Otter Creek (Alpine) Black IPA - Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

TheSarge

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured this brew into a 12oz pilsner glass, and the brew makes a three finger thick milky brown head, with good retention. The body is black and opaque with reddish hues on the outsides of the glass.

The aroma is cola, coffee, dark chocolate, metallic, and mildly earthy.

Taste wise it's leaning more towards coffee, and a little subtle hint of dark chocolate.

Feels medium in body, and dry to the palate.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:17:09 | More by TheSarge

TubaManJack

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice beer that fills the session hoppy dark gap thats missing in the area. The nice bit of this beer is the balance that it has. The roasted malts are in line with the piney hops. The pair are very balanced and still allow you enjoy any thing you are eating. This also is a common beer that I bring to cook outs.

Where this beer tends to fall in the average category is the nose and appearance - nothing wrong it just doesn't really stand out enough to pour it out into a glass. It's the balance and tempered nature of the brew that keeps it in my rotation.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 00:46:07 | More by TubaManJack

brystmar

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A classic of the Black IPA style. Black & active with foamy, tan head. Piney aroma w/plenty of roasty malts. Wish the smell were stronger.

Nice blend of hops, roasted malt, malty sweetness, and hints of toffee. Medium bodied, mildly bitter finish. Glad they finally decided to brew this one year-round.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:34:23 | More by brystmar

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very unique smell. But first off pours a deeo hazy brown with a thin off white head. Resinous citric and earthy hops battle with deep roasted malts and coffee in the nostrils.

Moderate mouthfeel with decent carbonation. Chewy roasted malt upfront followed by citric and piney hops finishing with a bitter black coffee taste. A very complex brew.

The malt body is prominent enough to present some bold flavors while holding everything together just long enough to give the hops a moment to shine as well. Really gets your tongue thinking. Coffee, roasted barley, burnt toast, citric and flowery hops with a touch of pine. It's all there in one deep swell of a sip. Interesting and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 05:26:37 | More by jtierney89

Kyrgyzbrewer

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color – Deep brown. A great color. Starts with a nice yellowy lacy head

A- An interesting blend of hops and roasted notes.

Taste- A balanced flavor that starts with roasted notes and finishes with a grapefruity hop flavor.

Overall- This is the gold standard of black ipa’s as far as I am concerned. If you have never had a black ipa, this one will tell you what they are supposed to taste like. It is not merely an ipa in dark clothing. Instead it takes the hop and malt notes of a good ipa and combines them with the roasted notes of a good porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 01:50:14 | More by Kyrgyzbrewer

JunkYardJake

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle to pint glass.
Unlike some brews of this genre, this beer actually fits the style. It has good balance in the palate and doesn't seem like a hoppy stout or an IPA with added color. The nose is hop forward with subtle chocolate notes. The piney hops are countered with lighty roasted grain and really seems to all come together on the tongue. A nice suprise from OCB in a style that I typically shy away from. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 12:43:43 | More by JunkYardJake

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very nearly jet black, just lets a tiny bit of light through with mahogany highlights. Good-size, medium-dark tan that dimples as it settles. Keeps a ring and leaves pretty decent lace.

S: Darkly sweet (with a burnt edge) roast malts comes out just slightly on top of minty/leafy, pine, a& slightly dank hops with just a hint of rind. Neither is as pungent as I would like – especially the hops. And yet the hops come across as sort of old smelling. Cheesy hops?

T: Hoppier than nose, but still without a lot of up front pop. A firm (but not forward) underlying leafy, grassy, herbal & pine hops mix with a bit of dankness. Some citrus hints sputter in and out. Finish is sap & resin & pine. Blends alright with the dark roast malts. Initial scorched sugar sweetness with some toffee and a hint at nutty malts. Quickly goes darkly roast – hint of bittersweet cocoa – but mostly lots of roasty. Finish hints at a burnt edge – even tar & char. Pretty good, but hops seem somehow old.

M: Just a tad over medium body with nicely matched carbonation. Lots of dextrins and tannins. Expansive, chewy, & nearly creamy. Hops eventually take finish drying, but take a fair bit of time to do so. A very nice mouthfeel that makes it seem even bigger & richer.

D: Not as much hop brightness & vividness, but it does have bitterness and character. Similarly, it nails the roasty, but without the malty depth & roundness of some others. Hint more than enough of the right notes to be well within style. And it is rather tasty and drinkable. Good, but not special.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 00:22:50 | More by SickGnar

BigPlay1824

New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a perfect black like oil, pours with a finger of creamy mocha brown colored head that dissipates very rapidly and leaves
S: nice scent actually, citrus hops and a real nice malt character at the end
T: begins with the citrus hops then is backed down by the roasted deep malt character the lingers nicely on the palate
M: smooth and thin, pretty gentle carbonation, leaves the mouth just slightly dry
O: i was really impressed by this one, i find most black IPAs lack the IPA and are just focused on the deep malts, this one has a really nice balance and is really drinkable

