocoa powder. Taste comprises charr, sweet licks, dark malt, pine, red berry pangs. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close peppered with earthy hop bitterness. Decent CDA.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2015
at 03:40
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle split just below the flight path, big thanks to Leighton, 10/06/15. Light black with a decent beige covering. Nose is charr, pine trace, earthy roast, cocoa nibs, liquorice. Taste comprises red berry, charr, pine, cocoa powder, toffee, dark malt. Medium bodied, prickly carbonation, semi drying close with an earthy hop wash. Decent enough CDA, boxes ticked, over carbonated for me which lets this one down a touch.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2015
at 03:24
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle split at Bespin Base, W2, thanks to Nelly’s brother, 10/06/15. Lightly hazed golden topped with moderate off white spotting and edgework. Nose is juicy hops, Ribena berry, orange pith, caramel malt, mango. Taste comprises mineral strokes, pithy citrics, light peppery vibe, mango pulp, straw, bitter orange. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with an earthy hop chase. Decent enough easy drinking DIPA - carries the ABV off well.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jun 2015
at 09:45
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle split at Bespin Base, W2, thanks to his Kempness, 10/06/15. Lightly hazed golden amber with a moderate off white covering. Nose is pine, mandarin, straw, peach, straw, citric peel. Taste comprises earthy mineral notes, melon, orange pith, lemon rind, juicy hop strokes. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with an earthy hop rinse. Ok APA but lower end of the LAPA’s.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jun 2015
at 09:39
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle at Leighton’s place. Huge thanks to Leighton for this one. Mahogany brown coloured pour, hazed, thin off cream coloured head. Aroma is earthy grains, funky, peach melba, strawberry, pineapple. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, strawberry, light nutty toasted grains. Palate is semi sweet, moderate carbonation. Lingering tangy citrus lemon. Good black ipa.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jun 2015
at 17:02
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle at Leighton’s place. Many thanks to Leighton for this one. Mahogany brown / reddy coloured pour with a lasting light tan head. Aroma is composed of light roast, toast, faint citrus, plastic, pine. Flavour is composed of nice sweet jammy fruit, faint roast, toast strawberry, pine. Palate is medium, moderate carbonation, light sticky hop. Good black ipa.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jun 2015
at 16:54