The Yard Blackberry Milkshake IPA
Hell's Basement

 

 

 

Well, well, well. I never would have imagined that everything promised in the name of this beer would come together. The marriage of fruit, hops, malt and ?milkshake? is awfully satisfying. It's definitely more suited to sitting on a patio than handing out Halloween candy, but it's my treat for the night!

 

I purchased this in a six pack and have enjoyed two cans thus far on separate occasions, once in a glass. I make it a point to try every beer from Hell's Basement that I can, and this one is especially unique. As a lover of cream ales, I really appreciate the smooth creamy character. I find myself tasting a bit of vanilla ice cream and, as expected, blackberry, nicely counterbalanced by the hops and alcohol strength. It's very flavourful and you may grow tired of it by the end, but if like me you enjoy variety then this is a new experience worth having. I've also had their Fruit Bat blueberry ale and find that the creaminess and strength of this one better offsets the fruit. A real nice mix.

355ml can - ok, since they only imply it on the label, I'll be the one to ask: 'does this milkshake IPA bring all the boys to the yard'?

This beer pours a murky, dark dishwater brown colour, with three flabby fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and bubbly purple-tinged white head, which leaves some decent layered frilly lace around the glass as it slowly but surely blows off.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, some slightly sour black fruitiness (mixed into vanilla ice cream), and a small dose of leafy, weedy, and floral green hop bitters. The taste is blackberry compote, bready and grainy caramel malt, room temperature cream, a subtle earthy yeast character, and more understated leafy, piney, and floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its swirling and supportive frothiness, the body a solid medium weight, and quite smooth, with a nice aerosol creaminess pretty much there from the get-go. It finishes well off-dry, the fruit and the malt in a sugary tug of war, one that thankfully does not necessitate me locating my overworked tongue-scraper.

Overall, while the 'typical' IPA essences get short shrift here, this is still a rather engaging and enjoyable fruited-up offering. Very flavourful, and full feeling, without overdoing the blackberry component. Worth checking out, especially as those last few real summer days dwindle around here.