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 23:18:16 | More by BigPlay1824

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a slick black, with a one inch light tan head, with beautiful lace, and good retention. Smell is, citrus, pine, chocolate, and toffee. Taste is very big, a big hit of coffee to go with all the flavors in the nose. Body is large for the ABV, lots of life, medium dry, and easy drinking. This is a very nice beer and $7.99 a six pack it is the best black Ila for the dollar I have seen.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 21:10:22 | More by SawDog505

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Eric for gifting me with one of these. Poured into a shaped pint glass, this brew dark brown in color with slightly more than 2 fingers worth of tan head. The cap is creamy in consistency composed of rather large bubbles that slowly fades leaving some webbing pattern of lace on the glass. When held to the light, some brown and reddish clarity is seen through the edges.

The aroma showcases immediate hoppy notes of pine and some herbal dank and grassy notes overtop of a roasty base. The roasted grain character imparts some notes of coffee, earth and tobacco. There is a little bit of mineral element throughout which does a decent job of blending the hoppy character into the roasted notes. A lot of offerings in this style offer up a fruity accent that really seems displaced to me. In this case, that is absent which I find enjoyable.

The taste is fresh and hoppy with an herbal component that blends to grassy and dank flavors. Very weedy tasting throughout with almost a cooling menthol flavor that is minty and unique. All of this flavoring resides inside the mouth before the underlying roasted grain bitterness picks up more of a presence. The grain imparts it's own unique bitterness tasting of char, earth and minor coffee suggestions. The linger aftertaste is mostly dank with herbs and a slight nod in the direction of pine flavoring.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. For 6% the alcohol is well integrated. For a style I normally dont totally get, this one was pretty enjoyable because of the balance of flavors and uniqueness. If I had to drink this style, I wouldn't mind having this again. If you really dig this style though, this is one to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 02:00:22 | More by stakem

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Black. Very little light seeps through this brew. It forms a nice white head which dissipates slowly over time to leave just a slight amount of lacing.

Smell – Some roasted aromas initially meet the nose. Coffee and some roasted barley/malt. This is quickly followed by some more citrusy hops.

Taste – A wonderful nutty, coffee, and a bit of cocoa hit the tastebuds first. This is quickly subdued by some more sweet maltiness of sweetened chocolate. The hops then enter and take over. Citrus and a tiny bit of pine. A strange taste transition, but very pleasing.

Mouthfeel – A good level of body and a nice level of carbonation both good for the more stout like body as well as the IPA like nature of the beer.

Overall - This is one good beer. The best of anything I have tried with Wolvers/otter creek and a beer that is excellent as a standard go to.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 02:06:34 | More by Darkmagus82

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottled on December 8, 2011

A: Decent retention and nice lacing.

S: Citric hops and some mild roastiness.

T: Citric and resinous hops at first, them a sweet, almost vanilla-like and slightly roasted flavor. Some herbal hop bitterness on the finish. More roasted malt than many American black ales.

M: Decently full for the style.

O: Not a style I love, but this is pretty good as they go.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:10:52 | More by greybeardloon

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Definitely a black beer, letting no light shine through. A fluffy and bubbly tan head sits on top with plenty of lacing stuck around the top of the glass. Good retention as it takes a good long while to shrink down to a patchy sheet. The hops are earthy and piney on the nose, sharp and letting the aromatics of the alpha acids go to work. Soft floral notes sit just under the sharper hop smells. Nice backing of dark roasted malts, but they are definitely outshined by the hops.

Coffee and rich dark roasted malts in front that are quickly overtaken by the same earthy, piney hops in the back. Even in the front and middle there is a light bitterness that is reminiscent of coffee and roasty malts, but there is definitely a breadiness to them as well that lets the hops do their thing. The roasted malts definitely add to the earthy feel of the beer however, so they go very well with the piney hops. The bitterness in the back of the palate isn't incredibly intense, but it is nicely balanced by the malt bill. The mouthfeel has a prickly quality in the middle that almost hides a watery feel, but not quite. It finishes on the dery side with just a hint of alcohol. The lingering aftertaste is a little bitter, but balanced as well, finishing the taste off rather nicely.

Not a bad little beer. It isn't intense by any stretch, but it has a nice balanced feel to it without forgetting its an IPA, making for a nice drinkability. I wouldn't turn one down.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 07:59:00 | More by chodinheaven

AgentZero

Illinois

1.7/5  rDev -56.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

A - Black beer with a tan head. Bottle was a slow gusher, not a good sign, particularly on a 12 oz bottle.

S - Might smell like a black IPA, if it didn't smell infected. There's some crystal malts, and some hops, but infection overwhelms.

T - Tastes infected. Fuzzy infection taste, some black IPA characteristics. Not going to drink much of this though.

M - Over carbonated, medium bodied.

O - Well, I'll re-review if I ever get a better bottle. The infection kills this one. It tastes bad, and that's why.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 23:49:35 | More by AgentZero

jifigz

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a pint glass.

