Black IPAs are dead? Why?

Does Ohio get Jack's Abby? Because their Schwarzbier, Smoke & Dagger, is absolutely fabulous. The combination of dark malts, smoke, and lager crispness is just incredible.

 

I still like browns, drank many back in the day, they had their time of popularity for sure, but of course we didn't have as wide a variety of styles avail. No doubt they will cycle around to have popularity again

 

Just my personal opinion, but I always felt the black IPA's were just a gimmicky way to try to cash in on the IPA craze.

 

Yes dank, piney, and floral are all different flavors attributed to different hops. As I said I think the good black ipas match piney hops and roasted malts well. Wouldn't work with those that exhibit floral or stone fruit flavor. Also black ipas are basically the polar opposite of NEIPA so that definitely appeals to me.

 

Black IPAs are not dead they just smell funny.
But seriously Black Ale does not have to be based on IPAs and when they are too hoppy the combination of bitter roasted unmalted barley and hops can be overpowering.
Weez from Maine Beer Co. (RIP) and Lagunitas Night Time are not to hoppy and have a nice balance between bitter and semi-sweet.

 

If there was a buying market SSR and Wookie would still be around, especially given their competition. Brewers will brew what will sell, not to just check a box. Fresh SSR was terriffic, but obviously more disagreed with that.

 

I miss the style, but I guess I'm in the minority. Sublimely Self Righteous was mind blowing to me. Ditto Dark Penance. I even enjoyed the Shipyard one.

I agree with others they could be hard to handle sometimes..not easy drinkers like most NE IPAs.

 

Haters keep on hating, but I love the style and one of my all-time favorites is just about one month away from release: Epitome (Carton)

Fresh Dubhe (Uinta) is stellar and it is year-round, but the brewery no longer seems to distribute that brand outside their local area.

Double IPA #3 (Weyerbacher), Uranus (Bell's) and NightTime (Lagunitas) are IMO all very-well executed.

 

The worst examples were horrid. One bar here had a keg on tap and after a while they put up a sign to make an offer on a glass, you could get it for a buck. I can't remember the Brewer but this particular beer coated your tongue and ruined your palate, had a strange burnt ashtray taste. Even at $1 it took forever to sell it off, so if this was yiurvyourvOyour first Black Iowa experience it was probably your last, if your first was fresh SSR it's a whole different cat.

 

Yakima Glory from Victory. One of the best ever. Was extremely upset when it was retired.

 

How can you tell how hazy it is if it's black?

 

Umm . . .

 

I get that people don't like them as they are viewed as "less good than _____" (pick whole category or type of beer). But I think that's why I've always liked them - the dark Cascadian/black IPA variant exists on a spectrum of beer (not binary) and I like what they have to offer. Not sure why people are affronted by hops/roast/chocolate/bitter in the same glass; don't like it? Cool.
I always look forward to a few every year... and recently Eddyline's Black Eddy is a winter highlight for me. It also has some interesting funk on the nose, a few have been George Clinton funky...and that's alright by me.
OR, it could be that I'm a Libra and I don't like making a decision between an IPA or a stout.
Enjoy what you like...

 

Thanks for that, man. I was all like, "Voodoo Ranger's not a black IPA".

 

Right on. Guess I was simply too obtuse to read what he wrote with that in mind. Some days my brain fails me.

 

That's a great play on a Zappa quote.

 

Yes, from Roxy & Elsewhere. Jazz is pretty close to being dead unfortunately.