Dark Hops | Beer Here
Brewed by:
Beer Here
Denmark
beerhere.dk
Style: American Black Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Introduced in May 2009. Black like a stout, hoppy like an IPA.
Maris Otter malt, roasted barley. Zeus and Saaz hops.
Brewed at Nøgne Ø, Norway.
Added by ricke on 05-17-2009
Reviews: 98 | Ratings: 161
Reviews by beerdrifter:
More User Reviews:
4.15/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured nearly jet black with a two finger mocha colored head atop that settled slowly into a frothy mass,great retention to the head.The big citric,resiny hop aromas really took me back in a good way,I knew the hops were gonna be big but this was great.Again the hops are huge along with some dark roast,and slight woodiness.Flavors are a bit more even,the resiny hops are mixed with a healthy dose of roast and molasses-like sweetness.This is a great beer,best of the style I have had,just a great hop profile.
★ 511 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured nearly jet black with a two finger mocha colored head atop that settled slowly into a frothy mass,great retention to the head.The big citric,resiny hop aromas really took me back in a good way,I knew the hops were gonna be big but this was great.Again the hops are huge along with some dark roast,and slight woodiness.Flavors are a bit more even,the resiny hops are mixed with a healthy dose of roast and molasses-like sweetness.This is a great beer,best of the style I have had,just a great hop profile.
★ 511 characters
4.28/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
According to the brewer, this is a stout that is hopped like an IPA. Hops used are Zeus (aka Columbus or Tomahawk).
A: Jet black with a big brown and creamy head with very good retention. Nice lacings. A fine looking brew.
S: Pleasant fresh hop aromas up front. Floral notes, hop resins, some citric notes. Faint spices. The hops blend nicely with a roasted malty backbone with nice coffee and chocolate aromas. A very good and fascinating smell.
T: Again, the hops are up front and quite aggressive. Very fresh hop flavors, floral notes, resins and perhaps some grapefruit. However, the hops are not as powerful as in the smell, nor as complex. Nice foundation of roasted malts, big coffee flavors, chocolate. Perhaps some spices, faint vanilla and licorice. The finish is rather bitter (80 IBU) with pleasant flavors of roasted malts, pine-needles, hop resins and wood. All in all, a very nice tast with a beatiful mix of fresh hops and the "usual" stout flavors of coffee and chocolate.
M: Medium body going towards full. Quite alot of carbonation, actually that slightly bothers me.
D: This is a really great stout with a wonderful hop character. Would definitely drink it again if I had the opportunity. Highly recommended.
★ 1,235 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
According to the brewer, this is a stout that is hopped like an IPA. Hops used are Zeus (aka Columbus or Tomahawk).
A: Jet black with a big brown and creamy head with very good retention. Nice lacings. A fine looking brew.
S: Pleasant fresh hop aromas up front. Floral notes, hop resins, some citric notes. Faint spices. The hops blend nicely with a roasted malty backbone with nice coffee and chocolate aromas. A very good and fascinating smell.
T: Again, the hops are up front and quite aggressive. Very fresh hop flavors, floral notes, resins and perhaps some grapefruit. However, the hops are not as powerful as in the smell, nor as complex. Nice foundation of roasted malts, big coffee flavors, chocolate. Perhaps some spices, faint vanilla and licorice. The finish is rather bitter (80 IBU) with pleasant flavors of roasted malts, pine-needles, hop resins and wood. All in all, a very nice tast with a beatiful mix of fresh hops and the "usual" stout flavors of coffee and chocolate.
M: Medium body going towards full. Quite alot of carbonation, actually that slightly bothers me.
D: This is a really great stout with a wonderful hop character. Would definitely drink it again if I had the opportunity. Highly recommended.
★ 1,235 characters
4.12/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours motor oil black with about the same viscosity and a brown head.
Sprucey hop resins on the nose with a heavy coffee note.
