Komodo Dragon Fly Black IPA - Upland Brewing Company

gtgood

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well, I'm not sure if this is a "black IPA" or a "black ale" or whatever... and I frankly don't care. It's a very tasty brew and definitely one of the best I've had from Upland.

Poured it into a mug and got a nice, thick head. Both the head and the beer are surprisingly dark. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought it was a stout from looking at it. After tasting it, I find it's deceptively light and smooth, but packs a lot of dry, roasted flavor--quite bitter, but with a hint of sweetness around the edges, much like dark chocolate. It has quite the hoppy finish--thus the "IPA" in the name, I'm assuming. Personally, I think it tastes a lot like a porter, albeit a really, really dry one.

It's something of an odd beer, but there's no denying its drinkability and all-around deliciousness. Will certainly drink more of this in the future.

Serving type: growler

02-23-2011 23:14:12 | More by gtgood

iuhophead87

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip from a growler purchased at the Upland tasting room in Broadripple .

A- Interesting! If I didn't pour it from the growler myself, I would swear that this beer was a stout. A very dark brown/black body with a tan head. It does leave small amounts of sediment on the side of the glass when swirled around.
S- The sent is very roasty and coffee like with subtle hints of earthy hops. I sure am glad that the hop smell does come through the roasted malt scent. After all, I'm about to drink an IPA.
T- At first taste, my taste buds were very confused. The malty burnt chocolate hits your first. Then the hops jump in and make you remember you are drinking an IPA. Although the citrus hop flavor does come through in the end, the burnt chocolate flavor is dominant.
MF- This strange concoction is a little lighter in the mouth than it appears in the glass. The hops do give enough bitterness that leaves your mouth a little dry wanting more.
D- I am a little confused by this beer. It is easier to drink than a stout, but not as refreshing as a standard IPA. The alcohol is hidden by all of the burnt earthy flavors. I will continue drinking this beer, but don't know how many I would want in a row.

I do enjoy the creativity, but it is lacking a little something. I wish there would have been more of a hop flavor to this beer. I am a huge fan of Upland and wish they would have been around when I was a student down in Bloomington. I think I was just expecting something different with this one. Overall a great beer, just not what I was expecting. I know I will drink this beer again in the future, but is not something that I will go out of my way just to have.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2010 20:38:29 | More by iuhophead87

KFBR392

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hits all the points a black IPA should. On the medium bodied side on the pour that created a decent head, about a half a finger. Low amount of lacing left on glass.

Smell: Dark burnt malt. Dark chocolate, complex hops, with a lot of toffee on the front. The hops mix very well with the darker accents which create a very pleasant aroma.

Taste: Chalky malt on the front of this brew. An interesting sweetness in the body of the brew quickly pops up then is buried under some heavy hop bitterness. The finish is medium dry with a seemingly lacking character on the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, on the lower end. Goes down easily.

Overall: A pretty solid brew from Indiana. Has the feel of a smaller brewery but at the same time is something very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:07:33 | More by KFBR392

DAllspaw

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very deep black with 1/2 inch mocha head whic doesn't last long. certainly the darkest of the style I've had but that's the nice, so I'm giving high marks, it's black. Fairly oily and viscous in the swirl, much more like a stout. Not much in the aroma, perhaps since bottled in November, but a bit of dank and pine, no citrus at all.

very pronounced chocolate malt and heavy roasted taste, with a nice IPA like bitter finish. Reminds me more of hoppy stout like Victory Storm King. would like to try fresh, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 00:23:34 | More by DAllspaw

arthuro11

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours very dark for a black IPA, leaves very nice lacing. The smell is decent, taste is very good but leaves a burned aftertaste that may be perfect for some but strong in my book. Not as much hop in the smell or taste as roasted malt, but still plenty hoppy. I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 06:03:40 | More by arthuro11

barczar

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black with minimal garnet highlights and a solid deep tan head that dissipates slowly, leaving lines of lacing.

Roast malt, coffee, and dank hops form the initial aroma, with earthy notes dominating.

Hops become more floral and citrusy in the flavor, still dank, with a backbone of heavily roasted malt and coffee extending into the finish, which is fairly coffee-bitter and dry. Notes of resin and fresh cut grass emerge, along with dark chocolate.

