#214: Black is Back

An unexpected gift from a non-beery person on their travels is always in danger of yielding dodgy beer. Thankfully, this is not one of those times. Sure, it reaches me from Scotland via Puerto Rico, but it's a free beer. A Libertine. It wanted to see the world and find itself before it had its head removed and its insides drained into the gaping mouth of a tyrant.

Libertine is a black ale, and I really didn't know what Brewdog meant by that, until I got it in a glass. Gorgeous and bountiful leafy hoppy goodness. It's got grapefruit and citrus peel by the bucket load and after a few minutes wilfully reveals its coffee and chocolate underbelly. Burnt sugar and a touch of smoke complete an aroma profile that embodies everything I believe a Black IPA should be all about. The palate gets this treatment too; a wonderful  bright, juicy citrus and tropical hoppiness playing off some sticky, coffee-tinted dark malts. An ABV of 7.2% helps it reach its full-bodied potential, resulting in a very satisfying drinking experience all-round.

While typing this I was trying to remember which beers I'd had that would be comparable in quality and style to this, and I realised I had some things to address.

First of all, Zeus Black IPA, from Eight Degrees' Back to Black series. On the first go I felt it was lacklustre. A couple of weeks later I tried it again and realised it was the bomb. Deliciously lime zest hops and dark chocolatey malts, for me this has the beating of the Brew Dog.

Also, Blacks of Kinsale have had a Black IPA around for a while now, and I have tasted it, contrary to the Drunken Destrier's beer menu. The aroma on this one opens with a coppery suggestion of bitterness with highlights of grapefruit juiciness. Where it really differs from both of the above is that it's not nearly as roasty in its malt profile. Just a touch of burnt caramel stuff remains to pin down the otherwise orangey, bubblegum sweet bones of this beer. Good stuff yet again from Kinsale.

#198: Back to Black

With college over for Christmas, it's time for me to finally transcribe notes on some of the beer I've been enjoying over the past week or two. This trio of 'Back to Black' beers was a generous donation from Eight Degrees, along with a second bottle of each for, you know, rigorous quality control. Thanks Eight Degrees!

On the first day I started with Zeus, the black IPA. The aroma is gorgeous to begin with, with a rather potent and pungent tropical fruit and lemon peel nose, suggesting a plenty hoppy flavour. However, the palate begins in a different manner; roasty coffee and a touch hot, it does let some bitter citrus fruit stuff through the gaps, but not much. It's nice, but not half as nice as it smells. Maybe it's a good iteration of the style, but I wouldn't really know. My opinion of the Black IPA as a style is indifferent at best, with no examples ever hitting the spot like a good IPA or a good porter, and Zeus isn't doing anything to change my mind.

On to the Russian Imperial Stout at 9% ABV. The most eminent aroma characteristic here is coffee, followed by caramel chocolate and some dark fruits, before taking a brown sugar turn after some time. Promising. The taste delivers sticky malts, toffee chocolate and bitter dark roasted coffee flavours on a thick and full body. While it may not quite reach the heights of, say Black Chocolate, it's a much smoother and more drinkable imperial stout. Kindred Spirit was supposed to be Irish stout reborn, but this has blown that out of the water.

The following day I was very excited to be popping open the Aztec Stout, a beer that's seen the intervention of cocoa nibs, vanilla pods and chipotle chillies. Despite the interesting additions, the aroma is more subdued than I'd expected, with milk chocolate and - you guessed it - coffee making up the bulk of it, with perhaps a hint of chilli somewhere in the background. The taste is roasty and chocolatey and this time there's no mistaking the spicy heat of chilli on the back of the throat after each swallow. Interesting to say the least, but I found the body wanting, especially compared (however unfairly) to the Imperial stout the night before.

A commendable effort that gives us two decent beers and one really good one. A good, Irish imperial stout is perfectly timed for Christmas too.