N/A Review – Discovery Series Black IPA from Sober Carpenter

Back again with another N/A beer review, still staying positive that there are additional good ones out there and I may have found one…

It is from Sober Carpenter and their Discovery Series and it is a Black IPA. When popping the can, there is a mini rush of piney hop notes that dissipates quickly but is a good omen. The green wort-y taste is there but the chocolate malts cover that enough so that the minimal hop flavor can make an appearance.

For me, I have found better beers in the darker realm. Most N/A seem to have muted hops and muted adjuncts but a good roasty malt can really help. It is why I like the Guinness 0.0 too.

Sober Carpenter has a new Mexican Lager out as well so, if I see it, I will see if they can do medium malty beers as well.

Fall Into IPA

Institution Ales Fall Seasonal is back with a Black IPA.  It is “brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Deceptively dark in appearance, this beer drinks similarly to a piney, citrusy West Coast IPA with only small hints of toasty and chocolate malts.” 

Dollars & Snobs

If you saw the John Oliver – Last Week Tonight commentary on dollar stores and how terrible they are, you will understand why the name of the new beer from Paperback Brewing is so scary and fitting for the Spooky Season…

…it is good to see that Black IPA has found a bit of a seasonal niche for Halloween.

Paperback also has a good beer name going with the Beer Snob IPA but they really should have gone for a different IPA sub-style like Brut instead of…

Review – Fall Seasonal Black DIPA from Institution Ales

My love / hate relationship with Black IPA’s continues with the 2021 Fall Seasonal from Institution Ales.

It pours a dark brown, near black with a light tan head. It has a spiced coffee latte aroma. Not PSL but nice. The balance is tilted more to the malt side. Quite bready and filling. The bitterness is more of a counterpoint. I like the re-emerging trend back to this style but I just wish the hops would be more assertive.

Back in Black

I need recent days, two fan favorite beers returned to distribution. First….

Stone Brewing stuck SS-R in its 12 Days of IPA’s box and then this year decidedly to re-release it all on its own. That was followed by…

…the label re-designed Wookey Jack from the SoCal Firestone.

How many more Black IPA’s do you think will cone back this year?

Do Not Forget

Certain IPA sub-styles have not lasted. Brut IPA, I really liked. Not to be found anymore. White IPA lasted less time. Session IPA had a moment but that momentum faded. But the king of busted IPA dreams was the Cascadian or Black IPA. Rare was the one that balanced dark malt with bitterness just right.

And maybe, Common Space has unlocked it with their new Citra hop version.