Looking to see if anyone had any suggestions for Black IPAs that are still out there? It seems like this beer has been dying off for a while now, but still in some demand from people like me who love this style of beer. My stand-by used to be Lagunitas night time ale, which for me is impossible to find anymore. I really loved Allagash’s haunted house but that’s a seasonal fall beer. Stone’s self righteous has still not appeared by me. Is there anything that can satisfy the Black IPA craving? I’ve tried some imperial porters just because it’s the closest thing I can really think of.
I miss them, too, and I also remember Night Time fondly. I see the style occasionally, had one the other day in Denver from Woods Boss. Isn't Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous out again? Or maybe that time has already passed. I remember liking that one, too. I wouldn't say it's extinct, but it's on the endangered list. Most recent ones I've had before the Woods Boss one last weekend: Land Grant - Totality (March 30). Brewery X - Creeping Death (March 28).
Like others, I see them at some local breweries. I love them and hope their popularity will cause an uptick in their production.
It would seem that Black IPA is now a rotating/local beer style. Von C Brewing is local to me and they now have a Black IPA on tap and that beer is very tasty! “Starless Sky IPA - Black 6.8% ABV Norristown, PA This black ipa was built on a base of 2 row, Munich, medium crystal, and midnight wheat malts then hopped with talus, loral, simcoe, and vista hops. Notes of bakers chocolate, coconut, oak, and grapefruit.” Get ‘em while you can! Cheers!
Agree with everyone else, mostly see Black IPAs from local breweries and not even much of it packaged (draft only usually at the brewery). It is an endangered style for sure and done well is amazing but a non-optimal hop + roast pairing is not nearly as appealing.
Good observation. If brewers select hop varieties that 'clash' with roasty malts this could be an issue. In the past I much preferred the Black IPAs that were produced using dark malts that had no or little roast character (e.g., dehusked Carafa malts). Cheers!
Unfortunately, Stone Sublimely Self Righteous hasn't show up reasonably close to me. At this point, I fear it means that ship has sailed. **sigh**
There’s a few styles I will order, no questions asked, in part to show support for brewing innovation. Gruits, rauchbeers, and black IPAs are tops on this list.
I see more black IPAs since Stone brought SSR back. The previous 3-5 years they were virtually extinct around here.
I'll almost always grab a black IPA when I see one on a brewery's menu. I had a really good, and strikingly modern, one at Magnetic North Brewing in Anchorage, AK. "Dark Night BIPA" was brewed with Strata, and that hop's classic strawberry note kept the whole thing easy drinking and fresh. When that style goes wrong, the combined bitter of the roast and the hops can be a nightmare, but this one was a nice combination of fruit and roast.
It's regularly brewed and available at the Firestone Walker Propagator in my are, but they also can is seasonally and gets some distribution
Been drinking one at a local brewery. Also enjoyed two 6 packs of Stones SSR rerelease. Definitely a rare style
Lawson's and Lord Hobo's BIPAs are the only ones I see around from "big" breweries, local breweries have them occasionally and they're a crap-shoot. Another style barely hanging on. Cheers.