Body is moderate, with carbonation on the low side. There's significant hop astringency at the finish.

Black ipas usually suffer the same fate as this brew. Extreme can be great, in both malt and hop flavor...if the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The flavors just don't jive in this case.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 20:38:50 | More by barczar

secondtooth

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice one, here. I dig the cool artwork (a winged Komodo dragon). Pours black as pitch, with a gorgeous lattice-work of lacing.

First off, the nose is roasty, with a hint of fruity hops. Nice.

Flavor is a wonderful mesh of dark, roasted maltiness with a tangy, hoppy zing. A really ideal black IPA, and one that I'll return to.

Wish Upland would make this one a year-rounder, as I prefer it to their regular Dragonfly IPA. In fact, this is my favorite Upland brew thus far.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 19:52:49 | More by secondtooth

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.73/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from tasting notes.

Poured out a dark brown so dark it almost passes for black until you hold it up to the light. Two fingers of tan head stick around for about a minute and a half, leaving some mild lacing behind in their wake. The nose has an intense roasty charred character that almost overpowers the grassy green bouquet of hops. Honestly I was expecting more citrus hopping in the nose, but no, herbal and mint is what I got. However, there is a subdued citric hop aspect hiding behind the herbal maelstrom on the palate... but all of these things are almost smothered by how out of balance the charred blackened malt presence is, as it crushes everything in its path. It came across to me as more of an out-of-balance stout than a Black IPA, unfortunately. Medium body and carbonation levels.

In summary, way too much charred / burnt malt relative to the hopping for my personal preferences. But if you're into that sort of thing, than don't let my opinion stop you from giving it a try. You just might like it better than I did.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 21:57:16 | More by WastingFreetime

RunForYourBeer

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 11/1/11, Reviewed 1/4/12

A: Black with a thin tan head.

S: Pine and grapefruit hops with hints of coffee and dark chocolate.

T: Starts with some initial grapefruit/piney hops then gets some caramel malt. Finish is more of the hops with some dark chocolate and coffee.

M: Medium with Medium carbonation.

O: Solid. Black IPAs are interesting but in a good way.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 00:53:26 | More by RunForYourBeer

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12Oz poured into a Guinness Pint

A- Pours black as night with a finger and a half of a brown head. It looks like a big stout. Beautiful stuff. Somewhat oily on the edges of the glass
S- Very sugary. Lots of sweet caramel malts. Piney and floral hops are all over the place. Good amounts of coffee. This is what I want and expect in a black IPA.
T- This beer hits me with a 50/50 balance of dark coffee malts and a piney hop character at the same time. Espresso and floral hops.
M- This is a pretty big beer as you would expect. It leaves your mouth slightly dry and sticky. Aftertaste is dark chocolate and some bitterness. Pretty easy to go down but very filling at the same time.
O- This beer is excellent and relatively cheap, Maybe im just a sucker for black IPA's but this is a great beer. Will definitely be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:58:48 | More by TwelveOunces

tykees88

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Nice dark brown to black brew. It's got a java colored 2 finger head a little rocky. Great lacing.

S- Smells like earthy hops and roasted chocolate. A little coffee aroma as well.

T- Taste more like a hoppy light stout. But isn't that what this style is anyways? I like this alot though. Roasted flavor profile with a nice hoppy finish. Very chocolatey.

M- Medium bodied. Could do a little lighter on the body and alcohol and that would be great.

O- Overall I really enjoyed this beer and am happy that I picked this one up. I tend to stay away from upland because I find most of their offerings average to mediocre anymore. But this one is worth another visit.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 16:18:44 | More by tykees88

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I stole this one from the brother's fridge. Shhh....

A: Poured a pitch black, with a head that was only a shade lighter than the liquid below it.

S: More dark malt than citrus, very mild on the hop front, and very stout-like.

T: Some bitter lingering, and this reminded me of a low octane "Storm King": Hoppy stout with IPA tendencies.

M: Somewhat grainy in texture, with tons of lacing, and a good carbonation bill.

O: I though this was more of a hoppy stout than a black IPA. Decent...

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 04:10:30 | More by Chaney

pixieskid

France

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this as an extra in a recent trade; bottled Oct. of last year...