Medium to full bodied and definately drinks like a stout. Has a chocolatey fade but the hops set it apart from your average imperial stout. Very well made and worth a try.
★ 300 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours motor oil black with about the same viscosity and a brown head.
Sprucey hop resins on the nose with a heavy coffee note.
Medium to full bodied and definately drinks like a stout. Has a chocolatey fade but the hops set it apart from your average imperial stout. Very well made and worth a try.
★ 300 characters
2.16/5 rDev -46.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Appearance: 1/4 inch head, black in color, opaque
Smell: licorice, chocolate, rubber, and faint hops
Taste: chocolate, cream, burnt wood, slight hops, with a funky medicinal aftertaste
Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, light body, sweet with a funky aftertaste
Drinkability: The smell and the aftertaste kill this beer for me and it was borderline drainpour. The hop presence is faint at best. The body is ok. I think there are much better in the style and will be passing this by.
★ 482 characters
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Appearance: 1/4 inch head, black in color, opaque
Smell: licorice, chocolate, rubber, and faint hops
Taste: chocolate, cream, burnt wood, slight hops, with a funky medicinal aftertaste
Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, light body, sweet with a funky aftertaste
Drinkability: The smell and the aftertaste kill this beer for me and it was borderline drainpour. The hop presence is faint at best. The body is ok. I think there are much better in the style and will be passing this by.
★ 482 characters
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a black color with a tan head.
The aroma is roasted malt, chocolate malt, smoke, tobacco and piney hops. The malt is pretty strong, but you can definitely get the hop character in the aroma.
The flavor is roasted malt, chocolate and smoke. There is some piney bitterness that really seems to go well with the darker malts.
Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
One of the best Black IPAs I have tried.
★ 427 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a black color with a tan head.
The aroma is roasted malt, chocolate malt, smoke, tobacco and piney hops. The malt is pretty strong, but you can definitely get the hop character in the aroma.
The flavor is roasted malt, chocolate and smoke. There is some piney bitterness that really seems to go well with the darker malts.
Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
One of the best Black IPAs I have tried.
★ 427 characters
4.38/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle purchased from Five Points Bottle in Athens, GA.
Pours completely black - really one of the inkiest in recent memory - with a brown head. The head slowly recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.
Smells of smooth roasted malts with hints of dark chocolate first and foremost with good amounts of spicy, citrus, and somewhat floral hops bringing up the rear.
Tastes good. The hops are a bit more at the forefront than they were in the smell. Strong roasted malt flavors up front with hints of chocolate and coffee are joined quickly by good amounts of citrus and mildly spicy hops. The hop flavors carry through to a bitter ending that leaves equal parts citrus hop and dark chocolate lingering on the palate.
Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very good thickness with smooth and soft carbonation.
Drinkability is also very good. I finished the bottle very quickly and could have a few more.
Overall I was expecting another Black IPA but instead got a Blackest IPA. One of the hoppier stouts I've had and one that's well worth a shot.
★ 1,060 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle purchased from Five Points Bottle in Athens, GA.
Pours completely black - really one of the inkiest in recent memory - with a brown head. The head slowly recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.
Smells of smooth roasted malts with hints of dark chocolate first and foremost with good amounts of spicy, citrus, and somewhat floral hops bringing up the rear.
Tastes good. The hops are a bit more at the forefront than they were in the smell. Strong roasted malt flavors up front with hints of chocolate and coffee are joined quickly by good amounts of citrus and mildly spicy hops. The hop flavors carry through to a bitter ending that leaves equal parts citrus hop and dark chocolate lingering on the palate.
Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very good thickness with smooth and soft carbonation.
Drinkability is also very good. I finished the bottle very quickly and could have a few more.
Overall I was expecting another Black IPA but instead got a Blackest IPA. One of the hoppier stouts I've had and one that's well worth a shot.
★ 1,060 characters
3.86/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Shit - this is Danish? And here I thought I was finally going to try a Norwegian-made beer. Looks like I still am, though, as it's at least made in Norway...Kitschy Men in Black takeoff imagery on the label.
