James
Hill Farmstead Brewery

From a 16oz can, dated 10/30/23. Served in a cervoise.

Pours a thin-appearing acorn-brown with a finger of soft, creamy suds. The head hold holds up for a minute or two, leaving a creamy, bubbly cap and a solid sheet of foamy lacing.

Nose is faint but, to be fair, the beer is served quite cold. Aroma is a little bit of char and a lot of pine forest.

Taste is very much like the nose, a little bit of earthy char up front - like a burnt coffee pot - and then it’s all pine needles and grapefruit juice with a twist of lemon. Clean, peppy bitterness.

Feel is clean and bright, relatively light bodied and vigorously carbonated.

 

 

Coffee black-ish brown with a short, fuzzy tan blanket settling to thin wisps.

This is a very measured, crushable black IPA. Characteristics of roasty stout and toasty brown ale pair with hints of coffee--all of which are mild and not overbearing--while the hops have a brightening, semi-bitter presence, becoming zesty and zippy in just the right balance. The body is crisply medium and finishes semi-dry.

Much more enjoyable than I was expecting.

poured from a 12oz can into a rastal tumbler. pours a weird brown. almost like coffee that didn’t have enough grounds in the filter. smell is a nice mix of piney hops and subtle chocolate and caramel. taste is similar although it doesn’t work quite as well as it does on the nose. feel is a little bit thin and watery. nothing terrible though. pretty solid black ale. preferred S&S#2 over this but this is a much lighter, more approachable version of that beer.

Growler. Surprised I haven't had this before. Pours dark, muddy brown. A Black IPA done right. Nice mixture of bitterness and dark ale elements. Pleasant fruity hop notes mixed in. Flavors balanced well in a style that isn't easy to nail.

 

 

 

Dark with caramel, char, grapefruit, floral notes and pine. Tastes lightly sweet up front with a lot of citrus and pine. Finished with some char and pine resin. Nice carbonation and good mouthfeel.

 

 

Consumed 3/15/19

A: Dark brown with some medium brown around the edges - clarity around the edges as well, not exactly opaque - pours with a small tan head, maintains a small collar and leaves some streaks of lacing

S: Nice balance of chocolatey and hoppy aromas - citrus, with some orange and grapefruit juice and zest - floral citrus - herbal notes and some soft pine - nicely roasty with some hints of burnt, some semisweet and dark chocolate notes - notes of caramel as well - nothing aggressive

T: Maybe even more balanced than the aroma - tangerine and orange juice, notes of grapefruit zest - floral citrus - herbal notes and soft pine - moderately roasty, lightly burnt, lightly toasted - dark chocolate - medium low level of bitterness despite bitterness coming from both the hops and the roasted malt burnt bitterness - some slight caramel and pale malt at the base, finishes impressively clean

M: Medium body, medium-low carbonation, smooth

O: Damn it, Jim

If more Black Ales/Black IPAs/Cascadian Dark Ales/whatever.jpg were made like this, the style wouldn't be essentially dead. Some have the subtlety of a chocolate orange blasted with a flamethrower. James is so impressive because it's so impressively balanced.