Pour is a solid black with a nice redish/brown head; half an inch or so.
Nose; roasted malts, a bit of chocolate, some citrus hop notes.
Taste; very roasty, rich dark chocolate, zesty herbal hops, a hint of citrus, and a lingering earthy/mineral note in the finish.
Overall; damn impressive for almost a year and a half old...fresh, this thing would probably be the quintessential example for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 05:54:21 | More by pixieskid

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pitch black and completely opaque when held to the light, perfect for what I look for in the style. Big dark tan head with small bubbles that leaves a little bit of lacing down the glass.

S - A good amount of piney/citrus hops. Some burnt dark chocolate notes(maybe roasted barley)but a great focus on hop smell. I find this to be a great mix of malt and hops. It is just malty enough but is dominated by it's great American hops. As the beer warmed, the roasted barley became bigger and bigger.

T - Some chocolate malts right up front that transition well into a great spicy piney hop flavor. With a medium amount of bitterness.

M - light to medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Finishes pretty dry.

O - I thought this was a great balance of malt to hop for the style. I ejnjoyed this IBA more than I've enjoyed others.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 00:51:46 | More by Jparker37

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

black with a nice tight and compact head of tan that seems to come up around an inch or so before settling back down to earth and coming through with a nice medium layer of lacing around the sides, fairly impressed. aroma is hops, dark roasted malts, a touch of burnt brown sugar, hints of licorice and a touch of dark fruits as it warms, very complex. flavor follows suit nicely, albeit not as strong, but still very nicely done. rich dark malts and piney hops blend together with a deep roasted flavor

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 14:32:07 | More by mikesgroove

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to davidpietruszka for the sweet extra. Bottled October 2010.

Pours a thin, very dark brown, almost black, with a big dense medium-tan head. Great head retention and lacing. A thin layer of foam persists throughout.

Smells primarily of very dark roasted malts. Some char and bitter chocolate, combined with a faint hit of citrusy hop. Nice.

Taste is excellent - more bitter chocolate, the same background of faint citrus. It's got the dark roast of a stout, with the gentle hoppiness of an IPA - just what this style of beer, whatever you call it, should be. Finish is lightly bitter; the big wave passes quickly, but a thin tail hangs on for a long time.

Body is medium-light, carbonation maybe a little lower than I'd like. But just fine.

A really solid beer. I suspect the hop presence is even better when it's fresh. One of the better black IPAs I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 01:16:54 | More by zeledonia

cwguy5

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Brew date is 10/10. Sampled on 8/23. Poured into Foothills "pilsner"

A - poured opaque black with a thick, foamy, light brown, 2 finger head that settled to a fairly thick cap; left significant clumps of lacing; light sediment in the bottom of glass
S - smelled lots of dark malts, roast; some faint aromatic hops; light sweetness of herbal honey
T - tastes a lot like it smells - dark malt, roast, honey all present; semi dry overall; some bittering hops during the drying finish; not much alcohol present
M - pleasant thickness for style; a bit coating with good carbonation after the head finally died down; very smooth up front with long pleasant bitter linger with dark chocolate touches
D - i would definitely like to try this fresh, it is almost a year old; however it is very balanced still and overall a great drink; very easy going down with smooth mouthfeel; i assume there would be more piney, resinous hops or at least a larger presence of hops when fresh; want to try again

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 03:29:25 | More by cwguy5

Tone

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 5/4 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of citrus and dry hops, roasted malt, hint of sweet malt, and hint of coffee. Fits the style of an American Black Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of dry hop, hint of citrus hops, slight sweet malt, and hint of roasted malt. Overall, good appearance, blend, and body.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 17:25:12 | More by Tone

GPHarris

Alabama

4.45/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a - poured a three-fingers thick coffee-colored, dense, fluffy head into a snifter. the head was long-lasting and left thick sheeting and nice lacing throughout. the body was dark black.
s - roasted coffee with some piney hops. as it warms the coffee sweetness really comes through.
t - piney hops and burnt coffee malts. the hops come through more as it warms. opposite of the aroma which really balances this one nicely.
m - very bubbly at first but smooths out.
o - very nice and this is incredibly similar to a homebrew ABA i have done. overall this one is more malty and roasty than hoppy but there are enough hops to satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 15:27:00 | More by GPHarris

