NightTime
Lagunitas Brewing Company

The beer pours out into a Duvel glass a dark brown color with a dark tan 2 1/2" head with lots of leggy rings and lacing patterns on the sides of the glass as it slowly recedes to a large patch or island of foam allowing some of the liquid to show. Sipping both cleans the side of the glass and creates some new scattered patches of lacing.

The aromas include some light grapefruit zest and some touches of pine resin against a background of chocolate and dark roast bread.

The flavors are strongly influenced, but not dominated, by the hops with their grapefruit, pine resin and some definite noticeable but not unpleasant bitterness which seems to be a mix of both the contribution of the hops and the contribution of the dark roasted malt. The dark roasted malt and the dark chocolate flavors are in the background but still strongly present.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some moderate, lightly prickly, carbonation. The finish begins as the grapefruit and pine flavors abandon center stage to allow some persistent bitterness to show as they all merge with the background of roasted malt. Eventually all turns quite dry with some light bitterness remaining in the back of the palate that invites another sip.

On the whole I'd say this American Black is among the best black ales (that used to be called Black IPAs and/or Cascadian Dark Ales) that I've had. (I should point out that it is the first I’ve had in a couple of years.) At the moment, the only ones I can think of that I liked as much or more are my first, (the Stone 11th Anniversary beer that eventually was re-released as the Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA) and the Victory Yakima Glory which merited an annual case during the years it was being bottled, but which is now available only occasionally on tap. This beer has been added to my shopping list to have again.

RB transfer

 

Black color, big beige head. Aroma of pine and roasted caramel. Balanced taste of dark, roasted malt and hops. Decent bitterness. Roasted and hoppy aftertaste. Perfectly hidden alcohol.

 

 

 

 

Unknown vintage; drank 4/4/15 @ the Yarchives.

Dark brown appearance with khaki flotsam.

HUGE dark tan head (careful pouring!); frothy, tree-rung lace.

Pickle, smoke & orange citrus nose; odd & unappealing.

Medium mouthfeel.

Pickle, acrid smoke & creamed coffee flavors up front; faint orange juice finish.

Simply terrible.

22oz bottle. No dating information found.
Dark brown colored body, with reddish back lit highlights. Two fingers of light tan head, settles down to a pillowy cap. Leaves behind some small webs of lacing.
Aroma of roasted malts and flowery hops.
Taste of roasted malts (coffee and chocolate), with floral hops and a touch of citrus.
Medium plus mouthfeel. Initially smooth and then turns to drying bitterness. Very good carbonation.
Reminds me of a hopped up cola with a drying finish.