Double Black - Saugatuck Brewing Company

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I always bet double black. I also never feel lucky. I think it's a coincidence. Anyway, this stuff pours a deep black-sienna topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, pine resin, dark chocolate, and a lingering sense of grapefruit rind. The taste brings in more of the same, with the grapefruit morphing into a sweet version of orange zest stretching out into a strong vein of counterpoint to the dry dark chocolate and relatively mild roasted malts. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a pretty smooth feel. Overall, a very nice black IPA, one that balances its usually conflicting halves rather well. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 04:03:48 | More by TMoney2591

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appearance: Black body with one finger light tan head.

Aroma: Nonspecific hop bitterness. Somewhere between piney, earthy, and citrusy. Not getting much from the malt.

Taste: I've only had a handful of American Black Ales but from my experience they tend to be pretty close in flavor to Black IPAs. Double Black is definitely it's own style. The charred malt and dark malt bitterness I was expecting is almost completely absent from the taste. Instead there is a smooth dark syrupy malt flavor that coasts along below the slightly bitter (50 IBU?) hop blend. For a double hopped ale I thought there would be much more hop flavor but it really doesn't lend much more than bitterness to the palate. Perhaps a bit of earth and citrus but that's about it. 8.2% ABV seems like a misprint because it is completely undetectable in the flavor. However, there is a slight warming in the throat after each sip which adds a nice element to the enjoyment. FInish is smooth. Aftertaste of moderate bitterness and dark malt.

Mouthfeel: Just below medium in body with average carbonation and easy drinkability.

Final Thoughts: If I was drinking this blind I'd think it was some sort of session Black IPA because the flavor lacks the depth of an 8.2% ABV ale. Still, it's nice to get to try a one time release no matter what the outcome. Would I drink it again? No.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:01:20 | More by JamesMN

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%

05-09-2013 01:15:57 | More by Hopheadjeffery

MichiganBrews

Michigan

4/5  rDev +9.3%

03-30-2013 00:14:55 | More by MichiganBrews

wtkphoto

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

02-13-2013 17:41:44 | More by wtkphoto

TCJosh

Michigan

4/5  rDev +9.3%

12-21-2012 17:53:37 | More by TCJosh

StoutHunter

Michigan

2.55/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I picked up a bottle of Saugatuck's Double Black from their Brewers Reserve Series for $2.29 at The Lager Mill. I'm a fan of Saugatuck Brewing Company and I'm down to try anything new that they put out, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12 bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- The label is pretty simple and it doesn't really stick out, but it isn't bad looking. It poured a very murky dark brown color that didn't really let any light come through and it had three fingers worth of fluffy darker tan head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and left lots of nice sticky lacing. This was a good looking beer, the head was really nice, but the color was a little off for the style, if it wasn't for that it would almost be perfect.

S- The aroma starts of with some sweet malts that impart some roasted, dark bread, slight brown sugar, slightly nutty, a little bit of chocolate, and a really light coffee aroma. The hops show up next and the impart some grassy and earthy aromas with a slight tobacco like aroma towards the end. The aroma was slightly above average, it wasn't bad. but it seemed a little muted and the hops weren't too complex.

T- The taste doesn't seem to be all that similar to the aroma and it starts off with a slightly higher amount of medium bitterness followed by some generic earthy and grassy hops flavors that don't have much character to them and impart much more bitterness then flavor. On the finish comes some more bitterness followed some light and watery grains and slightly roasted malt flavors that are a little bready and it had a bitter and earthy hops aftertaste. I didn't like the taste of this beer that much, the malt backbone was too weak and boring and the hops imparted bitterness but not much flavor.

M- Not that smooth, a little watery, a little sticky, on the lighter side of being medium bodied, with a good amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was a little below average, it just seemed to watery for the style and it could have been a little smoother.

Overall I didn't really like this beer and I thought that it was a below average example of the style, it seemed like it was going in the right direction till I got to the taste and it got really dull and watered down with a steady bitterness throughout and no good flavors to back up all that bitterness. This beer didn't have good drinkability, it wasn't that smooth and the taste couldn't hold my attention, one is enough for me, there's no way I would want to waste my time with another one. What I liked the most about this beer was the appearance, it looked nice, the head was really good and one of the best I have seen in this style. What I liked the least about this beer was the taste, it was pretty dull and thin, with nothing really grabbing my attention. I wouldn't buy this beer again it's my least favorite Black IPA, I wouldn't recommend it. All in all I was let down with this beer, usually at worst Saugatuck's beers are pretty solid but this one turned out to be a miss, it really didn't have the nice roasty and hoppy flavors that I expect from the style. So far this is one of my least favorite beers from Saugatuck. better luck next time guys.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 04:57:08 | More by StoutHunter

Supergenious

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

12-14-2012 05:40:17 | More by Supergenious

GRPunk

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a nonic pint. Brewery's Reserve Series. 8.2% ABV, 93 IBUs

A- Semi-aggressive pour creates a dense, rich, 2-1/2-finger, brown head. Near pitch body shows dark brown edges when held to the light. Head settles to a foamy, 1/2-finger and leaves equally foamy rings behind.

S- Hoppy at the crack of the cap. Very organic, grassy perhaps. Sweet malt backbone hints at brown sugar at first. Maybe some dark chocolate. Becomes more balanced as time goes on. A little coffee undertone? Hops turn leafy/tobacco-like. While complex, a little reserved as far as intensity.

T- 1st sip is pretty balanced. Hops up front, slightly grainy malts through the middle, more hops clean up the finish, though malts try to persist. Malts get some chocolate/coffee qualities. It stays fairly balanced throughout. Flavors amplify with warmth. Hops take on tobacco-leaf and maybe a little medicinal spice (pleasantly so).

M- nice and viscus. Moderate carbonation tries to keep up. Pleasantly creamy.

O- It's an easy drinker. While 8.2% ABV isn't huge, there's no hint of harsh fusels. With warmth it got really complex. Maybe a new style...Black Barleywine? Not the cheapest at about $2.50 a single. Maybe a nice treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 00:50:55 | More by GRPunk