El Jefe
The Alchemist

El JefeEl Jefe
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
The Alchemist
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Black IPA
Ranked #10
ABV:
7%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,434
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 7.88%
Reviews:
39
Ratings:
220
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Dec 02, 2013
Wants:
  44
Gots:
  26
featuring Simcoe hops and cannabis terpenes
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Boto:
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

4.02/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can: This one pours a fairly opaque dark brown color. It had a bit of a tan head on it. Nice aroma. Some roastiness, orange, grapefruit, pine notes. The taste is along the same lines. A good bitter bite!
Mar 11, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of GratefulBeerGuy
Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
El Jefe

The Alchemist IPA-Black/Cascadian Dark>

Dark and dank! Earthy bitter, dry leaves, dark berries, mocha, vanilla, and cream drop with feel& flavor, super bold aroma. Love that dry, earthy and bitter backdrop. Fruits play around the edges with smoke and mirrors from the bold, chalky malt complexit

4.20
Dec 30, 2023
Photo of superpete93
Rated by superpete93 from New Hampshire

4.73/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Really great dark IPA.
Dec 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.21 by zotzot from Vermont

Dec 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.42 by Manfrombelmonty from Massachusetts

Dec 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Mar 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4.35 by Gkguliani from Minnesota

Feb 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.6 by Jbk81 from Massachusetts

Jan 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.28 by MJSFS from Florida

Jan 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by JohneHoodlum from Pennsylvania

Dec 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by grahuba from Connecticut

Dec 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.2 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Dec 12, 2019
 
Rated: 4.44 by lccrunchy from Pennsylvania

Nov 28, 2019
Photo of egrandfield
Reviewed by egrandfield from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had this at Doc Ponds in Stowe.
Poured from tap into a 12oz tumbler.
L: brown foam, 2 finger head, dense bubbles, body dark as night
S: malt and bitter hops
T: like a really bitter stout—Rasputin stout meets a Vermont IPA
F: Very satisfying
O: of this style, definitely one of the better ones I’ve had.
Nov 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by sgregory from Connecticut

Nov 11, 2019
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dull blackish-brown with a fluffy thin tan blanket.

This is a quality black IPA with roasted coffee and nutty pine via a frothy medium-light body finishing dry. The strong bitterness is woody but not bad.
May 13, 2019
Photo of amano_h
Reviewed by amano_h from Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Sometimes a beer is just so straightforward in its pedigree that you just can't help but marvel in its excellence. There's nothing complicated about this beer at all; dark roasty medium-roast espresso like coffee notes dominate up front, but before it's given any chance to get its feet on solid ground, the pine-y earthy Simcoe just sweeps the coffee off its feet in one fell drying swoop.

I wish I could write more about this, but it's such a simple combination that just feels so right; the resulting concoction is a brew that melds together the creamy mouthfeel of a porter, the medium body of a classic IIPA, the rich roasty malty notes of a no-nonsense non-adjunct stout, and that hop-filled drying finish that Alchemist endows upon all its brews.

There was an interesting roasted seaweed (nori) smell attestable to the beer when this was fresher (last week-ish), but the roasty malts cover up that fresh Simcoe stank as you let the beer mature over time.

Oh, and caaaaaaaaat.
May 12, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by hoponit from New York

Apr 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.48 by Jps715 from New Jersey

Jan 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.96 by Mikexw from New York

Jan 15, 2019
El Jefe from The Alchemist
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 220 ratings