Sierra Nevada changes up the 4-way IPA box

What's the difference between an Black IPA (or just IBA) and a super-hoppy stout?

 

Yup!

Cheers!

 

In a past thread a poster brought up the discussion as a comparison of Black IPA vs. a Hoppy Porter (vs. RIS). Below is something I posted in that thread:

I think that the brewer of Kernal Brewery (London, England) has a good perspective on the topic of Black IPA vs. hoppy Porters.

“Black IPA (or more simply; IBA) versus Export India Porter

I know that the style, naming, etc. of these dark ales has been discussed to death on here, but hopefully a recent email that I received will add a little more information to the discussion. There may be others, but I could only find one brewery that brewed both an India Porter and a Black IPA and that brewery is the Kernel Brewery in London. So I decided to send off an email asking for some brewer's insight as to what they saw as the differences, given that they decided to brew both as distinct styles. They were more than courteous to explain it as they saw it. I thought that their reply was interesting enough to share here. Here is their reply...

Thanks for the email. We really appreciate the fact that you care enough to ask us about these beers, because for us that is partly the reason for brewing them.

I think that any brewery would have their own take on certain styles, and what one brewery calls style 'x' another would call style 'y'. So we can only speak of our own interpretation of the difference between a Black IPA and an Export India Porter. To put it simply, while both beers use dark malts and lots of hops, the Black IPA should be definitely dominated by the hops, while the EIP should be dominated by the darker malts. There probably is a point between these 2 styles where they may meet, but it is important to us to keep them distinct.

Our Black IPA keeps to a simple IPA recipe, with the addition of Carafa III malt, which is a dark roasted malt, but it has been dehusked or debittered, so it provides colour and a chocolate flavour, but not the roasted astringent flavour of more classic dark malts (roasted barley or black malt). It is not quite a Pale IPA coloured black, but the hops still dominate the flavour profile.

We brewed the first EIP partly to answer the question that was often thrown at us as to what the difference was between a black IPA and a hoppy porter. The recipe we used is from 1855. We kept the grain bill the same, but decided to change the hops to US varieties and have used them in a manner similar to a modern IPA. This is already moving the EIP in the direction of a Black IPA. But the malt still dominates. It is roasty, ashy, astringent, chocolatey, and then the hops kick in with some lighter notes.

Hope this helps. Have you managed to try both of these beers from us?

Let us know if you have any further questions.

All the best.
Evin”

 

I'm guessing you haven't tried Black Rajah? It is surprisingly excellent and gave me hope for future black ipas to come

 

Sure it is Jack, my only point is when someone releases a black IPA now I don't say "I gotta try that". The last time I did that was for Founders Dark Penance. I figured I'd really like it since it was Founders. It was ok......at best. But if everyone else likes them, all the power to you!

 

i've been drinking the hatter series(rye, black, awesome, and imperial) most of the summer and well into the fall. I think they would be considered seasonal... a very long season

 

Yup. Replaced by Beer Camp Hoppy Lager this year.

 

I may have had a handful that I've tried and Blindfold was definitely memorable for me. Others were enjoyable but not "otherworldly"

 

Brew Kettle Black Rajah
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2470/86195/

Better than 21st, Stone, and Lagunitas, and I really like all of those

As to the thread, Sierra Nevada mixed 12 packs are awesome. The fall pack is one of the happiest $16 I ever spent

 

I just bought a box on Tuesday in Southeast VA, first day it hit the shelf. I was disappointed that all the beers were bottled the first couple days of December and the mixpack is JUST hitting the shelves. These are IPAs, Sierra Nevada, it's important to get them out as fast as possible. I understand it's a lot of work getting 4 different beers in that box and ship it all over the US but I feel like SN could have prioritized this a little better. Same thing happened with the Beer Camp collab box last year.

Granted after all my bitching, the beers are still "fresh" so have at it.

 

I thought lagunitas nighttime was awesome

 

More brown than black was amazing. Wish that would get brewed again as a regular

Enjoy

 

I turned this down for two reasons. It finally hit my area (SePa) and it's already almost 2 months old ( 12/4/14).
Second nothing "new" here except the Golden IPA, which for me does'nt justify buying the case. Why not include your three ( or some of) new beers ( Nooner Pils, Hoppy Lager and Hop Hunter)? Now if this hit my distributor and I see that it was bottled a week or two ago, different story. Maybe. Don't get me wrong, these are all SOLID beers. Just not enough NEW for me, still LOVE you though SN!

 

The golden ipa was delicious. Bright, grapefruity, and really clean. Might buy another box...

 

Didn't read all the post. Does this mean the end of Ruthless sixers? That would make me a sad panda....

 

Try:
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
Uinta Dubhe
Southern Tier Iniquity

 

Mountain Standard Double Black IPA rocks it!

 

The rye is exceptional...a leader among ryes.

 

Sure did. When the Stone 11th Anniversary came out (now Sublimely Self Righteous IPA) I wound up enjoying a case of it so much that I bought a second case. And for the years Victory was producing Yakima Glory I'd get a case fresh when it came out. Both were outstanding for me and much more tasty than many IPAs I've tried. I had the Yakima Glory at the Victory Brewpub before it went to bottles, etc. and fell in love with it then. As for stouts and porters I do find them different from the "black IPA" in a couple of ways that are hard to describe.

To use a parallel example, even though stewed rattlesnake has a flavor that is similar to stewed chicken I also find them to have flavor profiels that differ from each other.

 

I haven't had the new brew but I'm sure it is fine...that said...

Depressing I can't just buy a sixer of the best Rye IPA made...

If my mind is reading this right...I'm very depressed.

The 12pk line up is great but nothing like picking up a sixer of Ruthless after a long work week.