The Gunshow
Ethereal Brewing

Black is the new pale. ...or at least it was. The trend of "black IPA" may be taking a hiatus from the beerscape, but the allure to make a nearly imperial strength one is simply too great for the brewers at Ethereal to ignore.

Very dark, bark-like brown, The Gunshow crowns with a slightly mocha stained froth and carries a resinous, charred scent of citrus, pine, coffee and campfire across the nose. Mild sweetness greets the front of the tongue with a dry sensation of caramel, toffee, sorghum and light cream.

In true IPA fashion, the malt sweetness quickly recedes and the hops roll onto the middle palate first with its strong promises of grapefruit, orange peel, pineapple and mango rinds. Quickly, the fruit flavors take on a prairie fire character with a charred, lightly smoky sensation that gravitates toward an acutely bitter taste combination of char and hops that take each to a height that neither can see on their own.

Medium bodied a trending dry, the beer should feel fuller, but the resinous bitterness of the IPA, the fleeting malts and the arid nature of char all work to dry the beer to a dry and refreshing taste despite its complex and often polarizing taste combinations. A long and arid extension adds an element of ash and plaster in the absence of sweetness to show a slight weakness in taste as well as texture.