All Black El Dorado
Hackensack Brewing Company

 

a: silky black color with just the faintest hint of fizzy brown. head is 1.5 fingers and dark tan

s: roasted malts, marshmellow, caramel, baking chocolate upfront. fizzy cola, licorice, dark fruity bread, dark chocolate

t: roasted malts and orange zest upfront. caramel, candied oranges, bitter citrus behind. a touch of crusty bready malt at the end

m: heavier side of medium with moderate carbonation

o: a fairly decent Black IPA. it could use a touch more complexity from both the stout-y and ipa-y aspect, but it's pretty solid besides that. malty and citrusy with some bitterness

 

On draught at the brewery. Served in a teku glass. It pours almost ink black with dark chocolate hues and sports a creamy, ecru-colored head and a thick coating of lacing. It's an attractive pour. On the nose there is licorice, unsweetened chocolate, coffee, and subtle melon and citrus notes. The taste opens with lots of black licorice. Initially, it's quite bitter but as it warms there is the increasing sweetness of chocolate and melon. It's moderately bitter but finishes with a dose of pepper. It's nicely balanced. The mouth feel is crisp and lite with pleasant carbonation and it doesn't drink like it's 7.2% ABV. Overall, this ale is well-made and enjoyable; the anise and melon tastes differentiate it from most other Black IPAs I've tasted.