4 Pines Keller Door Double Cascadian Dark Ale
4 Pines Brewing Company
- From:
- 4 Pines Brewing Company
- Australia
- Style:
- Black IPA
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 2.59%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 31, 2016
- Added:
- Sep 22, 2016
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)
3.79/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.79/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The label asks: "what is black times two?" and the answer, perhaps surprisingly, is not 4 Pines Keller Door Double Cascadian Dark Ale. The beer is dark, sure, but it's not "double the darkness" as advertised. Chestnut highlights and slivers of transparency are clearly observed into the light. And its head is hardly a shade deeper than grey, nevermind brown.
Fortunately it's got the right character where it counts most: those wafts of evergreen needles, illicit herbs and discarded citrus rinds - not to mention the slightest hint of tiramisu - are exactly what I was hoping for. Who cares about colour when you have aroma? Sure, it's still not "double" level intensity but we're obviously on the right track...
Although they list "classic hops of the Pacific Northwest" the ratio of 'sunny flowers and citrus' to 'rainy dank forest' is definitely more reflective of where the beer is actually brewed (Australia) than where it takes its name and inspiration from. There's more than a couple tropical fruits that come to mind when tasting it but not many coniferous trees or their resins.
It seems, on the whole, better suited to a hot climate; relatively light-bodied for the style, it's far more drinkable than an 8%, 85 IBU beer aught to be. There's no harsh, earthy bitterness on the finish and even the espresso and chocolate fudge notes are really dialed back. These are by no means negative qualities. In fact, depending who you ask, that's how it should be.
4 Pines have done a very respectable job emulating the trademark American Black Ale. Their "gentler" but still hop-forward take replaces roast with smooth toffee flavours and allows the melon, mandarin, papaya, grapefruit and guava expressions of the hops to shine. I'd buy more (assuming it didn't require, as it currently does, a 21 hour direct flight).
Sep 22, 2016Fortunately it's got the right character where it counts most: those wafts of evergreen needles, illicit herbs and discarded citrus rinds - not to mention the slightest hint of tiramisu - are exactly what I was hoping for. Who cares about colour when you have aroma? Sure, it's still not "double" level intensity but we're obviously on the right track...
Although they list "classic hops of the Pacific Northwest" the ratio of 'sunny flowers and citrus' to 'rainy dank forest' is definitely more reflective of where the beer is actually brewed (Australia) than where it takes its name and inspiration from. There's more than a couple tropical fruits that come to mind when tasting it but not many coniferous trees or their resins.
It seems, on the whole, better suited to a hot climate; relatively light-bodied for the style, it's far more drinkable than an 8%, 85 IBU beer aught to be. There's no harsh, earthy bitterness on the finish and even the espresso and chocolate fudge notes are really dialed back. These are by no means negative qualities. In fact, depending who you ask, that's how it should be.
4 Pines have done a very respectable job emulating the trademark American Black Ale. Their "gentler" but still hop-forward take replaces roast with smooth toffee flavours and allows the melon, mandarin, papaya, grapefruit and guava expressions of the hops to shine. I'd buy more (assuming it didn't require, as it currently does, a 21 hour direct flight).
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