Vermont Black Ale
Lawson's Finest Liquids

Vermont Black AleVermont Black Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Lawson's Finest Liquids
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
5%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 11.6%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
11
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 05, 2013
Added:
May 02, 2011
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Thorpe429:
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to yourefragile for sharing this brew. Served in a tulip.

Pours a nice black color with an average off-white head. Very nice spotty lacing with a thin cap throughout. The nose brings some coffee and roast plus a good amount of resinous pine hops, plus a few earthy hops in the background. The flavor offers some nice roast and chocolate with pine melding in well. Medium body and a heavy bitterness in the finish. Average carbonation and a bitter, dry finish. Another solid offering from Lawson's.
Jun 10, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by acurtis from New Jersey

May 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Brez07 from Maine

Dec 04, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by dunix from Vermont

Feb 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by phingdong from New Hampshire

Jan 31, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by nathanjohnson from Vermont

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by yourefragile. Thanks Mike!

The beer is dark brown with a mocha colored head that leaves a healthy amount of lacing on the glass.

The aroma brings some nice citrus notes, with some roasted malts to balance things out.

The flavor is enjoyable, with alcohol presence virtually nonexistent. The beer is well balanced, with subtle chocolates merging into pine and earthy hop flavors.

The beer is light without seeming thin. Carbonation level is sold. Nice bitter presence in the finish.

Overall, a tasty beer. However, I would still rather have a great IPA or stout rather than any Black IPA / American Black Ale.
Jun 30, 2011
Photo of yourefragile
Reviewed by yourefragile from District of Columbia

4.27/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Batch 207, gold foil bottle. Thank you Tucker! Poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark roast coffee with a light tan head. Fades to a thin cap and dots of light lacing. Aroma is slightly antiseptic with strong amarillo hop notes and light roast malt. Pleasantly sweet and hoppy flavor with a dry, roasty finish. Initially sweet and citrus like body with a full, rich flavor. Not exceptional, but a great, low ABV, full bodied Black Ipa.
Jun 05, 2011
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz gold foil topped bomber into a tulip glass. Rare Batch #205/Bottle #71.

Pours black (but holding it up to the light actually reveals a deep ruby that just doesn’t want to give anything up) topped with a finger of stiff mocha colored head. This retains with a tight ½ finger cap, which just drenches the sides of the glass with rich and sticky patches of lacing. The aroma smells fresh up front with a zesty citric grapefruit character, but it’s the malts that bring most of the flavor here to the nose, with notes of smoky (and lightly acrid) roasted coffee, chocolate, and burnt toast. A touch of light spicy alcohol adds some extra zip to this.

The taste has a strong green citric character to it that is equal parts bitter and tart (and a touch resinous), set against a smooth backdrop of dark malts, coffee flavors, chocolate, and caramel sweetness. The hops just bring the bulk of the attitude to this though, finishing things with dry pine, an earthy pithiness, and kiss of warm spiciness on the end. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a bit fuller in the mouth, laying a lively prickle down on the tongue before getting a bit more smooth and creamy on the sides. There is a just a touch of a light warmth at play in the body but I will say that this has much more of a presence to it that the 5% ABV here would lead you to believe.

While this didn’t quite blow me away, this is still a VERY solid take on a Black Ale with a firm hoppy bitterness to it and plenty of roast and sweeter malts to keep things interesting. I think that this is the lowest alcohol example of this style that I’ve had but there was still plenty of fullness to the flavors and feel to keep me happy.
May 26, 2011
Photo of kingcrowing
Reviewed by kingcrowing from Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22oz gold foiled bomber poured into a chalice.

Pours a very dark brown with a small light brown head, a tinge of lacing. Nose is fruity, and hoppy, a bit sweet as well.

Taste is orange, tangy and fruity, bot lots of chocolate and burnt flavors, a bit too dry or chalky on the finish. Still very tasty and drinkable.
May 14, 2011
Photo of Kkottonmouthkngz
Reviewed by Kkottonmouthkngz from Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Fresh as fresh can be, delivered to The Warren Store Friday, consumed on Sunday.
This pours an espresso black with a very luscious, kahki colored head. Sticky lacing is left behind anywhere it can possibly stick once it diminishes.
It must be noted, as soon as this brew is poured into its glass, hops just dominate the air around me. I wasnt expecting it to be so potent, but was pleasantly surprised.
The hop profile is phenomenal, both on the nose and on my tongue. Theres a lingering bitterness left after each sip, but its not so aggressive that its unpleasant. Quite on the contrary, it leaves enough of it left behind to tide you over until your next sip. The carbonation level is just right, enough so that it enables this brew to be relatively creamy, which is interesting considering the darker malts and the obviously considerable amount of hops.
The first few sips of this didnt sell me completely on it, but it quickly picked up complexity for me, and im more than pleased overall.
May 02, 2011
Vermont Black Ale from Lawson's Finest Liquids
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 11 ratings