The Dark Harvest
Bridge Road Brewers

Reviewed from (very) long-standing notes. The bottle was purchased on 9/20/16 from a local bottle shop. Consumed one week later. Poured from the 11.2 oz. bottle into a Cigar City Brewing goblet.

A: Very dark brown to black, and essentially opaque. A low amount of visible carbonation, but still manages a half-finger of light tan head with very good retention especially for a hoppy beer.

S: Grapefruit and juicy oranges with coffee roasted malts. Some bitter citrus pith and resin with more roasty maltiness and just hints of dark cacao. Pretty appealing here, though I'm not getting anything that suggests "fresh hop" particularly.

T: Orange and grapefruit citrus, chocolate and coffee roasted malts up front. These flavors are nearly balanced – like an unsweet Chocolate Orange. Malt sweetness with a good bit of roasted character in the middle. Mild resinous pine, more coffee, and maybe just a hint of grassiness and herbs to the hops. Mocha malts – sweet and roasted – in the hang with hints of char, but ultimately this is outlasted by the resinous and citrus pith bitterness. Not overly bitter, though, by any stretch.

M: A full mouthfeel and good carbonation sensation. The alcohol is perhaps noticeable but well-integrated.

O: This was a tasty beer, though I don’t think it being “fresh hopped” is adding much of anything. I can’t recall what I paid for it, but for a single small format bottle it was likely more than it was worth. But this is certainly worth a try if you find it on tap somewhere and a “Black IPA” is what you’re looking for. The big malt body obscures most anything that would make the wet hop designation worthwhile though.

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours an unusual lightly hazy, dark mahogany brown, with fine, half finger lighe khaki head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of biscuit, lightly caramel malt, continental grassy hops, hints of toasted malt and coffee. Flavor is biscuit, caramel and dark toasted malt, grassy hops, chocolate, light licorice. Finishes with moderate, but resinous grassy hops. Excellent creamy medium body. A quite nice dark IPA. I'd actually categorize this as an American Black IPA, rather than IPA, although this clearly uses continental and southern hemisphere hops, and not the West Coast hops typical to the style. Very nice oat character. The malt, which has a little caramel behind the toasted and biscuit, is rich and flavorful. I liked this a lot; the malt profile, body and hops are balanced and all tasty.

I tried the Collab at the Pink Moon Saloon in Adelaide. I didn't have time to write a review on the spot. From what I remember I thought it was pretty good. A darker beer with nice hoppy scent and taste. Definitely worth a try.