This beer pours a total black, no backlit highlights, no embedded hues. It has a copious amount of puffy, foamy light brown head, which slowly settles, leaving some well-spaced striations of lace around the glass. It smells of roasted chocolate malt, and citrus, weedy hops. The taste is smoky malt, dry chocolate, mild instant coffee, and comparatively mild leafy, earthy hops. The carbonation is a bit south of moderate, the body medium weight, creamy, and just a bit prickly. It finishes off-dry, the grainy chocolate tempered for the most part by unheralded hops.
A pretty good stout, the hops doing their job to provide balance, as opposed to the expectation of a hop-bomb implied in the four different mentions/depictions on the label. It also doesn't hurt that the hefty alcohol is all but unnoticeable, as far as this review is concerned, at least.
★ 1,067 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Shit - this is Danish? And here I thought I was finally going to try a Norwegian-made beer. Looks like I still am, though, as it's at least made in Norway...Kitschy Men in Black takeoff imagery on the label.
This beer pours a total black, no backlit highlights, no embedded hues. It has a copious amount of puffy, foamy light brown head, which slowly settles, leaving some well-spaced striations of lace around the glass. It smells of roasted chocolate malt, and citrus, weedy hops. The taste is smoky malt, dry chocolate, mild instant coffee, and comparatively mild leafy, earthy hops. The carbonation is a bit south of moderate, the body medium weight, creamy, and just a bit prickly. It finishes off-dry, the grainy chocolate tempered for the most part by unheralded hops.
A pretty good stout, the hops doing their job to provide balance, as opposed to the expectation of a hop-bomb implied in the four different mentions/depictions on the label. It also doesn't hurt that the hefty alcohol is all but unnoticeable, as far as this review is concerned, at least.
★ 1,067 characters
3.55/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes.
A: Pours a deep brown, with a very small tan colored head. Very little lacing to speak of.
S: The aroma almost has a break in it, the hoppy/grass/citrus is up front and then there is almost nothing and then some roasted malt and a bit of coffee on the back end.
T: Very similar to the aroma both in flavor and in the way the beer is presented. The hops are all up front, light grass and citrus with the back end dominated by roasted malt, chocolate and coffee.
M: Medium bodied and on the lower end of carbonation, leaves it with a nice creamy mouthfeel.
O: Not my favorite black IPA. I typically prefer the black and IPA portions to be blended more than they are here.
★ 697 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes.
A: Pours a deep brown, with a very small tan colored head. Very little lacing to speak of.
S: The aroma almost has a break in it, the hoppy/grass/citrus is up front and then there is almost nothing and then some roasted malt and a bit of coffee on the back end.
T: Very similar to the aroma both in flavor and in the way the beer is presented. The hops are all up front, light grass and citrus with the back end dominated by roasted malt, chocolate and coffee.
M: Medium bodied and on the lower end of carbonation, leaves it with a nice creamy mouthfeel.
O: Not my favorite black IPA. I typically prefer the black and IPA portions to be blended more than they are here.
★ 697 characters
4.57/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served on-tap at The Porter Beer Bar with an amazing date. Glad we could share this one Katie.
A- I split this two ways so it showed up in two little 4 oz snifters. Black as a stout with a 1 finger head the color of creamy coffee.
S- Holy shit. That is all I can say. This beer smells as good if not better than any beer I have ever laid nostrils on before. It smells like some awesome green. It has that perfect piney, resinous smell with some citrus notes as well. A smell like this can only come from such a fresh beer.
T- The taste doesn't let you down. I thoroughly enjoy Black IPAs in the first place and this rivals one of my favorites (Stone SSR). The beer first taste like a stout, with notes of chocolate and roasted malts. The taste then completely shifts to hops, glorious piney, resinous hops with hints of citrus. This beer was so crisp.
M- The mouthfeel was good, carbonation was right for the style.
