black india pale ale

New Beer Blog Heavy Seas Black Cannon Black IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample out one of my favorite beer style and my favorite craft brewery out of Maryland.  Heavy Seas Brewery and the beer is called Black Cannon Black IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog on their flagship beer, which is called Loose Cannon, you know the history of this  brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog post.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a black color with a semi tan color. The smell is a roasted chocolate with a hint of pine. The taste is a chocolate piney with a dry hoppy finish. It is a drinkable beer but really not drinkable. It is kind of in that in between worlds.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

While the style is an oxymoron, this ale is a variation of our “Loose Cannon” IPA, with an obious dark note.  7.25% Alc./Vol.

Here is a description from their website (www.hsbeer.com):

Black Cannon

Seasonal Selections

Our brewers modeled this black IPA after Loose Cannon, with a slight change: it’s almost as if they burnt the brew. Deep-dark ruby, Black Cannon has a roasted character from Blackprinz and Roasted Barley malts, but a heaping portion of hops—in the kettle, hopback, and fermenter—impart flavor and aroma. Floral and pine notes show up in the nose. The mouthfeel is very smooth.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.hsbeer.com

Twitter:  @heavyseasbeer

In closing, I love this beer style, which I said at the beginning of this beer post.  I am a huge hophead but yet I love my porters and stouts.  This is a dream of mine taking both beer styles and put them in one beer bottle or beer glass.  It is a smooth full body beer when drinking but yet get the pine notes during the drinking experience.  This beer at first I was not a fan but when I got to the bottom of the glass.  I was really enjoying this beer.  I recommend you trying this beer if you are a fan of Black India Pale Ale.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog New Glarus Black Top

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In this beer blog, we are going to take a look at the fifth of seven beers from New Glarus Brewing.  The beer is called Black Top.  If you read my earlier blog on their Fat Squirrel Ale, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read the first part of that beer blog post.  Let us get into this Black India Pale Ale.

It has a dark brown to black color with a heavy constant white head on the beer.  It has a citrus smell to the beer.  It has a slight chocolate to citrus taste with a dry bitter aftertaste to the beer.  It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from the beer bottle and their website (www.newglarusbrewing.com):

We invite you to discover this newest beer style Black IPA. Political debate rages over the origins of this jet black beer as both coasts feel they deserve credit. Our Black Top is a pleasant road connecting Villages and Communities statewide on a ride of Black IPA discovery.

Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness.  Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. Savor Black Top, like Wisconsin’s miles of licorice ribbons of ink that meander through armies of corn and bovine mowed fields. Enjoy the journey on a road less traveled.  Happy Trails, Daniel & Deborah Carey

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newglarusbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newglarusbeer

In closing,  I am a HUGE fan of this beer style, which is Black Ales or Black India Pale Ale.  This has a ton of flavor.  It is just as smooth as Widmer Brothers Pitch Black.  It has a little bit more hoppiest and bitterest than that beer from Widmer Brothers.  This beer would be in my regular beer line up.  I really enjoyed this beer but I love Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron more but their beer is more of a seasonal.  New Glarus Black Top is available all the time and I will be drinking this beer when I get it in my hands when I cannot get Black Iron.  Great Job on this one, Dan!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron IBA

In this blog, we are going to dig into another beer from Milwaukee Brewing Company.  I have done a history in one of my earlier blog.  We are going to be sampling out one of their seasonal.  The name of the beer is Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron India Black Ale.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer is black in color with a white constant head.  The smell of chocolate to toffee is filling the air around your nose.  As far as the taste of this India Black Ale is smooth with chocolate and carbonation taste with a slight citrus aftertaste.  This beer is very drinkable and the ABV being 7.4%.  It is danger Mr. Robinson.

Here is a description from their website (www.mkebrewing.com):

History of the Beer

The history of blacksmithing in Milwaukee really centers around Cyril Colnik. After the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, he was convinced to move to Milwaukee by Captain Frederick Pabst. The master blacksmith went on to do iron work iconic Milwaukee landmarks just ask the Pabst Mansion and Villa Terrace.

We tip our hats to Kent Knapp and his love for the craft. This dark hefty beer goes hand in hand mimicking the shop and the medium in which he works.

Beer

Brewed with a dehusked German malt that gives it a black and silky look, without the bitter roastiness you find in other dark beers. A variety of Columbus and Cascade hops were used quite generously to help balance out the large malt bill. This beer is abundant with in complex flavors and hop character and yet quite smooth for a beer that sits at 7.5% abv and 48 IBUs. Cheers!

From the Brewer

The style “India Black Ale” is so new, that there’s no one, all authoritative beer that we need to compare to. The trick is to get the balance between the malt bitterness and the hop bitterness. In this case we used non-astringent roasted malts to add the roasted flavors. The malt is a de-husked German black malt, it provides the color, and the roast flavor without the risk of extra acidity. It creates this intense roasted coffee and chocolate aroma. When we add the hops you’ll get that pine and citrus smell. When we released the test batch last year it went over really well. I drink the IBA when I have the time to really savor it and when it has the chance to come up to room temperature.

Here is a youtube video from their website (www.mkebrewing.com):

Milwaukee Brewing Company Black Iron Ale

In closing,  I really love this beer.  If it was anything close to their Hop Happy India Pale ale, I knew I would love this Black Iron.  I know their Black Iron is an India Black Ale not what all the rest of the craft brewery called their beers called Black India Pale Ale.  I love how this beer is drinkable and the punch of citrus from hops while it is cutting through the roasted and chocolate notes.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog 21st Amendment Back in Black IPA

In this blog, we are going to get into the last beer from 21st Amendment Brewery. A friend gave me three cans and they are India Pale Ale, Pale Ale, and the one I will review in this blog their Black In Back Black IPA. If you read my earlier blog then you know a little something on this brewery, let us get into the beer.

The beer in the glass is black in with a nice white and constant head on it.  The smell is a chocolate with a slight citrus in the beer. The taste is a slight citrus with a chocolate to roast malt along a little burn taste. The aftertaste is a nice citrus hop driest going on in the beer. This Black India Pale Ale like many is very drinkable.

Here is a description from their website (www.21st-amendment.com):

Inspired by Paul Revere’s midnight ride, we rebelled against the British style IPA, embraced the more aggressive American version and then recast it in bold, brave, defiant black. Our Black IPA is a Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of the expected.

Back in Black is our newest year-round beer available now in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like an American IPA but with the addition of rich, dark malts, this beer has all the flavor and hop character you expect with a smooth, mellow finish.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: http://www.21st-amendment.com

Twitter: @21stamendment

In the end, just like their other beers, I really enjoyed drinking this black india pale ale. I love the drinkablity of this black india pale ale but enough punch from hops to keep this hophead wanting to drink more of this beer. It has a full body and a nice balance of complex of chocolate and citrus notes. This is a very well made beer and I highly recommend trying it. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser