Devil Strip
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Took a break from rating brews. The first one in a bit.

Pours nearly opaque dark brown. Limited head. Good lacing.

Very lively aromas. Dark roasted malts (coffee and dark chocolate, along with charred bread), citrus (grapefruit).

The flavors follow the nose, and add some spice (white pepper) and herb (anise/fennel) at the finish. But it's a little caramel-malt sweet.

Medium full bodied, smooth, and drying.

A solid black IPA, but a little sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7/19/19 bottle @ home

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with 2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with amazing retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, caramel, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, caramel, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, caramel, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt flavors; with an awesome roast/hop malt/bitterness balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and slightly resinous/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6.85%. Overall this is an awesome black IPA! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish, not overly aggressive. Carbonation could have been lower, but was not detrimental to drink-ability. Very juicy and lightly dank/earthy hops, with perfect balance of the porter malt complexity. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example for being a blend of 2 styles.

L: bright brown under a dense 2" tan cap with fair to good retention

S: rich malt aromas laced with chocolate and a trace of citrus

T: flavors have a creamy chocolate malty front lightly dosed with caramel with hop flavors and bitterness more to the back ending with a pleasant lingering bittersweet chocolate.

F: very creamy with a medium plus body and medium carbonation

O: very drinkable beer with a lot of character

Pours fizzy and a little dark - looks like Coke. Has an interesting smell - I get more than a bit of chocolate, and walnut comes to mind. Different. Flavor is nice and hoppy, and the Porter adds a layer of chocolate that mixes nicely. Fizzy carbonation works here - makes it feel creamy. Overall a very good Black & Tan, glad I tried it.

7/18/18
12 oz bottle - date
4 rating

NICE TASTING BLACK AND TAN- WAS A LITTLE LET DOWN MOST OF THEIR OTHER BEERS HAD ALOT MORE FLAVOR

Cola brown with a bubbly tan ring.

There's not a lot of aroma, aside from mild notes emulating a toasted Nut Brown.

Taste brings the unusual element of the "tan" part that Frog chooses to use, which adds the spiced orange of Gangster Frog with an unexpected hint of green tea the clashes with a mild roast, mixed nuts and some toastiness on the back end.

Crisp yet frothy with a medium body and a semi-dry to dry finish.

It is what it is: a blend that's not well integrated.