D- I could have drank these until I wound up being like the appearance of the beer... blacked out.
I would have liked to have taken the entire keg home with me and swim in this stuff. The smell of this beer got me so excited and the taste didn't let me down, it was amazing.
★ 1,198 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served on-tap at The Porter Beer Bar with an amazing date. Glad we could share this one Katie.
A- I split this two ways so it showed up in two little 4 oz snifters. Black as a stout with a 1 finger head the color of creamy coffee.
S- Holy shit. That is all I can say. This beer smells as good if not better than any beer I have ever laid nostrils on before. It smells like some awesome green. It has that perfect piney, resinous smell with some citrus notes as well. A smell like this can only come from such a fresh beer.
T- The taste doesn't let you down. I thoroughly enjoy Black IPAs in the first place and this rivals one of my favorites (Stone SSR). The beer first taste like a stout, with notes of chocolate and roasted malts. The taste then completely shifts to hops, glorious piney, resinous hops with hints of citrus. This beer was so crisp.
M- The mouthfeel was good, carbonation was right for the style.
D- I could have drank these until I wound up being like the appearance of the beer... blacked out.
I would have liked to have taken the entire keg home with me and swim in this stuff. The smell of this beer got me so excited and the taste didn't let me down, it was amazing.
★ 1,198 characters
3.37/5 rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
bottle into Duvel Tulip
A-black with a brown 2-finger head that reduces to a ring of brown foam until finished.
S-smoke, chocolate malt, hops, a little booze in the end
T-smokey with coffee/chocolate malt and some hops...some alcohol too...a nice porter, actually! Very few Stout characteristics in this one...
M-medium body with appropriate carbonation.
D-this drank like a Porter to me and ended up being really good, too. My first beer from this brewery...I will try their other offerings...
(edit from notes: changed Taste from 4.0 to 3.0, Drinkability from 4.0 to 3.0 and Appearance from 4.0 to 3.5)
★ 610 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
bottle into Duvel Tulip
A-black with a brown 2-finger head that reduces to a ring of brown foam until finished.
S-smoke, chocolate malt, hops, a little booze in the end
T-smokey with coffee/chocolate malt and some hops...some alcohol too...a nice porter, actually! Very few Stout characteristics in this one...
M-medium body with appropriate carbonation.
D-this drank like a Porter to me and ended up being really good, too. My first beer from this brewery...I will try their other offerings...
(edit from notes: changed Taste from 4.0 to 3.0, Drinkability from 4.0 to 3.0 and Appearance from 4.0 to 3.5)
★ 610 characters
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jonah's bottle, via Premiere Gourmet. Pours dark black with fomay brown head abundant, and abundant head. Roasty aroma. Pours oily creamy that leads to above-average mouthfeeel. Like a hoppy RIS, with chocolate. Very drinakble.Though pricey, its still good value.
★ 263 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jonah's bottle, via Premiere Gourmet. Pours dark black with fomay brown head abundant, and abundant head. Roasty aroma. Pours oily creamy that leads to above-average mouthfeeel. Like a hoppy RIS, with chocolate. Very drinakble.Though pricey, its still good value.
★ 263 characters
3.34/5 rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured into a Chimay glass from a bottle (very cool bottle, btw!). Very dark with about a half inch of head with minimal lacing. Smells like a somewhat muted Imperial Stout, the usual coffee and roastiness is there, but more restrained. The taste is roasted, with a solid hops presence, and for some reason I'm reminded of weed, especially in the aftertaste. Solid mouthfeel with some lingering bitterness (and pot!). Drinkable, but I can't say I want to drink another right now, though it does hide the 8.5% nicely. Recommended for someone that wants to try something very different.
