Finally We Got Our IPA
Blacklist Brewing Co.

A: Pours yellow with an orange and amber hue. 2 fingers of off-white foam.

N: Initially mostly resin and grapefruit. Underlying sweetness from the caramel and bready malts. Other fruit aromas include apricot and tangerine

T: Fairly bitter bite up front, but not overwhelming or over-powering. Bitterness is mostly pine and grapefruit rind. The grapefruit really dominates the aftertaste but its pleasant to have such a variety of strong flavors throughout rather than a beer that's mostly aroma and then quickly fades. Apricot and tangerine present with a hint of melon and maybe pineapple? Caramel, sourdough, and rye malts play a crucial role in balancing the balancing the bitterness. They also support the other flavors present and fill in the gaps. Slight tinge of earthiness, sweet grass, and lemon on the back end.

F: Medium bodied, well carbonated. Also a slight alcohol harshness and heat on the back end

Overall: Very good quality and a good value at $12 for a 4-pack. Would Buy Again.

 

 

draught
Medium orange with a lot of gold and amber, for the look. Non citrus, candied fruit, sweet (allspice?) aroma. Fairly big hop bite up front and at the finish. Definite lemon/grapefruit peel, as the principal flavor profile. Moderate, medium toast malt in the background.

Pours a refreshing clear orangish yellow with a thick white cap. Nice staying power and excellent lacing. A few "floaties". Aroma is mild citrus and hops. Flavor follows the nose, a bit sweet in front, then some nice hop bitterness in the finish. Feel is on the light side of medium bodied and adequately carbonated. Over all a fine beer.

Can from Total Wine poured into glass at Lake Kabetogama. Bitter.

 

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear, medium orange color with a moderate white head. SRM of 11. (3.75)

Aroma: Strong aromas of orange, tangerine/cantaloupe. Hints of peach/mango. Then cardboard in the middle before some small pine aromas on the end. Interesting. (4.00)

Flavor: Orange, tangerine, pineapple. Then an onion and pine cardboard middle before a biscuit & caramel malt finish and a surprising strong, bitter, spicy caramel finish. You can really taste the biscuit dough before the wave of spicy caramel. (4.00)

Feel: Medium to heavier bodied. Not overly so, but more than I was expecting. Strong carbonation. A full body and finish. (4.25)

Compared to Sierra Nevada's 40th Anniversary Ale: Appearance is identical. Strong aromas of orange, onion, and malt. Strong hop and malt flavors. Larger and fuller all around.

Overall: This beer started to grow on me. Initially I got some orange and cardboard, but as it warmed there was more orange, onion, pine, caramel and a strong bitterness. The body is fantastic. Still, it might be old/oxidized from the cardboard. Might not ever find this one again, but I'll enjoy it for now. (Final Rating: 3.70)

A solid if unspectacular entry into the IPA space. Pours a light gold color with just a bit of head. Very piney in both aroma and taste. Easy drinking for an IPA, though not as hoppy as I'd hoped.

 

Very solid IPA. Reminds me of a slightly brighter & slightly more complex version of what Stone's "Ruination" used to be.
Very filtered, transparent look, which I'm usually not too crazy about. Unless it completely OWNS that by being a pure ode to the hops, which this one does. The look is the visual manifestation of this ale's dryness and hop-purity.
I recommend opening this one like 30 minutes before you drink it, if you've the patience. It is far too carbonated & fizzy when you first open it, so swirl it around liberally, and let it sit if you can. Certain faint fruity vanilla notes pop out and blend with the maltiness & piney-ness far more gracefully after this ale has had time to breathe.

 

Amber (12) pour with huge off white/light beige foam; long cap retention; excellent clarity; moderately heavy lacing. Caramel malt nose. Moderate bitterness up front, pine and earthy hops, some caramel malt sweetness. Medium lite body, moderate carbonation, and slightly sticky. Overall, very little hop presence other than a long dull bitter linger; a very average IPA.