Hop Centric Black
Two Brothers Brewing Company

Hop Centric BlackHop Centric Black
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From:
Two Brothers Brewing Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
9.9%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 12.74%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
101
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 23, 2019
Added:
Jun 19, 2011
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  13
No description / notes.
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Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 7/2013. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/earthy hops, and dark/black/roast/bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hops; and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity. robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops, and dark/black/roast/bready malt flavors; with a great hop/char bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/sticky, and fairly chalky/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 9.9% after the finish. Overall this is a delicious Black DIPA. All around nice complexity. robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops, and dark/black/roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish; not aggressively bitter/charred. Feels like Columbus, Centennial, Amarillo hops. Very juicy and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a great balanced rich dark/black/roast malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example considering the age. Held up exceptionally well for 6 years.
Jun 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by derdtheterd from Canada (AB)

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by rossracing from Illinois

Jun 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by firkingroovin from Illinois

Dec 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.33 by ystazi from Illinois

Nov 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by Domvan from Texas

Oct 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by user785335 from Florida

Aug 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.46 by BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

Jul 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by chip26 from Illinois

Jul 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by kplooki from Illinois

Oct 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Dicers from California

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by RBCBrams17 from Illinois

Sep 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by hooliganlife from Missouri

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by mychalg9 from Illinois

Jul 11, 2014
Photo of BRami127
Reviewed by BRami127 from Illinois

3.77/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had at the Two Brothers Brewery yesterday. Poured into a snifter

A: Dark brown, almost black like a stout. Nice creamy brownish head.

S: You can smell the piney, floral, hops and roasted malt used in making this beer.

T: Hoppy in the front, almost stout-like on the finish with the malt and essence of bitter chocolate. Tastes like it's more than a 9% ABV beer.

O: Surprisingly good. I didn't think I would like dark IPA style beers, but this changed my perception. I would definitely have this again next time I'm around Warrenville.
Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by mjc3151 from Illinois

Jun 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by CSO from Illinois

May 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by JuniperJesus from Illinois

Mar 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by beersdmf17 from Illinois

Mar 08, 2014
Photo of magictacosinus
Reviewed by magictacosinus from California

4.27/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Thanks, Todd. No one at a bottle share decided to touch the bottle I brought of this, so I immediately called a friend soon after and asked if he wanted to have a go at it. He accepted, so we gleefully tackled this in spite of prior consumption of lots of beers on our part. Poured out of a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass. Let's hope this held up well.

This has to be the most opaque black ale I've seen to date - blackened, with minor brown (or apparent ruby) tinges when held against the light, but otherwise would fool anyone that this was a stout or something at an initial glance. What gives it away, I suppose, is the light khaki head, which is frothy, thick, and appetizing looking. Lasts the entire time, and leaves behind tons of sticky residue and some strong legs. Really an excellent looking black ale, and one of the best I've seen to date.

The aroma is nice, and doesn't really show any signs of fading even after all this time - tons of citrus and spices, with a nice semi roasted backbone from the dark malts. Lots of orange peel, pine, sage, and fennel, alongside a good amount of black pepper, light tobacco, earthiness, and some caramel and semi-roasted cocoa nibs at the finish. It's relatively sweet, but it's filled with a nice, earthy, floral hop punch that makes this essentially a good quality IPA, save for the malts. In fact, I'd say it's more interesting for it as it brings out firm notes of licorice and leather the more it warms up. Really mellow, and well paced, but definitely ahead of the pack in certain respects.

While I've had mixed feelings about past beers from Two Brothers, this one pretty much brings together what I'd always felt that their beers could strive to be - robust, thick, yet with an assertive bitterness from the hops and malts, as well as a unique yeasty profile and assortment of flavors throughout. At first, you get this pine bomb of a beer, coated with some citrus peel of sorts, as well as sage and light anise. Then, the roasted notes back up the bitterness with a semi-sweet malt profile resembling chocolate and caramel, and making this seem like a citrus infused truffle of sorts (much like Wookey Jack, but sadly lacks the crackly spiciness of that beer). Really well carbonated and refreshing, and while it's a little robust at the finish, we easily finished a bottle together and wished we had another.

This is great - my favorite black ale from the Midwest that I've had so far, and ranks up there with ST Inequity and FW Wookey Jack as perhaps my favorite black IPAs in the country. Most breweries miss the point of these beers, I feel - they aren't meant to fight each other, but rather compliment each other by showcasing the best bittered aspects of intense hops and intense roasted malt characteristics, while melding them throughout. I really enjoyed this, and I hope to try more of Two Brothers' best when I get the chance.
Feb 12, 2014
Hop Centric Black from Two Brothers Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 101 ratings