Blindfold Black IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Blindfold Black IPABlindfold Black IPA
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 10.21%
Reviews:
235
Ratings:
1,422
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 07, 2020
Added:
Feb 23, 2014
Wants:
  28
Gots:
  258
Blindfold blankets us in darkness yet maintains a surprisingly light body and bold, hoppy character. This black IPA emerged from our Beer Camp program and builds on Sierra Nevada’s legendary love of hops with roasted malts for depth and complexity. Like its namesake, Blindfold is a bit disorienting—the color of a stout and the intense, hop-forward flavors of a classic American IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ThisWangsChung:
Photo of ThisWangsChung
Reviewed by ThisWangsChung from Maryland

2.74/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark ruby red color. The head is about, um, 352 fingers high, and has a khaki shade. The texture is rather soapy, and the retention is rather inconsistent (usually the sign of a well-hopped beer). Some streaks of lacing are left behind.

S: There are some nice hops here - primarily herbaceous and piny in that typical SN fashion - but similar to the Snow Wit I had before this, its hop profile is rather restrained. But that's okay, the rest of the aroma is restrained as well. Wait...anyways, I'm only getting touches of brown sugar, touches of dark fruit, touches of chocolate, and that's it. I'm really let down by the aroma's lacking oomph.

T: It follows the nose well. The predominant flavor is hop bitterness - not much flavor, just bitterness. I'm getting some light caramel, brown sugar, and MAYBE a few espresso notes around the middle and back end, but nothing impressive. All in all though, this one is too bland and too generically bitter.

M: At the very least, this beer's lightness on the palate is laudable. It's somewhat dry finishing, too, so there is a bit of danger to drinking this quick. If only it weren't so bland...

O: Totally disappointing. SN's standard porter is far more enjoyable. Thankfully, I have three more opportunities to give this another chance - this wasn't so horrible that I never want to drink it again. I'm just not that enthused by such a prospect. This is honestly my least favorite SN offering to date.
Mar 08, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by TallGuyCM from California

Jul 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by MJSFS from Florida

Dec 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Apr 27, 2018
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
They put this in one of those mixed variety 12 packs back when black ipa was all the rage (just not from a sales standpoint or longevity of trend). Pours black, but not imperial stout viscous black, just a normal, kind of close to a porter black. Brown head 1/2". Aroma is bitter hops and black roasted malt that is more dry and acrid than lush and choclatey.

Taste is another Chinook, Cascade hopped bitterness of the grapefruit and tree variety. Malt base is dehusked black patent it would seem. Carbonation is slightly up there but understandable given style and bitterness. Its like their porter, but without as much 2 row malt it seems.

So this beer basically does what it should per style. Its hoppy, bitter, but with a dark exterior/interior, but without the weighty heft of a porter or stout. Its fine one at a time, but unlike SNPA, I couldn't see drinking more than one of these in a setting, despite it being well made and doing everything above average.
Mar 29, 2018
Photo of rapayn01
Reviewed by rapayn01 from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Yes, I liked it very much! This long-time IPA drinker is discovering that roasty IPAs are also quite tasty. I like hoppy porter too, which the style suggests. You taste the alcohol at first, so it isn't perfect.
Mar 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.55 by bobstockwell from Massachusetts

Mar 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by BenHoppy from Michigan

Jan 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.14 by adam36 from Illinois

Aug 01, 2017
Photo of davidward
Rated by davidward from Florida

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A very nice black IPA. It has the hoppiness of a classic IPA with a fortification of malt. Very similar to a good stout.
Jul 19, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The appearance was black in color with a two finger white to off white foamy head that died at a decent pace leaving some nice foamy yet bubbly looking lacing. The smell was roasty with some nice chocolates and coffee pervading through in a moderately smooth yet strong sense. The taste was roasty, bitter and sweet that tries to combine but shows these aspects at separate times in the beer. There is an ever so light aftertaste and its somewhat bitter dry and smooth. The finish is quick and dry. On the palate, it sits about a medium on the body with a somewhat smooth carbonation running about it. This one seems to want to have a sessionable quality to it, but I’m not quite seeing it as I seem to want to sip it more. Overall, pretty good black IPA that I could come back to.
Jul 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.76 by ladle69 from Florida

May 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.6 by Kurzman from Rhode Island

Apr 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by Nolster from Minnesota

Mar 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by jnorris404 from Alabama

Feb 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Bammer21 from Illinois

Jan 13, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by Bill235 from Ohio

Jan 10, 2017
Photo of Beerdrinking
Rated by Beerdrinking from New York

4.68/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Dark beer not overpowering. Enjoyable
Dec 17, 2016
Photo of Benjolovesbeer
Reviewed by Benjolovesbeer from Michigan

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Great in a tulip. Looks like a stout or a porter with it's blackness but tastes like an IPA, if only you could buy it in a sixer, at least I never seen it in a sixer.
Nov 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by jmaskell33 from New York

Oct 27, 2016
Blindfold Black IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 1422 ratings