Widmer Brothers - Black IPA

Hey all - I hope Christmas/Hanukkah/Holidays is going well. I have decided that I'm going to post reviews twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday, so tune in then to check out new beers. I've got a review of a not so local brew and I'm going to finish the review of the 21st Amendment Allies Win the War. Here goes - Enjoy!

Beer: Pitch Black IPA
Brewery: Widmer Brothers (Portland, Oregon)
Brew: Black IPA (Amusing considering IPA stands for "India PALE Ale")
IBUs: 65
ABV: 6.5%

On pour the beer had a dark color - almost "pitch black" - with a thick creamy light-brown head and a nice citrus/pine aroma. As it is an IPA, the beer has a very light malt aroma, but it was mostly hidden by the strong hop smell.

With the first taste, the body of beer had a distinct lack of a malt backbone despite the color of the beer. A black IPA should have just a little bit more of a malty base. No so much as a porter or a stout, but more than its paler counterpart.

With a quick bitter bite and a nice dark malt flavor, the finish was perfectly in the middle - not too fast, not too slow.

Most definitely worth a try - a quality brew, but I would have preferred a stronger malt body.

Overall Rating: B+

Finally - After much deliberation amongst family-members and friends about the Allies Win the War brew, I have come to the conclusion that while definitely worth a try, I thought that the Ale was a little bit too sweet and thus my final rating for the beer is also a B+

See you on Saturday!