Eastside Brewing Black IPA
Brew Detroit

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, citrus peel/rind, light pepper/pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nuttiness, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/pine hops and roast/bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nuttiness, toasted dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, spicy hop; and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, citrus peel/rind, pepper, pine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nuttiness, toasted dark bread, smoke, char, herbal, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and roast/bready malt flavors; with a nice hop/char malt/bitterness balance; and minimal acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, sticky/resinous/rindy, and lightly chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6.7%. Overall this is a delicious black IPA. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink; with the moderately bitter/charred/drying finish. Not overly aggressive. Very dank and vibrant hops; with great balance of roasted/bready malts. Feels like Columbus and Centennial hops. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.