Night Shift
Fierce Beer

In rubric styles such as American Black Ales, it is good to recognize regional creativity. For that, Night Shift gets good marks.
It Looks like I want to drink it (I have average standards based on Looks; resulting in me giving too many beers a chance.)
Smells improve as I am a malt-head and there are these intriguing and unfamiliar herbs (Scottish, I presume wafting at me.)
Tastes indicate a balanced brew. I am a fan of Scots using heather and whatever else grows up there in lieu of hops.
This is a good beer to let sit in your mouth and imagine what is in it.

I went on Fierce's website to see what they are about. I didn't get as much info as some (including I could not find Night Shift on the site.) But, they seem dedicated to the craft and -- while claiming to be hop-forward -- they actually are not by American standards. And this suits this American palate just fine. Keep those herbs coming, mates... whatever they are.

Schooner from Fierce Bar, Edinburgh (£4.40):
Opaque body & jet black with a thin, foamy lacing that sticks to the glass & is a tan brown colour. Dark malts & roasted notes open the nose with some pine hops sneaking through & a little chocolate to add some sweetness. It's quite a dark, bitter taste too with lots of chocolate malts & roasted flavours balanced against strong pine hops with a coffee bitterness showing at times too. The body is medium & smooth, very dry & bitter too but the balance is good with a lingering hop bitterness & roasted malts; a decent black IPA.

330 ml bottle, from Oddbins Aberdeen City. ABV is 6.5%. Black colour, large beige head. Aroma of piney and grapefruity hops, on a background of roast malts . Slightly dry flavour, roast malts with notes of coffee, plenty of piney hops.

330ml can.
L: Black with a big, foaming, milk chocolate head and lots of lacing.
S: A nose full of blackberries, liquorice and charcoal.
T: Similarly rich & fruity with a bitter edge.
F: Medium body, light carbonation, bone dry.
O: An assertive, astringent Black IPA that nonetheless permits the fruit to shine through. Good stuff.

 

Canned in a crafty craft can and picked up from the local Bargain Booze
pours a jet black body with big foaming tobacco stain coloured head
that BIPA smel of charred citrus and saltpetre
like an alcoholic dandelion and burdock with a hint of liquorice
good stuff

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2018. Purchased a little while back from the Brewdog webshop. The label describes it as a black IPA for when the day shift is over....

A: Poured into an IPA glass. Bottle conditioned. A very dark brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Yields a huge head of creamy light-brown foam that hangs around for a while before reducing to a persistent surface layer. Some lacing.

S: Aroma of rich roasted malt with hints of burnt grain, coffee, cocoa, subtle molasses, a twinge of dried fruit, ale yeast and stewed hops. Very nice; however not much hop character for a black IPA.

T: Tastes of intense roasted malt with notes of coffee, burnt grain, cocoa, mild molasses, ale yeast, stewed hops and a hint of pine. A strident, malt-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with prickly carbonation and great body. Aftertaste of bitter roasted malt, coffee, faint cocoa, stewed hops and ale yeast.

O: A very tasty dark brew - the only problem is that it isn't very black IPA-like. Looks fantastic, while the aroma and flavour are replete with dark malt, coffee and yeast. Lovely body. It's a superb brew that goes down like a dream, however it more closely resembles a stout. There is virtually no hop aroma present, and even the bitterness seems primarily due to the dark malt. Perhaps this has aged too much, or just an off-batch? A excellent beer that would have scored even higher if it had been to style.....