Black IPAs are dead? Why?

I talked to Matt Brynildson a couple weeks back at the FW21 party. He said Wookie Jack is coming back, but I think he said it'd be renamed and only seasonal.

 

Although I agree that Black IPA is a niche style, there is still a segment of craft drinkers who enjoy it...as do I. That said, I have always preferred "Imperial" versions much more (i.e. 8+% ABV):

- Dubhe (Unita) -This was my favorite year-round brand...until they relegated it to a "Limited" release and haven't seen it here in NJ for a couple of years now.
- Wookey Jack (Firestone Walker) - This, too was great and even better once it went into 12oz bottles. However, I very rarely found it fresh in NJ.
- DIPA #3 2016 (Weyerbacher) - Part of their rotating IPA series, this Black IPA @ 9%ABV is one of the best hoppy beers they have produced.

Finally...Epitome (Carton) - This has been a brewed once-a-year beer for them for the past couple of years. Historically, it is released during (or just after) the Thanksgiving weekend. I am crossing my fingers that history will repeat itself in 2017 so I can grab some. This stuff is crazy good!

 

Founders Dark Penance was outstanding. I really miss that one. Huge complexity of flavors that hit the good notes of dark ale and IPA. I'll still mix an imperial IPA with an RIS every once in a while to get my fix. This style is moving up my list for homebrew experimentation, but I haven't really liked my own IPAs so far.

 

Loved me some Wookey Jack!

 

IF the hops are done right is the key, but most the time they aren't and it comes out a muddy mess. I always say, it's easy to make an ipa, it's hard to make a good ipa. That applies to all variations of them. I just haven't found a truly amazing black ipa, and I'm tired of looking.

 

Do you actually not understand what I meant or are you just nitpicking?

 

I miss Victory's Yakima Glory. It was a style I wasn't into right away but over time I dug it, coincidentally right as it was on its way out.

 

"Wookus" is the next Leo v. Ursus release

 

Oh! That may have been what he was talking about! TBH I was pretty drunk by that time LOL

 

Like others, I semi enjoyed a few good ones but wasn’t one of my favorite styles. Honestly didn’t realize how many have disappeared until people started mentioning several on the post. I think a better comparison might be to the lactose IPAs out now. Sort of a niche thing and a few that are tasty but a lot that are not so good.

 

Neither.

I’m saying that “herd mentality” is based on mindless instinct alone and human behavior is much more complex than that, especially since most of our behavior is not rooted in instincts. If “herd mentality” is involved you yourself would find yourself a part of herd of mindless creatures relying instinct rather than thought.

Do you consider yourself part of a herd?

 

I think pumpkin ales are another style finally starting to balance out as well.

 

I like my IPAs like my women. Sweet, juicy, non-bitter

 

Yep. I just did exactly this, after not having had one for a while. (Although in Brussels it's not like everyone's trying to out-juice each other.) I still like them time to time, but still grumble about the oxymoronic name. If there's less of it out there, because the market couldn't bear more of it, I would guess. When I was exploring them more, I found not too, too many delivered that modern-IPA profile plus a bit of roast to the malt. Otherwise what's the point? ... Also, the recent IPAs have trended away from malt and so they're less of an obvious setup.

 

I prefer the original West Coast Stouts, myself, but there aren't too many of those around either. Something about the citrus/pine goes so well with the roast malts; when brewers started adding more fruity hops and calling them CDAs the flavors didn't seem to work so well.

Still, I'll take SN Stout or Pike XXXXX in a heartbeat, and hopefully Deschutes Obsidian finds my area one of these days.

It's imperialized, but Storm King will also do in a pinch, especially if it's on draught.

 

Or an indicator of things to come for other beers that have strong "fad" components to their initial sales surge.

 

I loved that one too. Ironically it seemed like they discontinued it just as Black IPAs (I think that term is dumb) became a popular style.

If you are in the Philly burbs, Round Guys just brewed one. Drinking it right now, good stuff.

 

The good ones had just enough roasty flavor to play off the earthy hops. The whole "close your eyes and it's an IPA" was a total misnomer.

 

It's my sincere wish that Black IPAs become the next big thing... from "normal" to unfiltered to hazy to juice... to pitch black.