★ 584 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured into a Chimay glass from a bottle (very cool bottle, btw!). Very dark with about a half inch of head with minimal lacing. Smells like a somewhat muted Imperial Stout, the usual coffee and roastiness is there, but more restrained. The taste is roasted, with a solid hops presence, and for some reason I'm reminded of weed, especially in the aftertaste. Solid mouthfeel with some lingering bitterness (and pot!). Drinkable, but I can't say I want to drink another right now, though it does hide the 8.5% nicely. Recommended for someone that wants to try something very different.
★ 584 characters
3.96/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
50cl bottle from K&L Redwood City.
Pours black in color with a huge brown head that strangely has two layers, a lower brown one and an upper tan one. Really interesting look. Ridiculous retention.
Aroma is roast, coffee, piney hops, and a hint of smoke.
Flavor is very good, with all the characteristics of a roasty stout: roasted malt, caramel malt, coffee, and bitter chocolate, along with a blast of piney and resinous hops, maybe a little citrus too.
Mouthfeel is very smooth and body is fairly full. Very nice beer overall.
Drinkability is not awesome as this beer gets to be a bit much eventually, but it's good.
★ 623 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
50cl bottle from K&L Redwood City.
Pours black in color with a huge brown head that strangely has two layers, a lower brown one and an upper tan one. Really interesting look. Ridiculous retention.
Aroma is roast, coffee, piney hops, and a hint of smoke.
Flavor is very good, with all the characteristics of a roasty stout: roasted malt, caramel malt, coffee, and bitter chocolate, along with a blast of piney and resinous hops, maybe a little citrus too.
Mouthfeel is very smooth and body is fairly full. Very nice beer overall.
Drinkability is not awesome as this beer gets to be a bit much eventually, but it's good.
★ 623 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours black with a large lasting tan head.
Nose shows plenty of roasted malt with hints of ground coffee and dark chocolate. In the background there's piney and resinous hops.
Very similar flavours but rather sweet with big syrupy character. Very full-on.
Rich slick mouthfeel with low carbonation that really could be upped a bit.
★ 331 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours black with a large lasting tan head.
Nose shows plenty of roasted malt with hints of ground coffee and dark chocolate. In the background there's piney and resinous hops.
Very similar flavours but rather sweet with big syrupy character. Very full-on.
Rich slick mouthfeel with low carbonation that really could be upped a bit.
★ 331 characters
3.52/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a dark black color ale with a nice large off-white foamy head with good retention and light lacing. Aroma of bitter roasted malt is quite dominant with some strong dry hoppy notes. Taste is also dominated by dry bitter roasted malt notes with some deep citrus oriented hoppy notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. I have hard time understanding how this beer is rated so high. It is an OK version of a style that I don’t particularly like but not sure what really stands out. Also, the Saaz hops are very hard to pick-up in this mix.
★ 563 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a dark black color ale with a nice large off-white foamy head with good retention and light lacing. Aroma of bitter roasted malt is quite dominant with some strong dry hoppy notes. Taste is also dominated by dry bitter roasted malt notes with some deep citrus oriented hoppy notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. I have hard time understanding how this beer is rated so high. It is an OK version of a style that I don’t particularly like but not sure what really stands out. Also, the Saaz hops are very hard to pick-up in this mix.
★ 563 characters
Dark Hops from Beer Here
4.01
out of 5
based on 161 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked this up at the beer store at the De Molen Brewery. Deep black pour with a beautiful dark brown two finger head with decent retention and lacing. Dark roasted malts dominate the nose with lots of chocolate as well. Also getting hints of coffee, cocoa, smoke and herbal piney hops. The taste follows the nose pretty closely with the dark, roasty malts at the forefront and the hops emerging nicely as it warms. Dark chocolate, coffee, and pine round out the flavors for a really nicely balanced Black IPA. Smooth and creamy and thick and chewy at the same time with a really nice resiny, bitter hop bite on the finish. American Black Ales, or as I prefer, Black IPA's, are quickly becoming my favorite style of craft beer and this is a damn fine example of one. I'm two-for-two with Beer Here and can't wait for my next taste!
★ 831 characters