Dark Sister
Brussels Beer Project

 

De Labirratorium. En copa Mahou Barrica. Estudiando. Buena black IPA, como suelen serlo todas, en la que destacaría la sensación sedosa y suave que está presenta en boca a pesar de su apariencia sobrecarbonatada

Bought directly from the BBP-shop in Brussels last year. Expired on 19/05/2021.
Served in my usual tumbler.
Opened the bottle to a wild escaping liquid. Not a good start, but saved what I could.
Deep red brown colour with a large beige head. Large bubbles made way for heavy lacing.
Scent is heavy, sweet and smokey. Roasted malt, dark chocolate, pear, caramel, coffee, fresh cut herbs, stale cereals.
Decent carbonation. Alcohol is at 6.66%. It has the body en feel of a RIS, but without the alcohol.
Flavour is definitely more stout then IPA, but it has some IPA characteristics that come to play in the aftertaste (dry bitterness). Mostly dominated by caramel malts, peper, smoked cereals, moist wood and milk.
Aftertaste gives me sigar ash, fig, chocolate, fresh roasted coffee, some vanilla, pear and raisins.

This beer is quite enjoyable. I like my stouts a little heavier. But as a stout - IPA hybrid, it works wel. I do find the carbonation too strong for the lighter pallet.

50cl draft

Pours a sturdy off white head, creamy and pillowy. Retention is above average. Initial lacing looks great. Body is nearly black, with hues of brown. Looks very nice so far.

Nose is on the maltier side for black IPA's. Roasty, some esters hiding underneath. Dark chocolate is quite prominent, and very authentic. Relatively spicy, reminded me of cinnamon at first. Just a touch a hops. Figs, which come through more over time. This is pretty damn complex, and smells pretty good to boot.

Flavor is not quite what I was expecting. Hops do play more of a balancing role here, not quite a black IPA IMO, more of a well balanced stout. Chocolate is not very present. A little spicy, some esters, still getting that cinnamon vibe - this certainly saves it from what would be a relatively boring beer. We'll see if this opens up as it warms. For now, it's good, nothing more.

Mouthfeel is pretty inviting. Carbonation is medium. Body has some good thickness to it. Very well balanced, has a touch of sweetness, but doesn't get too cute. Bitterness is on the lower end for this style. Very nice mouthfeel.

Drinkability is very nice, it's not cloying, and it tastes pretty good.

Appearance turned out killer. Head was pretty stingy, though it eventually dissipated. Lacing was thick sheets all the way down.

The flavor is nice, but really doesn't hit hard enough in any direction for me to really call it a slam dunk. The figs start to come through a little more, and it leans heavily on the little spice it has. Quality is a 10, but in the modern brew world, that doesn't go that far, overall flavor and complexity are borderline average. Good beer all in all, flavor could have brought it home harder.

Looks sublime, deep and meaningful! Lovely head, very inviting.

Aroma is rich, coffee and chocolate.

Taste is more of the same, only with a sweet aftertaste. A really complex brew, and a joy to find a yong brewery producing such good stuff.

Feel is a little fizzy, which is a shame.

Overall feels like a 10% er but at 6.66% it is quite reserved. If you like Belgian dubbels, then you will love this.

Ps nothing American Black Ale about it....it is a Belgian Dark IPA

33 cl bottle brought back from a trip to Belgium. Dated Best Before18/10/2019 so perhaps that is a one year date which would make the beer about 4 months old.

Label says it's Pale, Cara, & Chocolate malt, Saison yeast, and Challenger, Smaragd (?), & Citra hops.

Dark brown in color, huge thick tan colored head. Great head retention and lacing. Aroma of mild roasty coffee and a touch of herbal earthy hops. None of the Citra comes through. Taste is similar, a bit herbal. Dry finish. Body is on the thinner side, fizzy bold carbonation.

 

Notes of caramel and coffee, reminds me a little of a nice stout without any of the taste or feel of a stout. Nice full and complex flavour palate

 

 

 

This was roasted like a stout while still maintaining the hoppy notes that reminded me of an IPA. The beer is dark with a pleasant white head. Overall a very good beer. Not a lot of boozy notes but pretty high at 6.66%

Not only are the Belgians finally trying something new, they're doing something pretty innovative. Not overpowering as a beer, but the hop character is something I don't think I've had in such a dark beer. More well balanced than other black iPas I've had with an excellent, if not subtle, hop presence. I'm instantly open to trying anything these guys make

 

 

I wouldn't call it a Black IPA as the label suggests. A hoppy porter at most or more certainly a Belgian dark ale. The chocolate is there all along and is more on the milk chocolate than the cacao nibs with some sweetness. The yeast is quite present for the style and brings some estery notes that rounds up the beer. The hops are citrusy and herbal.
Balanced but nothing over the top here.

 

Poured from a bottle to a mug
A - Very hazy with almost orange reflects and a thin but strong foam
S - Grapefruit hops dominating everything
T - Strong grapefruit but with some coffee aftertaste
M - Light
O - A good summer beer lacking of presence and complexity in opinion.