Trafalgar India Ink Black Pale Ale
All or Nothing Brewhouse

Trafalgar India Ink Black Pale AleTrafalgar India Ink Black Pale Ale
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From:
All or Nothing Brewhouse
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
5%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.12 | pDev: 18.59%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 27, 2013
Added:
Oct 25, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
This unusual ale combines the hoppy character of an India Pale Ale with the richness of a dark, malty beer. Five different hops and premium imported dark malts went into the recipe for this innovative beer from Trafalgar.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by korguy123:
Photo of korguy123
Reviewed by korguy123 from Canada (ON)

3.16/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Black pour with thin egg shell head. Lacing is spotty.

Slight floral and pine hops. Fresh roasted black coffee.

Pine hops with strong black coffee. Very one dimensional.

Thin bodied, light carbonation, lingering bitter aftertaste.

Decent beer, should have been hopped up and made into a Black IPA. Probably the best beer Trafalger has to offer.
Jan 01, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.25 by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)

Sep 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Nov 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by bigox420 from Canada (ON)

Oct 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Sep 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by fostachild from Wisconsin

Apr 19, 2012
 
Rated: 2.75 by ThinkAgain from Canada (ON)

Apr 03, 2012
Photo of SebD
Reviewed by SebD from Canada (ON)

3.1/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: It has a nice almost ink black color to it with some amber hues shining through. It has a nice beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas give out hints of roasted malts, coffee, pine and citrus.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a piney and citrusy hop character with roasted malts and coffee. Slight bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel: It has a light carbonation with a thin and watery overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavors and aromas.
Mar 24, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by beerhunter13 from Canada (ON)

Mar 15, 2012
Photo of slitherySOB
Reviewed by slitherySOB from Canada (ON)

2.82/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Who put squid ink in my pale ale? This beer pours an inky black, with next to no head whatsoever. Smells primarily of roasted malts and floral hops. Tastes piney and minty, with some coffee undertones. Even a bit of mint. Mouthfeel is thin and carbonated. Left me a bit gassy. Overall, one of Trafalgar's best brews. But that ain't saying much. A below average black ale.
Mar 11, 2012
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Inoffensive member of the style,just not very exciting nor very drinkable. Thick black appearance, Cascadian hop, big roasting, orange peel. Would like it more balanced. Like a herbal tea with coffee grounds, and didn't like the bitterness which was marginally astringent. Fresh bottle from LCBO.
Mar 04, 2012
Photo of liamt07
Reviewed by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

3.19/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Bottle from the LCBO, Best before April 2012 (?) - notched somewhere between 2012-2013. Into a tulip.

Pours a cola brown, light beige head that's a bit thin and dissipates quickly. Light lace and minimal retention. Nose is fairly hopping, and surprisingly, not bad at all. Light citrus and pine, with roast and coffee squeezing through and becoming increasingly prominent with warmth. Some caramel and lightly oily hops as well. Taste drops the ball in typical Trafalgar fashion. A poor reflection of the nose but everything is a bit more muddled and thin. Hops become a bit more one-dimensional and the nice roast and coffee notes turn acrid. Some diacetyl which upon revision comes through more in the nose as well. Body is thin and has a consistency just greater than that of water. Really all not that bad but suffers from a lack of body and complexity on the palate. Fails to hit some basic marks and keeps this from being anything more than mediocre.
Mar 01, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by hotsudge from Canada (ON)

Feb 05, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by SnatchyMcPants from Indiana

Jan 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by oldp0rt from Canada (QC)

Dec 15, 2011
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bomber from the LCBO; best before April 2013. I am a little confused as to how a beer can be both black and pale, though.

Pours a dark, mostly opaque chestnut-brown colour with some red tinges under the light. Generates a half-finger of soapy light-beige head that vanishes within a minute, leaving behind a soapy film on the surface. Decent lacing on the sides. Grapefruit citrus and pine needles are the first and basically only major things I can pick up in the aroma; the roasted malts are very much in the background here. Maybe a bit of a coffee bean vibe, but not much else going on.

Pretty hop-forward taste; more of the same grapefruit/bitter orange citrus and pine sap notes from the aroma, with the bready roasted malts being overshadowed a little. Kind of buttery, with some coffee grinds and burnt malts lingering in the aftertaste. Light-medium bodied, with mild carbonation and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

Decent brew, certainly one of Trafalgar's better beers but there is nothing that makes this worth seeking out. A stronger malt profile would put this into 'solid B' territory, but as it stands this is a pretty run-of-the-mill ale without a lot going for it. Worth a try I guess, but not something I'd recommend as a good example of the style.
Dec 05, 2011
Photo of DaPan
Reviewed by DaPan from Canada (ON)

2.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Wow, like others here, I was surprised with myself for picking up a bottle from Trafalgar. Unfortunately, I've got a thing for the "Cascadian Dark" misnomer "Black IPA" style, so I couldn't help myself.

A: Dark, almost opaque black. Dark ruby if held to the light. Poured into a tall Muskoka snifter. Two fingers of foamy dark head. Good first impression.

S: Pine and citrus, hops. No malt, chocolate, just grass and hops. Interesting...not what I expected.

T: A little light on the body. Hops dominate, which I'm okay with. Would prefer heavier body and balance, but it's drinkable. Getting espresso and cigarette on the after taste. (Saw another poster mention cigar...I think that might be a bit generous.)

M: Watery. No body to speak of. I am used to much higher ABV renditions of the style, so was disappointed here. If they did a "Double" of this one, I might be more interested.

O: IMHO, not a terrible brew. Definately the best I've had from Trafalgar to date. Won't buy again unless it's a double.
Dec 04, 2011
Photo of TheSevenDuffs
Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

3.23/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Best before April 2013. Poured in to Duvel tulip.

A - Pours dark brown and settles almost black with half a finger of light brown head that quickly receded to a few bubbles around the edges of the glass.

S - Citrus, pine and a pungent hop bitterness up front. The roasted malt aroma is very faint and hides in the background. The hops definitely dominate the nose and completely overshadow the roasted malts that I know are there.

T - A huge hop bitterness hits the tongue right away and brings citrus and pine flavours that are especially noticeable in the finish. The roasted malts are here but you have to search a little bit to find them. A coffee/chocolate presence is evident in the finish and lingers in the dry, bitter finish.

M - Medium body with a bit of a chew and light carbonation.

O - A more pronounced malt profile would really enhance this beer but it is still a decent example of the style.
Dec 04, 2011
Photo of andrenaline
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

3.48/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
I've been hoping for a brew from Trafalgar that's worthy of a trade with my BA partner out in Calgary, but they continue to produce sub-par offerings. This is no exception.

A - Pours a dark ruby red colour, thumb of soapy beige head, solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Mild soapy hops, touch of burnt toast malt and earthy citrus on the finish.

T - A tad metallic, bitter citrus hops dominate, some nutty malts, leather and burnt cigar notes, hint of espresso and some leafy hops on the finish.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and a touch of dryness; no complaints here.

O - Maybe they have developed a stigma, whereby I'm overly critical, but these guys never seem to get out of the 'average' range. The flavours need to be amped up, as they come across mild and muddled. For the style, a bit more espresso and chocolate to balance out the bitter citrus would've helped. Guess this one won;t be making the westward trip.
Dec 02, 2011
Trafalgar India Ink Black Pale Ale from All or Nothing Brewhouse
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 28 ratings