India Black Ale
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
- From:
- Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
- United States
- Style:
- Black IPA
- ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.81 | pDev: 8.66%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 28, 2013
- Added:
- Aug 01, 2009
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Dark, American-style IPA with pronounced bitterness complemented by a touch of roasted flavor. Hop flavor and aroma are courtesy of two pounds in the hopback per barrel.
40 IBU
40 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by inlimbo77 from Delaware
3.68/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.68/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz served in a pint glass.
Enjoyed at Wilmington Iron Hill on 8/24/12
A: Pours deep dark brown. Full finger of light tan pillowy head. Nice carbonation. Leaves some lacing sheets.
S: Lots of piney hops. Some roast hidden behind it. Maybe some hints of light coffee.
T: Up front getting some piney hops. The roast character is really mild though, but its fairly cold so this might not be coming out yet. The close has some bitterness, not sure if hop or chocolate or coffee.
M: Medium bodied.
Aug 27, 2012Enjoyed at Wilmington Iron Hill on 8/24/12
A: Pours deep dark brown. Full finger of light tan pillowy head. Nice carbonation. Leaves some lacing sheets.
S: Lots of piney hops. Some roast hidden behind it. Maybe some hints of light coffee.
T: Up front getting some piney hops. The roast character is really mild though, but its fairly cold so this might not be coming out yet. The close has some bitterness, not sure if hop or chocolate or coffee.
M: Medium bodied.
Reviewed by treehugger02010 from Pennsylvania
4.26/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
4.26/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
I had this at iron Hill Brewery in Maple Shade, NJ. It came in a tumbler pint glass.
Appearance: The head is a silky beige color. The body is a deep brown color, three fingers tall, unbelievable retention, thick strong lacing, and medium sized bubbles.
Smell: The aromas are roasted malt, earthy hops, and maybe some pine.
Taste: The flavors are pine, spices, and nutty.
Mouthfeel: The body is thick, with a clean finish.
Drinkability: This beer is very drinkable.
Don't drink and review.
Nov 16, 2010Appearance: The head is a silky beige color. The body is a deep brown color, three fingers tall, unbelievable retention, thick strong lacing, and medium sized bubbles.
Smell: The aromas are roasted malt, earthy hops, and maybe some pine.
Taste: The flavors are pine, spices, and nutty.
Mouthfeel: The body is thick, with a clean finish.
Drinkability: This beer is very drinkable.
Don't drink and review.
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada
4.01/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.01/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: black in color with a 1" head that slowly falls to thick surface foam. Some moderate lace develops during the session.
Smell: mild amount of pine and grapefruit with some malt sweetness is pleasant on the nose.
Taste: nice malt profile with bits of chocolate and prune sweetness. Nicely balanced with decent amount of grapefruit and lesser pine tones.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp to start, a bit smoother and dry at the finish.
Drinkability: this beer is extremely quaffable and enjoyable. Nice flavor profile - worth a try.
Apr 27, 2010Smell: mild amount of pine and grapefruit with some malt sweetness is pleasant on the nose.
Taste: nice malt profile with bits of chocolate and prune sweetness. Nicely balanced with decent amount of grapefruit and lesser pine tones.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp to start, a bit smoother and dry at the finish.
Drinkability: this beer is extremely quaffable and enjoyable. Nice flavor profile - worth a try.
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey
3.85/5 rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
- Served on Cask at location.
From what I gather this is a blend of their Pig Iron Porter and their Anvil Ale.
A: Poured a standard issue black color with a thin, dark beige capping that whipped and creamy, well lasting, while leaving a thin broken sheet lacing.
S: The nose delivered a soft blend of roasted malt with a dry pine hopping. The overall strength was medium with a supporting cast of dry chocolate and a smooth earthy mineral bitterness.
T: The flavor was similar to the nose with smooth roasted grains combined with a dry chocolate malts. Hops of pine and grapefruit were fairly well represented here. The flavor is clean, and fairly quick of the tongue. Most black ipas are lager based, I like the fact that this used a porter based with the focus lying more toward the malt then the hops.
