H&H Overkill
Black Oak Brewing Co.

I'll be honest and say I didn't expect much from this brew, but Black Oak definately delivered a different and tasty brew.

Poured a slightly hazy orange/gold, white head settles to a ring, some lace. Smell is sweet, spicy, some citrus/floral hops, definate jalapeno aroma. Taste is neat, malty, floral, spices, big jalapeno kick in the finish, can taste the heat going down your throat. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low carbonation. Thanks to Ken and the gang for this experiment.

A creative - if not outright lucrative - offering from Black Oak brewed especially for the Volo Cask Days 2006. This is a pale ale brewed with home grown red hot Jalapeno peppers.

And while I knew to expect this one before hand, I must confess, I had NO intention of trying it. The idea, somehow, just didn't seem all that appealing. Truthfully, but understandably, I was skeptical. Sure, they're good on sandwiches, but in my beer?

However, when a brewer - an Ontario micro brewer furthermore - goes out on limb to be inventive - in this case I'd say brave - I feel I owe it to them, and the beer (respect beer!) to give it a fair and open-minded try... I was rather surprised...

The appearance is unrevealing. Small crest of head sitting over a tawny copper body. Transparent but with light haze. A very wholesome, hardy aroma - bursting with fresh, snappy peppers. The Jalapeno scent is sweet and zesty, but constrained enough to keep tastefully aromatic, inciting even! The brewer did a good job of keeping the pepper acidity from finding its way into the beer. The impressive part was it was balanced!

You were getting all the hot and spicy flavour of the peppers, but without any real hot or spicy sensation. The body was mild, texture smooth. The hefty malt bill keeps the mouthfeel quenching and the pepper flavour restrained just enough. Even the easy to overlook hop presence contribute a dose of bitterness. They also help subdue the jalapeno spice enough from interfering with texture or drinkability, but allowing uncompromising flavour.

This really does drink as well - and easy - as any standard pale ale but with a snappy, mildly piquant jalapeno flavour. It's exuberant without being accosting. This is a product, unique, but also quite palatable. I would encourage Black Oak to promote this one to seasonal, maybe even bottle! Done right (which this was) there is a market for it.

Above anything this offering showed ingenuity. To unite two contrasting things into something so agreeable - furthermore tasteful - really does showcase skill of the craft. Great job!

sampled on cask as part of the volo cask days 2006. thanks to ralph and all involved for putting together an awesome fest.

pours a nice golden colour with a thin head.

aroma is jalapeno with a little sweetness. there's an almost creamy aroma, like a cream cheese stuffed jalapeno popper. the sweet jalapeno, crunchy cracker coating, and creamy inside.

taste is nice, but a little thin and one-dimensional. the nice sweet jalapeno is there with a hint of heat. there's a little bitterness and hop flavour, but it's fairly obscured behind the sweet jalapeno.

mouthfeel is a little thin, but the low carbonation is nice.

drinkability is ok. it's not too heavy and the jalapeno is pleasantly warming but not over the top.

Maybe they will brew this again, bt it was a novelty and an enormous hophead hit at Volo Cask Day 2006. With Japapeno peppers and over-the-top bitterness and mouth freezing. Green, vegetabley. Even burnt my nostrils. A small sample for me was enough, but those who lost their taste buds prior to it were up for it.