Close Encounter
Pipeworks Brewing Company

Close EncounterClose Encounter
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From:
Pipeworks Brewing Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
6%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 8.12%
Reviews:
93
Ratings:
466
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 01, 2021
Added:
Mar 14, 2012
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  86
Close Encounter is a bold venture into depths unknown. The best of both worlds co-exist between a rich roasted malt er’n character and an aggressive hop presence that will probe your taste buds like +thing you have experienced before. Don’t fear the unknown, embrace it! You never know who or what you may encounter…
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by aussiebeer:
Photo of aussiebeer
Rated by aussiebeer from Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nov 18, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Close Encounter from Pipeworks. Purchased 0n 27/1/21 for $ 4.00 (Including tax) for 16 oz can ($ 0.250/oz) from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. In reefer at store and stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 1/2/21.
Stamped on bottom rim “PKG 11/25/20”. Served at 48.3 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 53.7 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Brown (SRM 20), hazy.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque When rear-lite, brown shows up at the edges.
Head – Large (Maximum five cm, aggressive center pour), buff, high density, short retention, leaving an eight to eighteen mm crown fed by effervescence, and a complete cap. Second pour produces a 1.5 cm head.
Lacing – Excellent! Wide band of torn curtain lacing.
Aroma – 3.5 – Light coffee and chocolate, weak floral hops, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins slightly bitter with extremely weak coffee. No malt, no hops, no yeast. No alcohol (6 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Thin, watery, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Looks good but otherwise slightly better than mediocre. For me, coffee does not work as a flavor for IPAs.
Feb 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.03 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Jan 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.19 by uncleotis from Illinois

Jan 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.02 by Nunya from Ohio

Dec 25, 2020
Photo of TedHead
Reviewed by TedHead from Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Served this in a pint glass poured from a 16oz can. Very dark with a light Carmel color smaller head. Smells like molasses, coffee, and chocolate but also has some citrusy hop smell to it as well. My first drinks felt like the stronger maltiness was competing with the citrus hop flavor, but after having more the flavors seemed to work better together. Overall it reminded me of mixing sodas as a kid, but this was an IPA and a stout mix, and although my first impression wasn't great, the experience did get better. It's definitely worth a try as I haven't had any other black IPAs but it is a very unique and interesting flavor that might not be for everyone.
Jul 31, 2020
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Decanted from a 16 oz (473 ml) can into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass; canned 03/22/20 (first number a little hard to read).
A: Pours a very dark brown, nearly black, with a foamy, one to two, light brown head with fairly long retention and some lacing.
S: Floral initially with medium roast coffee and molasses aromas predominating for the most part.
T: Nearly semisweet. Interesting combination of lemon citrus (initially), black coffee, molasses, pepper and mint. Nicely balanced with bittering hops causing a clean, refreshing finish.
M: Light to medium bodied with solid carbonation. Full, rich mouthfeel.
O: Delicious. A black IPA that drinks like a Schwarzbier. I could see this as "go to."
Jun 02, 2020
 
Rated: 3.65 by SWChi from Illinois

Feb 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by dexterk1 from Illinois

Feb 14, 2020
 
Rated: 3.78 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Jan 08, 2020
 
Rated: 3.79 by desint from Belgium

Nov 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by Bruno74200 from France

May 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.91 by HopliteMpls612 from Minnesota

May 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mattias from Sweden

Apr 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.81 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Mar 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.84 by Taybeh from Minnesota

Feb 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.86 by Jstarr2517 from Connecticut

Dec 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Dec 04, 2018
Photo of brewme
Reviewed by brewme from Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Picked-up a single can as part of a mixed six-pack at Kappy's in Norwell for $11.99. Canned-on date date of 12/17 (thanks Kappy's). Not my usual style, but decent brew, would like to try fresh.
Oct 19, 2018
Close Encounter from Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 466 ratings