Obama IPA
Wig And Pen

This is an interesting beer. It's the second Black IPA I know of in Australia and it certainly fits the bill.

When it first went on, Obama IPA was not quite mature. After 6 weeks, the hops are shining and this beer has come into its own.

It pours a nice, deep brown colour with a creamy, light tan head. Good clarity and decent head retention.

The aroma is resinous and piney from the use of Chinook and Centennial hops. There is very little malt arom which is also classically American.

The flavour is solid with a good dose of bitter, piney, grapefruity hops. The malt is very slightly roasty but more toasty with a decent dose of caramalts as well.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

This is a nice beer. Plenty of bitterness, good hop flavour and easy enough to drink.

First beer I've ever tried from Wig & Pen - we don't get too many up this way. This is their Black IPA, brewed with in collaboration with craftbrewer.com.au's Ross Kenrick, or so I'm told.

Pours a dark amber, not black, with a small, slightly off-white head. Smell is pretty nondescript - a bit sweet, a bit of grassy hop and stone fruits.

Taste opens up with what I would guess is Galaxy hops (?), citrus, flowers and passionfruit/maybe apricot. I wish there was a bit more of it. Not really IPA-levels of hops in the taste. Not a whole lot of anything from the malt - a bit of toffee and the *slightest* hint of roastiness. Great flavors, but a bit weak all 'round.

Medium bodied with about average carbonation. Very refreshing and nice, lingering bitterness. No noticeable alcohol. Very drinkable, just missing a bit in the flavor dept. Almost there, though.