Black IPA
Zipline Brewing Co

 

 

Got in a trade with The-Adjunct-Hippie. 12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear very dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of huge grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, and floral/grassy earthiness. Incredible aromas with awesome balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate roast/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, and floral/grassy earthiness. Moderate pine/citrus rind and roast/charred bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, mango, melon, lemon/orange rind, pepper, pine, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, and floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate roast/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately sticky/resinous, creamy/grainy, and slightly chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an incredible Black DIPA! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV. Amazing hop vibrancy with nice roast malt presence; without feeling too heavy or sweet. A highly enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

This beer rocks, Zipline really nailed it with this one! It has the bold hops and spices that you would expect from an IPA; and mixes those flavors surprisingly well with some serious dark malt and chocolate. This beer is readily available in eastern Nebraska so it isn't too expensive for me. With that in mind I would say this beer is my new favorite "easy to find" beer. I must admit that I don't really know what made me love this beer so much (as I've had a couple of other dark IPAs) but whatever Zipline did I thank them for it!
Do yourself a favor and pick this one up; it's bold, it's strong, and above all it tastes great!

 

 

 

 

 

I find all of their hoppy beers to be lacking in the hop department. This is no exception.

 

 

Appearance : This beer pours a deep chocolate brown with a beautiful beige crown. The lace left behind is generous and elegant. The head is a strong two fingers and slowly recedes to a 1, leaving a tattoo of what once was there.

Aroma : A beautiful and complex melange of roasted dark malts and clean and aggressive hop. I can't help but tell you it lives up to its label quite well. There are notes of tobacco, chocolate, coffee, as well as a hop yard of dark citrus. I don't think I could have imagined two polar opposites coming together so well in the nose. Very nice indeed.

Taste : Aggressive hop hitting first like a stone wall, with sharp pricks of citrus and grapefruit rind, but as the brew moves towards the back a rush of roasted malt and chocolate comes in and thus the arm wrestling match begins. Dark fruits such as plum and fig play tag and lie lazily on the palate, but the charred notes are most present within the malts. The hop remains citrusy, keeping its strength throughout the taste. At the end it finishes smokey with burnt malts and dark chocolate with a wicked remnant of strong hop. I'm seriously impressed.

Mouthfeel : Somewhat light bodied - yet it's creamy so it borders on medium bodied. It ends very dry and scorched. Carbonation is appropriately moderate.

Overall : I wasn't expecting this beer to be as good as it is. I'll tell you one thing - I don't like IPA's and I'm pretty sensitive to bitter - but I can respect a damn good beer when I have one. My high ratings here are simply based on total astonishment, that a beer could employ both sides of the quarter and still remain balanced and drinkable. Whether you're a fan of malt heavy beers OR IPA's, or BOTH, Zipline's offering here has something for you. Just fabulous.