Wildfire IPA
Cannery Brewing Company

 

Poured from a 473ml can. This can is from a 2018 run they do change up the brew from what i hear. This batch is much better than a few years ago. 88 IBU's
Overall a pretty good Black IPA this run.

 

 

I picked this up while traveling, so I had to sample it from a hotel room plastic glass. However, there is enough character in this beer to set it apart from most run-of-the-mill offerings. The dark roasted malt and hopping mesh together nicely. I'm not sure what I love most about this style of beer - the hearty mouthfeel or the dry finish. Either way, this was a lovely find and a beer I would seek out again.

 

 

 

 

 

From the bomber bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance (4.5): Very dark and opaque with a cream coloured head that is dense and foam-like, 2-fingers and lasting.

Aroma (4.5): BIG hop aroma up-front - flowery with a bit of citrus, followed by light chocolate and coffee - all tied up in a slightly burnt finish.

Taste (4): Initial caramel sweetness is brief with a bitter hop and roasty coffee finish - balanced. Burnt toast lingers on the pallet.

Mouthfeel (4): Medium carbonation lends a nice courseness on the pallet that is lively at the start and finishes dry. Nice job preping for the next sip.

Overall (4): A near perfect balance of bitterness with contributions from both the hops and coffee. Hop aromas mingle nicely with the bitterness in the flavour, which are enhanced by the bitterness in the dark malts - especially roasted coffee. A personal favorite that I look for every year.

 

 

 

Poured from a 650ml bottle. Pours a dark brown colour, typical of the style. Nose has hints of mint, citrus and chocolate. It's quite a combination. The flavour profile is pretty similar, although the best comparison is that this is like a well-hopped porter. It has a lot of chocolatey porter notes with some hop notes as well. There is a big bitter finish, that is quite impressive. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy. A very easy beer to drink.

Appearance- Pours a dark cola with a finger width of mocha head.

Smell- roasted malts, leafy hops, nuttiness.

Taste- Starts off with the roasted malts and nutty character then jumps into pleasant bitter leafy hops.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a touch of the roasted malts and has a lingering bitterness.

Overall- Cannery Brewing does the style justice by giving us the roasted malts, and bitter leafy hop goodness. I enjoyed the nutty character to this brew as this added a uniqueness to the brew. A great tribute to those firefighters that battle wildfires in throughout Canada.

 

650ml bottle poured into a 20oz nonic.

A - Pours with a small head of light tan bubbles. The beer is black at a glance, but some small ruby highlights show up here and there. The head settles to a thin cap and leaves some short-lived lacing.

S - Piney hops with a roasty backbone of dark malt and molasses. Chocolatey notes come through as well, with some wood and caramel. Certainly an aroma that combines qualities from both dark roasty beers and well as hoppy ales; very nice.

T - The interesting interplay from the nose continues beautifully. Opens up simple with some chocolate, caramel malt and a touch of molasses, and finishes with an excellent combination of piney and grassy hops with roasted malt and hint of coffee bitterness. Despite having both hoppy astringency and roasty bitterness, the back of the palate doesn't get too chaotic, and stays very drinkable and very balanced. As it warms I get a touch of fruitiness, peat, wood, and anise. Surprisingly complex and tasty.

M - Surprisingly thick and full feeling body with some nice low carbonation that lets the viscosity take center stage; and it holds up well above a 6.0% ABV ale. Lingering bitterness.

D - Absolutely fantastic mixture of hop-forward IPA flavors with roasty stout-esque flavors as well. I didn't really know what to expect coming into this, but this was a surprisingly tasty brew from Cannery. I don't have much context with this style, as it's my first Black Ale, but as far as my introduction to the style goes, I thought this was a delicious and highly drinkable beer, and certainly worth trying again.

 

Cannery Brewing's Wild Fire IPA pours deep brown with a tan head. The aroma is slightly citrusy, with a hint of dark fruit. Hoppy bitterness and roasted astringency in the flavor are some what balanced by sweet malt. There is some nice citrusy, piney hop flavor. More slightly astringent black malt compounds the moderate bitterness for an almost tart finish. Overall a pretty decent beer, and I like the theme.