Coconut Black IPA
Anderson Craft Ales

355 mL can from the brewery; dated Feb 12 2024 and served barely chilled.

Pours a dark chestnut brown colour with crimson red highlights, producing nearly two fingers of puffy, foamy, light tan-coloured head. It lasts for more than five minutes, gradually worn down to a tight, creamy collar and some filmy wisps on the surface; plenty of lace deposition, too. The aroma is robust, comprised of coffee, dark chocolate & toasted coconut, with hints of mandarin orange, papaya and earthy, piney hops.

This is a really solid black ale. I'm getting chocolate and lightly roasted coffee, together with flavours of orange, grapefruit, coconut and passion fruit. Finishes roasty, with earthy, piney hops and bitter coffee grounds, fading into a citrusy, mildly roasty aftertaste with shades of blueberry. Medium in body, with low-ish carbonation that gently agitates the palate; smooth, satisfying and surprisingly drinkable at 6.7%.

Final Grade: 4.02, an A-. While they were never exactly commonplace, black IPAs have seen a substantial decline in popularity in recent years: I can't think of any local breweries that brew a black IPA year-round, and it has been at least a couple of years since I've tried a new one. Thankfully, Anderson's Coconut Black IPA immediately reminded me why I love this style. I was a bit worried going in (as I am not big on coconut beer), but the coconut is more of a subdued background presence that complements the rest of the profile. Definitely worth a shot - I would buy this regularly if it were available locally.