American Black Ale
The Blind Pig Brewery

Beer Geek Stats
From:
The Blind Pig Brewery
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
7.1%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 2.2%
Reviews:
1
Ratings:
2
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 27, 2012
Added:
Feb 14, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4 by Troville1990 from Illinois

May 27, 2012
Photo of Gehrig
Reviewed by Gehrig from Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed today on tap at the wonderful Blind Pig Brewery in downtown Champaign, IL.

Two lush, durable fingers of light tan foam top a murky black body. Ample decorative lacing coats the pint glass, with the dollop of foam lasting throughout much of the pint; fabulous start. Plenty of chocolate malt, oatmeal, caramel, and some bittering hops in the smell and, especially with the flavoring, in the taste.

The smell, taste, and texture are rather reminiscent of a stout with some heft. There are loads of malt in BP's Black Ale, particularly chocolate, with some coffee emerging in the second half of the pint. I spoke briefly with the brewer today, a decent, gregarious guy, and he said that he originally intended the beer to be more of a session beer but, with all the malt that he added, it ramped up the ABV a couple percent. Fine by me.

Much more smooth than strong, but certainly not lacking flavor, BP Black Ale is flavorful and smooth, creamy and delicious. This is impressive, perhaps not more than in the mouthfeel, at which point the comparison to a robust stout becomes most apparent. Smooth, effervescent, lively in taste, Black Ale is really one of the best Black Ales I've had. I am not such a big fan of the style, but this nails it and then some with the heaping helpings of malt.

One of the best beers Blind Pig has brewed Black Ale is in its own way the session beer that the brew master at Blind Pig had intended. That is, even with a higher ABV than a session beer typically possesses, this is easy to enjoy time after time and knock back several in an evening. It doesn't bring a lot of alcohol heat. It's all too easy on the palate. It has plenty of flavor, veering into a stout in its quality. And it is a quaffer.

Excellent find. The Piglet has nailed another one. Get it while you can.
Feb 14, 2011
American Black Ale from The Blind Pig Brewery
Beer rating: 4.09 out of 5 with 2 ratings