Black Rye IPA
Brauerei Lemke Berlin

One finger, off-white head. The liquid is nearly black where no light passes. Slippery spots on the glass but there’s also a solid ring of lace after each sip.

Dry smell as one would expect. The rye is very evident—similar to fresh baked rye bread.

The flavor is dark, nearly like coffee but it is the rye dryness that writes this ticket. The body is thinner than I expected but the carbonation is typical. While the aftertaste is short, it is also unique because of the full flavor with hints of burnt grain and dry, unsweetened cocoa.

Pours a deep, dark mahogany coloration with a ruby sheen when held up to the light, as well as a medium, creamy, lasting head. Smells of roasted, slightly caramelly malt and citrus hops, with notes of tangerine, as well as some coffee and and licorice. Taste is an excellent balance of roasted, caramel malt and fruity and slighty herbal and spicy hops, with citrus and lighter tropical notes of tangerine and passion fruit, as well as some, coffee, chocolate, licorice and peppery spice. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some tangerine, coffee and licorice lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

While I may disagree with the hop selection for a Black IPA here, and wish that this was a bit more bitter and resinous, it still makes for a very nice example of the style at the end of the day, mainly du to a great malt and hops balance, with the roasted malts and peppery rye making for a great contrast to the fruitier citrus and tropical notes here. Black IPAs are hard to come by, so I can always appreciate a well-made example of the style like this, which makes for a very enjoyable drinking experience despite lacking the resinous pine that's an integral part of the style's flavor profile in my personal opinion.