Black IPA
7 Seas Brewing - Tacoma Taproom & Brewery

My first experience with this brewery, and it was a pretty good one. 12oz can pours pretty-much pitch black and is capped with multiple fingers-worth of khaki foam from a hard pour. Delightful combination of citrus hops, sappy pine needle, grapefruit, and roasted malt with a toasted quality to it. The hops are a blend of old school with that herbal, zippy quality you find in the 'C's', with some firm bitterness. Very drinkable, lighter mouthfeel and body for 7%.

 

Pours black with a light fog to the transparency. Color shines deep burgundy when held against a light. Head is two fingers of off-white foam. Aroma is a quick snap of roasty, toasty malts and herbal, piney hops, before simmering nutty malts and medicinal hops on the back half. It has a bite. Flavor profile a little more mellow, drawing upon notes of roasty, toasty, and earthy malts, alongside herbal, medicinal, and piney hops. It starts mellow, but finishes with a soft bite. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a soft exterior. It develops a little prickly effervescence towards the end. Overall, it manages to push notes of roasty and biting pine together without being wildly gritty or biting.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 12oz can.

Tasted in a pint glass from draft at the 7 Seas Brewery and Taproom on July 31, 2018. Conceived here in the NW, this is intensely hoppy, black, yet velvety smooth unique ale. Brewed with de-husked black malt, caramel malt and generously hopped with Columbus, Centennial and Amarillo. Our CDA achieves layers of hop character nicely balanced by a hint of roast and a smooth lingering finish. At 7% ABV, this ale offers both power and finesse, audacity and subtlety.