Covert Hops
Maumee Bay Brewing Company

 

 

 

Yes, it's black. Black IPA? Maybe not in the sense that the term is an oxymoron, but it fits no matter what you call the style. The brown head is a strong, dense one just less than a finger and a half tall. It keeps its form well and for most of the duration, depositing plenty of lacing as it goes.
The main elements are a strong bite of pine and a balancing roasty bite. It's certainly hop-forward, and is a good example of the style in terms of letting the hops rule as though it were an IPA but not slacking on the dark malt additions. A bit of citrus, some earthy raw green bitterness, and plenty of flora complete the hop profile. In the flavor, there's a kind of sweetness that comes in the middle but doesn't take over or detract from the hoppiness. Wood builds into the finish. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something of an astringency, barely detectable, that detracts.
The medium body is crisp and creamy, too, as well as being dry from start to finish.