El Jefe
The Alchemist
- From:
- The Alchemist
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Black IPA
Ranked #8 - ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,722 - Avg:
- 4.2 | pDev: 8.1%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 54
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 16, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 23, 2003
- Wants:
- 53
- Gots:
- 27
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Our annual holiday dark I.P.A. is packed to the gills with Simcoe hops. The aggressive hop character is enhanced by the crisp, dry finish. Black, bold and bitter as hell!
90 IBU
90 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Blogjackets from Ohio
4.21/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A very hoppy and moderately bitter beer. Fans of simcoe will rejoice, but those who are not fans of that hop should be wary. I love that hop and found this beer to be quite enjoyable.
Jan 16, 2026
Reviewed by SSS from Canada (QC)
4.21/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A-Coca Cola brown with a Nola head that is loose and lingers
S-Roasted notes prevail with some hop elements coming through
M-Lower end carbonation with a medium body and a luscious mouthfeel
T-Sweet upfront and more stout like with a nice coffee based bitterness that comes through.
O-Nice seasonal brew for Christmas
Dec 13, 2024S-Roasted notes prevail with some hop elements coming through
M-Lower end carbonation with a medium body and a luscious mouthfeel
T-Sweet upfront and more stout like with a nice coffee based bitterness that comes through.
O-Nice seasonal brew for Christmas
Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire
4.33/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
El Jefe
The Alchemist IPA-Black/Cascadian Dark>
Dark and dank! Earthy bitter, dry leaves, dark berries, mocha, vanilla, and cream drop with feel& flavor, super bold aroma. Love that dry, earthy and bitter backdrop. Fruits play around the edges with smoke and mirrors from the bold, chalky malt complexit
4.20
Dec 30, 2023The Alchemist IPA-Black/Cascadian Dark>
Dark and dank! Earthy bitter, dry leaves, dark berries, mocha, vanilla, and cream drop with feel& flavor, super bold aroma. Love that dry, earthy and bitter backdrop. Fruits play around the edges with smoke and mirrors from the bold, chalky malt complexit
4.20
Rated by superpete93 from New Hampshire
4.73/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Really great dark IPA.
Dec 20, 2023
Reviewed by egrandfield from Massachusetts
4.2/5 rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.2/5 rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had this at Doc Ponds in Stowe.
Poured from tap into a 12oz tumbler.
L: brown foam, 2 finger head, dense bubbles, body dark as night
S: malt and bitter hops
T: like a really bitter stout—Rasputin stout meets a Vermont IPA
F: Very satisfying
O: of this style, definitely one of the better ones I’ve had.
Nov 17, 2019Poured from tap into a 12oz tumbler.
L: brown foam, 2 finger head, dense bubbles, body dark as night
S: malt and bitter hops
T: like a really bitter stout—Rasputin stout meets a Vermont IPA
F: Very satisfying
O: of this style, definitely one of the better ones I’ve had.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
3.85/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dull blackish-brown with a fluffy thin tan blanket.
This is a quality black IPA with roasted coffee and nutty pine via a frothy medium-light body finishing dry. The strong bitterness is woody but not bad.
May 13, 2019This is a quality black IPA with roasted coffee and nutty pine via a frothy medium-light body finishing dry. The strong bitterness is woody but not bad.
Reviewed by amano_h from Oregon
4.33/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Sometimes a beer is just so straightforward in its pedigree that you just can't help but marvel in its excellence. There's nothing complicated about this beer at all; dark roasty medium-roast espresso like coffee notes dominate up front, but before it's given any chance to get its feet on solid ground, the pine-y earthy Simcoe just sweeps the coffee off its feet in one fell drying swoop.
I wish I could write more about this, but it's such a simple combination that just feels so right; the resulting concoction is a brew that melds together the creamy mouthfeel of a porter, the medium body of a classic IIPA, the rich roasty malty notes of a no-nonsense non-adjunct stout, and that hop-filled drying finish that Alchemist endows upon all its brews.
There was an interesting roasted seaweed (nori) smell attestable to the beer when this was fresher (last week-ish), but the roasty malts cover up that fresh Simcoe stank as you let the beer mature over time.
Oh, and caaaaaaaaat.
May 12, 2019I wish I could write more about this, but it's such a simple combination that just feels so right; the resulting concoction is a brew that melds together the creamy mouthfeel of a porter, the medium body of a classic IIPA, the rich roasty malty notes of a no-nonsense non-adjunct stout, and that hop-filled drying finish that Alchemist endows upon all its brews.
There was an interesting roasted seaweed (nori) smell attestable to the beer when this was fresher (last week-ish), but the roasty malts cover up that fresh Simcoe stank as you let the beer mature over time.
Oh, and caaaaaaaaat.
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