Abel's Hill India Dark Ale
Offshore Ale Company

Hi all, This is Irishchocolate with my first ever post. Want you all to know this beer has been unretired. It is now available bottled at the brewary in Oak Bluffs. I drank 11 of them by myself ( I am 331 pounds so it isn't much to me), and they taste wonderful. They do give you the dark stool though, so don't be alarmed. Cheers. Go Irish!

 

 

 

Small head that settles to rim bubbles within five minutes. No lace. Dark brown where light shines through the edge of the glass.

The smell reminds me semi-sweet chocolate and caramel. Mild floral hop and a touch of some burnt malt.

Think amber with a dash of stout which shows up in the swallow. There's also a bit of blackberry and floral hop in the aftertaste. I find it to be a bit watery but with a good level of carbonation.

 

 

 

22 oz. bottle poured into my new Duvel Nymph tulip glass and consumed on October 1st, 2013. No freshness date to be found, but my sister just brought it back from Martha's Vineyard, so it is likely relatively fresh.

A- It isn't labeled an India Style Dark Ale for nothing. This beer pours as black and opaque as any, with only slightly garnet highlights when held up to a light. The modest head is light tan in color, and quickly recedes to a thin layer of foam leaving no lacing. Absolutely no visible carbonation. Not really a standout looker, but if I saw her at a bar I would talk to her.

S- The aroma is very balanced between the roasty malts, and sweet, juicy, fruity hops. However, the aroma overall is a bit subdued and lacking in intensity.

T- The flavor is a bit subdued as well. It is nice, but doesn't really wow me at all. There is some spice or fruit or candy aroma and flavor that I just can't put my finger one. I don't drink Black IPA's a lot, so maybe I am just unfamiliar with the style. It isn't bad. It is just unfamiliar. However, I can identify a nice combination of dark, roasted malts showing off some coffee flavors, and a bit of a citric hop zing on the tail end. It also has a nice dark, dried fruitiness to it, and maybe some spice that almost resembles a muted anise. Almost reminds me of espresso with Sambuca and lemon rind on Christmas Eve. There is also a really good woody, earthiness going on. The flavors start to come out more as it warms, but it is still a very relaxed brew.

M- Mid bodied mouthfeel and low to moderate carbonation works for what they are going for here.

O- Everything about this beer is mellow, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. As it warmed in the glass, I started to get it and enjoy it more. It reminded me of several different styles wrapped into one easy going package. Really quite enjoyable and somewhat reasonably priced at six clams a bottle. I think this would be a great beer to drink outside on a warm night with the scent of salt water in the air. Must be what they were going for. If you are ever visiting Martha's Vineyard, I highly recommend more than one visit to Offshore Ale Company's Brewpub to try this beer and whatever else they might have on tap. This just in...the mystery flavor might be chocolate syrup!

 

 

 

22oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" tan head over the clear reddish brown brew. Head falls gradually, and lace lasts well. Aroma is rich malts but with an almost fusel alcohol tinge.

Taste starts with grain husks and sweetness, creamy in the middle, with a moderately bitter finish. That slightly off alcohol flavor lingers here as well. Mouthfeel is quite smooth, and drinkability is pretty good. Alright brew, not quite as "Indian" as I expected, and the bitterness was just that, no other real hops flavor.

 

Not my favorite style, but gotta keep an open mind and try it. Never know.

Pours a slightly darker colored fizzy and bubbly 1/2 finger head, leaves a decent foamy lacing, over very dark molasses brown color with hints of light barely getting through.

Nose is interesting, mostly malts at first. A caramel darker malty base, little nutty, sweet but not quite syrupy, perhaps a hint of chocolate malt, but I don't think any roast. Also hints of earthy slightly spicy hops.

Taste starts again with dark creamy malts, some caramel, creamy milk chocolate and I think a bit of oats, perhaps a hint of lactose too, just a bit of chocolate though, and other darker brown malts but not roasty again. Hops are there but not a lot, some earthy slightly spicy hops, kinda chewy as well but not much. Finish is semi sweet but a bit drier, a dry lactose like finish too, some bitterness but not much, light earthy spicy hops lingering too.

Mouth is med bodied but quite creamy, lighter style carbonation.

Overall not bad, but I would hardly call this "India" style. The hops are there but barely, some bitterness overall but not very bitter or IPA like bitterness. However, as a black ale it's pretty good, but too creamy too as it has milk stout like creamy milky flavors. Still drinkable and fairly tasty.

 

 

A dark molasses brown colored brew with a fair light tan head that scatters quickly and leaves good lateral lacing. The aroma is very nice with chocolate malt and mild molasses/licorice. Somewhat sweet, mellow and overall quite promising with a hint of herbal hop. The flavor is a bit startling after enjoying the initial nose hit. It’s bright with a watery wash of carbonation and muted grass hop bite. It does finish with a firm reminder of the chocolate-coffee goodness with a solid and fairly tasty pineapple sweetness and fruit nougat that marries nicely with the grassy hops. It definitely improves as you go and the somewhat medium light body holds up okay with a healthy carbonation that brings an effervescent feel. Decent but not great.