Pale Ale
Black Hops Brewing
- From:
- Black Hops Brewing
- Australia
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.51 | pDev: 3.13%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 25, 2025
- Added:
- Jul 09, 2017
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.59/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.59/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Until the Aussie's get their own PA category on BA, I will have trouble comparing them to American PAs. But Black Hops' PA could teach of few American micros something about hops: don't pile them in, have a purpose to hopping.
Black Hops PA Looks barely above average, it lacks a lasting foam. The way I prefer it, the Smells are gentle; just enough fruit punch to quench with hops in the background ready to jump in. Tastes are balanced but lack the complexity of good APAs. Almost medium-mouthed in a full style.
As for the good Overall Hugs I give Black Hops, that's more for the future. Their website currently doesn't distinguish them from one Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast micro. They seem to be playing the tourist trade well enough, but there is more to the craft than slacking the thirst of tourist in an almost tropical climate. Black Hops has a solid core of brews and an East Coast line that has a gentle dig on North America. But, they will need more to compete in a shrinking market.
Nov 25, 2025Black Hops PA Looks barely above average, it lacks a lasting foam. The way I prefer it, the Smells are gentle; just enough fruit punch to quench with hops in the background ready to jump in. Tastes are balanced but lack the complexity of good APAs. Almost medium-mouthed in a full style.
As for the good Overall Hugs I give Black Hops, that's more for the future. Their website currently doesn't distinguish them from one Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast micro. They seem to be playing the tourist trade well enough, but there is more to the craft than slacking the thirst of tourist in an almost tropical climate. Black Hops has a solid core of brews and an East Coast line that has a gentle dig on North America. But, they will need more to compete in a shrinking market.
Reviewed by Nath91 from Australia
3.55/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.55/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Look: Hazy orange appearance. 1.5 fingers of frothy white head.
Smell: Piny citrus and tropical fruits. Mango, orange, passionfruit and a hint of even pineapple. Some malt sweetness in the background, but definitely strong citrus and tropical fruits.
Taste: Strong stone fruit taste, very little like the nose. Mellows out to a sort of passionfruit flavour, but very stone fruit like apricot, Decent bitterness throughout the sip, prominent once swallowed. Dry finish
Feel: Quite carbonated, light body, quite a dry finish.
Overall: I've had their G.O.A.T; and I thought that was fabulous (review coming once I find more cans). This is nice, not as overly hoppy as most Aussie APAs go. I like the bitter dryness from the beer. Above average,
#️⃣4️⃣0️⃣
Sep 14, 2021Smell: Piny citrus and tropical fruits. Mango, orange, passionfruit and a hint of even pineapple. Some malt sweetness in the background, but definitely strong citrus and tropical fruits.
Taste: Strong stone fruit taste, very little like the nose. Mellows out to a sort of passionfruit flavour, but very stone fruit like apricot, Decent bitterness throughout the sip, prominent once swallowed. Dry finish
Feel: Quite carbonated, light body, quite a dry finish.
Overall: I've had their G.O.A.T; and I thought that was fabulous (review coming once I find more cans). This is nice, not as overly hoppy as most Aussie APAs go. I like the bitter dryness from the beer. Above average,
#️⃣4️⃣0️⃣
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia
3.33/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.33/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Yet another American Pale Ale has entered the already over bloated Aussie craft beer market. So what do I care? I love a good APA... actually I’m more an IPA/DIPA man these days (NEIPAs to be precise)... who are these Black Hops peeps anyway? And what have they done with this Black Hops Pale Ale to differentialize it from the [hyperbole alert!] gazillion other APAs out there? Well I guess we’re about to find out. I will say one thing the marketing is spot on for drawing in the hipster market - the black can, the nice flat logo and cursive writing: Pure hipster bait, not unlike Balter’s marketing in that respect. I see this is also from the Gold Coast, when did GC get so hipster?! I’ll have to pay it a visit sometime... FOR I AM THE HIPSTER KING!
Poured from a 375ml can into a nonic pint.
A: Nice and hazy Gamboge body with a wispy white head that drops back leaving a thin lace blanket on top... this looks a bit like a NEIPA - quite a pale body... I think I’ve got NEIPAs on the brain atm. A solid 8/10.
S: Prominent passionfruit hop character - you’ve shown your hand early Mr. Galaxy Hops! Touch of grain and dry cracker from the malt. Hint of stone fruit as well. Not bad, a bit of a commonplace aroma these days though. 7/10.
T: Stone fruit up front (think peaches), then follows through with some grassy passionfruit character, an unwanted grainy presence, and finishes with cracker dryness and a fairly innocuous bitter note. Hmmm, flavour is a letdown because of that grainy character. I have a personal disdain for Pale Ales where the malt gets in the way, and the only reason this is the case here is due to a lack of hops. Needs more hops (dry hopped hops that is). Bring us more Mr. Galaxy Hops please! 6/10.
M: Mid to light bodied, a touch more watery than it needs to be though, with a medium (slightly burpy) carbonation. 7/10.
D: So it’s another Aussie Pale Ale ala S&W Pacific Ale then. I’ll add it to the list: S&W PA, Balter XPA, Fortitude Drifter, Burleigh Twisted Palm, Gage Roads Single Fin, Green Beacon 3 Bolt, and now Black Hops PA... that list keeps growing, and interestingly most of them come from the same SE Queensland/northern NSW region... what is with that region and S&W PA knock-offs? I’m going to group them into a new category and call them “Surfy Pale Ales” or “SPAs”, sound good? Good. S&W PA is still the best SPA around (unless S&W has changed the recipe those rapscallions). 7/10.
Food match: What do these surfy types eat? Seafood? Sounds like a plan.
Jul 09, 2017Poured from a 375ml can into a nonic pint.
A: Nice and hazy Gamboge body with a wispy white head that drops back leaving a thin lace blanket on top... this looks a bit like a NEIPA - quite a pale body... I think I’ve got NEIPAs on the brain atm. A solid 8/10.
S: Prominent passionfruit hop character - you’ve shown your hand early Mr. Galaxy Hops! Touch of grain and dry cracker from the malt. Hint of stone fruit as well. Not bad, a bit of a commonplace aroma these days though. 7/10.
T: Stone fruit up front (think peaches), then follows through with some grassy passionfruit character, an unwanted grainy presence, and finishes with cracker dryness and a fairly innocuous bitter note. Hmmm, flavour is a letdown because of that grainy character. I have a personal disdain for Pale Ales where the malt gets in the way, and the only reason this is the case here is due to a lack of hops. Needs more hops (dry hopped hops that is). Bring us more Mr. Galaxy Hops please! 6/10.
M: Mid to light bodied, a touch more watery than it needs to be though, with a medium (slightly burpy) carbonation. 7/10.
D: So it’s another Aussie Pale Ale ala S&W Pacific Ale then. I’ll add it to the list: S&W PA, Balter XPA, Fortitude Drifter, Burleigh Twisted Palm, Gage Roads Single Fin, Green Beacon 3 Bolt, and now Black Hops PA... that list keeps growing, and interestingly most of them come from the same SE Queensland/northern NSW region... what is with that region and S&W PA knock-offs? I’m going to group them into a new category and call them “Surfy Pale Ales” or “SPAs”, sound good? Good. S&W PA is still the best SPA around (unless S&W has changed the recipe those rapscallions). 7/10.
Food match: What do these surfy types eat? Seafood? Sounds like a plan.
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