bluejacket74

Ohio

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle, bottled in December 2010 so I know it's not exactly fresh. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with an inch frothy tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. At this point, the aroma seems more like a slightly hoppy porter now, not that it's a bad thing. The brew smells like roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and some piney hops. The hops do come out a little more in the taste. It tastes like pine hops, roasted and burnt/charred malt, chocolate and coffee. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit sticky with moderate carbonation. I think it's a good brew, although I would like to try a fresher bottle of this in the future. Definitely worth trying, I liked it.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 23:17:45 | More by bluejacket74

chugalug06

Colorado

3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours very black with a nice taupe head. Head is quite soapy. Brew is very thick, like oil. Very modest head stick to glass, not quite lacing.

S - Very sweet scent... Almost smells like liquid soap... Not quite sure what to think about this one... Roasty, chocolate, and caramel. Very nutty.

T - Very sweet, but in a dark chocolate kind of way... The brew is quite unique. There's some roasty malts in this brew for sure... Lots of pine too. Not quite sure this brew fits the black IPA (ale) style.

M - Very uniquely bitter. Not your typical IPA bitterness, but more of a Stout's bitterness. Moderately carbonated, but slightly over done. Very think body with dry feeling.

O - Not quite my speed, but I could certainly see why others would love this brew. A good brew, but I'm not going to go out of my way to find another... A good brew in a great trade thank you Another6Pack!

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 12:03:14 | More by chugalug06

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The color is an opaque dark brown. It has a thick, frothy, tan head.

It smells more like a porter than a black ipa. It's heavy on the burnt malts with a touch of chocolate. There's a hint of pine.

It also tastes much more like a porter than a black ipa. The burnt malt dominates the flavor along with coffee and chocolate. The pine and ever-so-faint citrus adds a nice finishing touch.

The mouthfeel is much too heavy for the style, but still pleasant. Carbonation is just right.

Overall, I liked this beer but would have enjoyed it more if I was in the mood for a porter. It has a pleasant balance of malt and hops and good flavor, but is too malt heavy for even a black ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 02:44:26 | More by Vonerichs

drizzam

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled December 2010.

A - Opaque black body topped by a thick one finger dark tan head. Decent head retention and a nice veil of lacing down the inside of my nonic.

S - Dark roasted malt mixes with subtle hop aromas that present themselves in the form of grapefruit and pineapple. There also seems to be just the slightest hint of coffee and chocolate floating around in there. This is a very delicious smelling brew!

T & M - The aroma did not betray the tastebuds. A healthy dose of hops play with that same dark roasted malt I smelled earlier. The hops seem a bit more earthy tasting than what I expected, and the citrus takes a bit of a backseat. More pine than pineapple I think. Coffee appears toward the back end and finishes this treat with a sort of drying ending. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

D - This is an excellent representation of the style, and a damn fine brew from Upland. If it was sold in my area, I would certainly keep a sixer stocked.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 00:01:18 | More by drizzam

hoosier3334

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

After drinking this, I can officially say that I am a black ipa fan. The maltiness shows up and holds its ground vs. the hops, but ultimately the hops do prevail. What ends up coming through is a nice hop bite with a smooth malt flow, which ends up being a great brew in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 17:23:33 | More by hoosier3334

wnh

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottled October 2010, reviewed 1/7/2011.

Pours a thick black with the faintest brown highlights, topped by a large, undulating deep tan frothy head.

At first whiff the nose is spot on for an Irish-style dry stout--flinty roasted barley, earthy cocoa powder, a bit of evergreen, caramel richness underneath--but when I search for it I find a good dose of slightly pungent and citrussy American C-hops that brighten the beer up a fair bit.

Somewhat confusing on the palate. Dominating, as in the nose, is a host of Irish dry stout characteristics: flinty grain, earthy chocolate, caramel; but lacks the creamy mouthfeel I expect to accompany those flavors. And, again as in the nose, there is added a seemingly out-of-place citrus zest/juice note.

Medium bodied, slightly thickened, moderately firm. A bit drying. Perhaps just a bit nutty and astringent. A good beer, if a gimmick. Really--and this is my general opinion of all so-called black IPAs--I fail to see how this isn't just a stout with a unique hop profile (which, it should be said, is largely drowned out by the stout notes).

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 19:19:24 | More by wnh