Black IPA
Bellwoods Brewery

 

 

 

 

Bellwoods Black IPA has about the same colour and complexion (and rather plain, nondescript appearance in general) as the bottle it's sold in. Not quite black but too dark to be brown, not actually cloudy but too deep to truly be considered clear, let's just simply consider a 'dark ale'. Its head disappears quite quickly but leaves lasting impressions all along the glass.

I wish I could line up the last dozen Black IPAs I've reviewed to double check something. In Bellwoods' tasting notes for this beer they mention 'blackberries' front and center and, sure enough, the note is uncanny. Have I been missing this one all this time or is it unique to this Black IPA? Either way, it's there and intricately blended in with cola, anise, fruity, and forest-y flavours.

Black IPAs typically offer up a lot of taste, but my senses today detect more than the customary citrus peel and roasted malts; black licorice, aloe, nutmeg, and the aforementioned blackberries are all added to the mix of chocolate, coffee, spruce tips, and pine resin. Perhaps my imagination is overactive today or, more likely, this is simply an exceptionally layered example of the style.

By the brewery's own admission, this drinks something like an Italian fernet. It's all in the underlying black licorice quality and the combination of spice, dried fruit and citrus notes. The 7.4% alcohol is enough even to mimic a 'fortified' kind of characteristic. Mind you, it's a pleasure to drink - provided you enjoy sappy, resinous, pithy hop bitterness.

What's true of music and film is also true of beer: often the things critics praise as brilliant are simply inaccessible to the general public. Black IPAs such as this one, however, offer enough depth and distinction to impress the tough-to-please beer geeks while remaining super approachable (that is, to those who like hops and dark beers). Another winner from Bellwoods.

 

 

Appearance - Pours a dark cola brown with three fingers of creamy mocha head.

Smell - Piney hops, roasted malts, hint of cocoa, grapefruit peel.

Taste - Piney hops along with bitter roasted malts, bitter cocoa and a touch of the citrus rind. Moderately bitter overall.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A black IPA that hits all the marks in terms of flavour and appearance. Excellent bitterness from the roasted malts and hops.

 

Parents brought me this from Toronto. Bottled May 27.

A - Root beer coloured pour so mostly black with reddish-brown edges. Two fingers of loose beige head. Decent rings of lace and a film of retention.

S - Roast, chocolate, coffee, raisins, dark fruit, blackberries I think.

T - Stronger hop presence, touch of harshness, lot's of roasted malt and harsh coffee with lot's of roast.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, cola in the finish with roast and lot's of hops.

O/D - A bit of a letdown on this one, but still good. An interesting mix of hop and malt characteristics but there is a bit of a harsh tone that doesn't jive so well with me. All said, this is decent.

 

 

On-tap at Bellwoods.

Beer is black with a nice tan-coloured head. Good lacing and retention.

The nose is a nice blend of roasted malt and juicy citrus hop scents.

Flavour-wise, the citrus fruits are strong, with grapefruit being most notable to me. The description of the beer suggests blackberry, and I do get that - perhaps arising from the mix of fruit and roasted malt. Moderately bitter. Quite good.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated. Nice feel.

Overall, a solid Black IPA. It is good now, but I have a feeling that it will be improved on in a second batch.