Noir
DuClaw Brewing Co.

RB transfer

 

 

 

Filtered black body under a large tan head that left very good lacing. Woodsy smell helps introduce the pine while spicy, herbal notes slip in as the head recedes. Diverse taste as roasted malts, pine, citrus, spice and dark chocolate all vie for attention. Some bitterness but not palate numbing. Smooth, dry, decently carbonated, medium bodied mouthfeel.

 

Appearance- near black, nice tan head, good lacing
Smell- earthy notes, piney, cocoa
Taste - piney, hoppy up front, followed by cocoa and malt
Mouthfeel- medium bodied, smooth with some sweetness
Overall- a vey good black IPA, great malts with cocoa along with a nice hoppy taste

 

 

DuClaw Brewing Co. "Noir"
16 fl. oz. can coded "NOIR-14-121521 CANNED ON 01/28/22". Sampled on 03/25/22.
$3.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: It looks good in the glass and it's got the aroma I expect from a black IPA so we're off to a good start. The body is a very dark brown that appears black in the full glass although it does reveal some orange and ruby highlights at the base of the glass when raised to the light. The head is a finger's width of khaki colored foam, and it's been holding very well since I poured it. The aroma has notes of pine and citrus that reminds me of Chinook hops, and there's a dark chocolate/dark malt component to it. On to the taste... everything true of the aroma remains intact, and there's some added dark caramel that's on the edge of becoming burnt sugar. It's a little woody, slightly grapefruity, and herbal and spicy. Some clear orange appears at the finish but there's also some other tropical fruit along the way... maybe peach and lychee. It's roasty but not overly roasty - it's not ashen, but more focused. It's a little bit like cold, weak, black coffee. Ahh, I just got a note of some red berry-like fruitiness in addition to the more tropical stuff. There's some sweetness tothe malt despite the fact that it's dark, and a solid bitterness is needed to balance that, probably somewhere in the 50-60 IBU range. It finshes dry and fairly complex with different fruity notes appearing at different times although the pine always remains. Sometimes it seems more earthy and spicy than others, and sometimes not. Looking back the lacing has left what look like clouds of smoke rising on the horizon and spreading into great flowing sheets of craggy and torn lace. I wasn't really looking forward to this as a lot of brewers tend to over do it with both the dark malts and the Chinook but this is really nicely done. One last thing - the mouthfeel. It's medium bodied and crisp with a fine-bubbled, standard carbonation. Well worth trying.
Review #7,846

Appearance - Pours a dark chestnut brown with four fingers of frothy beige head.

Smell - piney, citrus, leafy, and earthy hops, roasted malts, cocoa, hint of tropical notes, and earthy yeast.

Taste - piney, citrus, leafy, and earthy hops upfront. A pleasant punch from pine resin and grapefruit peel come through next followed alongside the roasted malts and cocoa. The earthy yeast rounds out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes roasty and bitter with the pine resin, and grapefruit peel lingering.

Overall - A well rendered and highly drinkable black IPA that delivers on the pine resin and grapefruit peel. I like how these are the star of the show while the roasted malts and cocoa are nice supporting casts. An enjoyable brew nonetheless.

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is near black, dark brown edges, head is tan with fine bubbles, head presents 1 finger thick and then dissipates to thin top with a ring and some lacing on glass sides.

Smell is roast, pine, light caramel, herbal, maybe some burned sugar.

Taste is similar with roast/dark malt, not excessively sweet but some darkened sugar like flavor, hops are pine, light citrus, herbal and grass notes.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness and then some drying; with warmth these seems pretty smooth/full possible from some wheat/oat additions.

Overall a very good black ipa - nice malt, roast, hint of chocolate and light burned sugar. A smoother/fuller feel than some other versions but the flavor is well constructed.

From the bottom of the can: "NOIR-14-121521 CANNED ON 01/28/22"

Appearance: The body is a dark ruby-brown color that barely lets shadows through. The light tan head is medium-sized, creamy textured, and lumpy. It has good retention and lacing.

Aroma: There is a scent of pine and some bunt molasses.

Taste: Up front there is a slightly sweet sugary flavor. Pine and burnt wood meet in the middle of the mouth with notes of spruce and lemon. The back of the mouth is bitter burnt wood and the aftertaste is bitter char.

Mouthfeel: It is a medium-bodied beer that feels a tad thin in the aftertaste. Bitterness is very good; strong and present in both the hop and kilned grain bitterness. It is easy to drink.

Overall: It is a nice Black IPA with bold bitter flavors that are sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys this style. The beer focuses mostly on this pine and burnt wood character which is a winning combination for a beer like this. I would recommend it and I would drink it again.