Big Dark Love
Gravely Brewing Co.

 

Proving that there's an IPA for every season, Gravely's winter IPA is anything but pale. Chocked full of roasted barley, the Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo and Chinook fueled hop bomb takes on a darkness to match the season and a toastiness to balance its cold.

Very dark, bark brown, Big Dark Love kicks of with a prescribed dark translucence casting a ominous gaze against the glass. As a blanket of sandy tan foam stretches across the glass, its scent of toasty, roasty malts give the citrus and pine aromas of hops a brushfire character. Sweetness of light molasses, caramel and toffee come with a slightly scorched character for added heft.

As the nearly imperial strength ale begins to shake free of its malty chain, the sweetness turns to roasted flavors with the character of burnt toast, black walnut, campfire, baker's chocolate and dark roast coffee. As the citrus flavors gently bloom, its orange peel, grapefruit and lemony character seems seared as well. Trending bitter, resinous and roasty, the taste finishes with a floral character of burnt potpourri as well.

Quite complex and robust, the medium full beer has a sticky, resinous character due to the linger of malt sweetness and firmer marshmallow textures along with the gullet gripping sappiness of hops. A long linger of roasted pine cones take those nutty, coffee and coco flavors deep in aftertaste along with those persistent bitter resins.