Precious
Spring Creek Brewing Company

Taster at brewery. Near black pour, thin cap of beige head, solid lacing. Roasty aroma, woody, nutty. Taste is light, sweet roasty malts with a hint of smoke. Well balanced.

Roasty, piney and earthy black IPA from a local, on tap in Meridian ID. Clear reddish-black with a khaki head that laces well; roasty and almost bitter-smelling dark malt, with a hefty dose of pine and hoppy lemon oil, roasted coffee as well…sticky finish lends to the feel of citrus rind and hop oil. Good stuff, balanced but not subdued.

the beer here has gotten quite good. this is an excellent black ipa, mellow to drink, not bitter either from the hops or from roasted grain, and frankly hits the mark perfectly on a wintery afternoon, i love this style this time of year. shiny and dark in the pint glass, a fast fading big bubble tan head receding on top, not quite black, deep brown, just a little light around the edges. the aroma here shows a touch of smoke but i dont taste any of it. some brisk pine character through the whole thing for both senses, slightly oily in feel, a hint of lemon zest too makes it drink light for its color, this is quite well hopped without being overdone, and i am impressed how balanced this is without really having much of a crystal malt middle to it, a cool feat, really because of the modest hopping, or the varietals chosen, or both, smart! lighter bodied, great flavor, mellow but not boring at all, clean in fermentation too, just really good, especially with their spicy crispy chicken wings, a great match. one of the best beers ive had here to date! i want this style to make a comeback...

edit: i guess they are calling this one my precious now, and the alcohol has risen up over 7% abv in the recent batch, but its just as good as it used to be, and while everything else here seems to be going downhill a bit, this one still rules. not too heavy, hoppy but not overly bitter with the roast and hops together, and smooth to drink one. one of their best.