Black Shadows
Willimantic Brewing Co.

 

Big thanks to Kegatron for sharing this growler with me. Poured into a snifter, the brew appears black in color with a khaki head. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass and brown clarity is seen around the edges.

The smell includes notes of cocoa batter and coffee. Plenty of roast and earth with a hint of hops and fruity alcohol. It gets minorly solvent towards the back but overall smells pretty good.

The taste includes plenty of fruity alcohol and citrus hops. Some roasty chocolate and earth. Slight suggestions of cocoa and coffee towards the back almost comes across like brownie batter with a touch of residual sweetness.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light amount of carbonation. It is a nice mix of flavor and not at all like any "black ipa" I have had before. This was much better than I was expecting. Almost more like a chocolate coffee porter. Very nice.

64oz growler from Willibrew. Pours a pitch black color with a half an inch of medium brown head. Some lacing. Aroma is smokey and earthy. Some coffee and piney hops. The taste is piney and bitter orange peel with some earth, roasted malts, and smoke. Dark chocolate and coffee as well. Roasted malts at the finish with some bitter pine. Medium bodied. One of the maltier Black IPAs I've had. Overall, worth trying.