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!

Why Beer?

UC Davis is not only home to one of the foremost experts on beer, Charles Bamforth, but its location gives the university and the people who live there a great opportunity to experience a vast selection of beer.

I had the great honor of taking his course, Introduction to Beer and Brewing, which taught me I knew nothing about beer other than what I liked. Ten weeks is not enough to learn much about the drink that Dr. Bamforth has dedicated his life and career to developing and promoting, but what I did learn was the level of passion, innovation and artistic thought that goes into every barrel.

Davis is a small university town located 15 miles southwest of Sacramento. Luckily for me and my fellow students there are many breweries within driving distance of our home. In town, there is the family-owned Sudwerk Brewery, just south of us is one of the Anheuser Busch facilities, to the north there is the world famous Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, in San Fransisco is the Anchor Brewing Company and finally in my home county of Sonoma there are many smaller breweries (Lagunitas, Bear Republic, Russian River to name a few).

So, why beer?

For me it's the sense of camaraderie that comes with sharing a good hoppy IPA with friends and how every beer has a unique flavor, a different set of characteristics that defines its personality. I like trying new things, and hopefully this blog will help other people do the same.

Feedback, suggestions and comments are always appreciated and welcome.  


Chris