Boots!... I Did It Again!
Kona Brewing Co.

 

a black ipa with this years pink boots blend, i think the first i have seen anyone put those hops to work in a black ipa, pretty cool! the execution is solid too, although this is a little strange in the sense that these hops are fruity and new school and im more used to piney, weedy, danky type black ipa, but i think this does something cool. deep brown color, near black, ever so slightly turbid, with a decent tan head on it. the nose hints at berries, strawberry and blueberry specifically, still a little grapey sativa in the mix, some resinous character, and a lot of roast, definite coffee, charcoal, and dark cocoa, neat back and forth with the hops, the grain so dark and sturdy, the hops so light and floral and fruity, but they come together well in the flavor. i like this being bitter and not sweet, some from the hops but aided in that by the heavy roasted grain profile, drinks like ipa because of this synergy. the hops bring candied lemon and orange peel, red berry, and cut flower character, while middle malts hit chocolate, raisin, and even smoke. very flavorful stuff, smooth and long on the palate with fine carbonation, could be refined a little bit better overall i think, like its not quite expert from a quality standpoint, but this is a cool recipe and one of the more innovative uses of the pink boots hops i have seen this year!