M: Served on cask of course your gonna get a smooth silky feel and texture as expected. Creamy, soft and a good hold. Haven't had this on tap but can only assume probably doesn't deliver the same smooth experience as on cask.
D: Good drinkabilty probably made better via cask. Smooth body and smooth drinking, glad I waited for the cask offering here.
Dec 22, 2009From what I gather this is a blend of their Pig Iron Porter and their Anvil Ale.
A: Poured a standard issue black color with a thin, dark beige capping that whipped and creamy, well lasting, while leaving a thin broken sheet lacing.
S: The nose delivered a soft blend of roasted malt with a dry pine hopping. The overall strength was medium with a supporting cast of dry chocolate and a smooth earthy mineral bitterness.
T: The flavor was similar to the nose with smooth roasted grains combined with a dry chocolate malts. Hops of pine and grapefruit were fairly well represented here. The flavor is clean, and fairly quick of the tongue. Most black ipas are lager based, I like the fact that this used a porter based with the focus lying more toward the malt then the hops.
M: Served on cask of course your gonna get a smooth silky feel and texture as expected. Creamy, soft and a good hold. Haven't had this on tap but can only assume probably doesn't deliver the same smooth experience as on cask.
D: Good drinkabilty probably made better via cask. Smooth body and smooth drinking, glad I waited for the cask offering here.
Reviewed by ColForbinBC from New Jersey
3.95/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
3.95/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-tap, served in a pint
Arrived at the table with a body a few shades away from pitch black and a one finger, fluffy tan cap. Some ruby red highlights around the edges of the glass and a good amount of lace.
Aroma was of fresh, earthy, minty hops with a good amount of roast and bittersweet chocolate. A good balance here.
Up front, the roast dominates lending to a delicate bitterness on the back end from the chocolate and hops. A light grapefruit character peeks through in the middle and fades into the bitter finish. Crisp and dry. Very succinct and direct. They aren't trying to hide anything here. Clean and well-balanced.
Medium body with good carbonation leads to a creamy body and a very slight oily finish.
The booze is well hidden in this guy. I would have never guessed 7%. I found this to be very drinkable. The flavors play nice together, a creamy medium body and a light hop finish, solid on all fronts.
Aug 28, 2009Arrived at the table with a body a few shades away from pitch black and a one finger, fluffy tan cap. Some ruby red highlights around the edges of the glass and a good amount of lace.
Aroma was of fresh, earthy, minty hops with a good amount of roast and bittersweet chocolate. A good balance here.
Up front, the roast dominates lending to a delicate bitterness on the back end from the chocolate and hops. A light grapefruit character peeks through in the middle and fades into the bitter finish. Crisp and dry. Very succinct and direct. They aren't trying to hide anything here. Clean and well-balanced.
Medium body with good carbonation leads to a creamy body and a very slight oily finish.
The booze is well hidden in this guy. I would have never guessed 7%. I found this to be very drinkable. The flavors play nice together, a creamy medium body and a light hop finish, solid on all fronts.
Reviewed by TheFightfan1 from Pennsylvania
3.33/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.33/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Trying to go by memory now. Poured black but not opague. Had a nice fluffy tan colored heading.Lacing left rings with every gulp. Very good looking.
Smell was roasted malts and a nice hop aroma that takes away from the malts.
Taste was decent everything that was present in the nose came up here but left a funny yeasty aftertaste on the backend. Kind of ruined the whole thing.
Mouth was good. Full bodied good carbonation but again that yeasty funkiness sticks to the tongue and doesn't let go.
Drinkability again would probably be a good session brew but do to that oddness kind of killed it.
As for the black and tan I took a shot at the style.
Aug 01, 2009Smell was roasted malts and a nice hop aroma that takes away from the malts.
Taste was decent everything that was present in the nose came up here but left a funny yeasty aftertaste on the backend. Kind of ruined the whole thing.
Mouth was good. Full bodied good carbonation but again that yeasty funkiness sticks to the tongue and doesn't let go.
Drinkability again would probably be a good session brew but do to that oddness kind of killed it.
As for the black and tan I took a shot at the style.
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