Hop Smack - Beer Camp #48
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

This is a review from the Bistro's 14th annual ipa festival held on August 6, 2011 in Hayward, CA.

Black ale pours black. Has a brown head 1/2". Notes of roasted malt, bittering hops of the pine/tree like aromas.

Taste was relatively crisp like a schwarzbier but with an ale yeast. Roasted malt giving off more toffee than coffee feels, bittering hops still dropping some pine cone into the beer. High carbonation is appreciated, kept the mouth feel from being too heavy or viscous. Alcohol was not pronounced, but also discernable for the level it was.

Its all equal parts black ale, hoppy porter, schwarzbier like. Even though it was 'different' it was a lot like that juniper black ale beer camp beer they made, just without the juniper. But the 'pine' is still a tree, like the juniper, so is it all that different? Not really. You see juniper a lot less than the hops that give off a pine note though, so that one was the more unique one.

 

 

 

 

On Tap

O'Brien's Pub
San Diego, CA

Black with a lot of visible carbonation and a thin brown head. Regular, lined lacing down the glass. Very attractive and perfect for a black IPA.

Roasted malts and pine aromas combine, though I would suggest that the roast is fairly dominant. I would love to have seen more pine and citrus hop presence in the aroma, though this is certainly above average and worth sniffing.

The flavor is similar to the aroma. Roasted malt, a bit of char, and some pine combine, along with a relatively high amount of bitterness. This beer is relatively well balanced, but I think it would be better with more of a biting, pine hop presence.

Medium to thick mouthfeel. Great. Sierra Nevada beers almost always shine here.

A fine black IPA. I just wish it was a little less balanced: more hoppy and less roasty.

Had thus on tap at TJ's. My first time here. Pours blank with a thin head. Smell of molasses and charred caramel. Man, what a unique beer. Great find, a S.N. Beer Camp brew on tap in Eastern PA. The hops in this are beautiful. Roasted, malted, hopped. What a flavor profile. Overall, this is a well put together beer. Hope this becomes a part of their. Regular lineup.

Served on tap at the Drafting Room

A- pours black with a one finger brown head that sticks around for awhile. Excellent lacing

S- not too pungent, but getting a decent bit of citrus out of it

T- the hops coming out of this one are very floral, and not really citric at all

M- it actually has a little bit of thickness to it, but it isn't syrupy

O- it's not bad, but I'm not a huge fan of black IPAs to begin with

Enjoyed on tap at My Place in Newtown where the owner had a hand in this Beer Camp recipe. It's a dark opaque brown color with a fair off-white head and lots of ringed lacing along the tulip glass. The aroma offers a mellow but slightly green herbal hop over toffee malt. The flavor is a nicely blended tart tea leaf hop with a hint of juniper sweetness and a slightly licorice malt. Very well balanced. It’s medium bodied with a bit of a resinous feel, a tad chewy. Very fine carbonation. Fair drinkability for the somewhat high ABV. Good stuff.