This beer pours a nice black/dark, dark brown with a good off white head that lasted for a while. The smell is dominated by a faint earthy and light citrus hop aroma. There is a faint malt backbone in the aroma. The taste is smoky ad malty up front and then suddenly bitter but certainly not intensely bitter. The end flavors are a smooth mixture of hop bitterness and and creamy malt sweetness. The alcohol is mildly present throughout the flavor. The mouthfeel is slightly thicker and heavier than a more typical non-black IPA. The beer left nice lacing all over the glass throughout the drinking process.

Overall this beer is delicious. The flavors are mild and well blended but the citrus and bitter hop bite is certainly not covered up or overly subdued. A good beer and I would like to try more of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 15:45:02 | More by jifigz

billab914

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Red Hook glass. Black in color with a thin, frothy tan head. Nice head retention and lacing as I drank it.

The aroma has some juicy, citrus hops mixing with a bit of a chocolaty, slightly roasty flavor.

The taste shows more of a dry, roasty character mixing with some herbal, citrus rind bitterness. A little bit of a juicy hoppiness is there as well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little creamy. Overall it was a pretty solid beer of the style. The hops definitely stood out in it, but the roasted malts definitely were evident as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 21:08:17 | More by billab914

Jayli

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed 12/6
Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a rich, dark brown with a one finger of khaki, sudsy head. Head retains nicely leaving wispy lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is a nice blend of rich roast and charred notes and big citrus grapefruit notes.

T: Taste is dominated by hops in the forefront. Grapefruit and definite orange peel flavoring really hit the palate first. In the back end comes the roasted, charred notes with a hint of chocolate.

M: Lighter side of medium body, medium carbonation, slick and oily with a prickly feel in the back of the throat.

O: Goes down easy, tasty, not too filling, nice kick, very good representation of style.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 01:42:01 | More by Jayli

schoolboy

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's black and it's an ale, and we're in America drinking it. It's warm too. Why didn't I drink something cold?

It is a bit more smokey tasting than roasty. It looks good in a glass, with nice lacing, but pitch black. It has a unique but appropriate taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 01:21:24 | More by schoolboy

greenengineer

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

n.b. -Bottle does not say "Alpine"
12 oz bottle in my Paddy's Shillelagh Shuffle Pint Glass
A - Robust, thick head. Opaque black color. Looks darker in the glass than it did in the bottle
S- Not much there. faint wisps of hops and malt. You'd be hard pressed to say there's beer in the glass, if you couldn't see it.
T - malt and burnt malt taste, with a little hops bitterness on the finish. Slighty nutty taste stays with you.
M - good fizz, slightly sticky.
O - decent, wonder why they call it an IPA - I expected more hops. Instead it's closer to a porter, I think.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 19:36:09 | More by greenengineer

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Near black with some translucent dark brown showing around the edges. Creamy lasting head that leaves a wall of lacing.

Subdued aroma shows a bit of roasted grains and just a hint of the hop profile to come. Hops bursting with tropical fruit, a bit of citrus and some pine. A pretty big hop bitterness blends nicely, and is somewhat disguised by the roasty malt.

Good body and mouthfeel. Easy to drink. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:34:32 | More by CliffBrake

timtim

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottled 10-11-11, so just about 1.5mos. old. black (of course) with a tan head. attractive enough, but on to the good part... nose is a blast of pine that seems to mingle very well with dark chocolate, roasted malt and some sweet caramel/brown sugar notes. some citrus folded in as well. very nice. actually had the first one from the bottle at thanksgiving dinner, and the aromas were coming out of the neck something fierce. smuggled two home and tried again with a glass. taste exudes really good balance, and pulls off exactly what they were going for. a piney snow coating over dark malty flavors to create a new landscape. nicely intertwined citrusy fruit peeking out here and there as well. medium body with a slick and almost wet (if that makes sense) feel. no bad aftertastes, barely any heat, and pretty well defined (not muddy). not a hops smack, but a well-balanced and well done, easy drinking brew. choco-roasty-pine-fruit sends an impressive message from otter creek. more good things in store?

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 15:58:52 | More by timtim

bpw28

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: Three finger dirty white head, very deep brown on the sides and black in the center (Sides are about a 37 SRM, Middle is about a 40.), very nice lacing.

Smell: Citrus hops, Piney hops, light sweet dark fruits, black cherries, honey graham cracker, very light roasted coffee.

Taste: Solid roasted malt profile, light coffee undertones, doughy yeasty tail, citrus hops on the mid, pine on the tail. Amazing balance. Nothing shouts over each other. Chewy, full body. Hop bite isn't in your face, lets you know its there then backs off. Oddly, pretty clean for an black ipa.

Final Thoughts: Probably the best black IPA I've had so far. It's a simple black ipa, but its done totally right. Worth a buy for sure, I only got a single in a pick-a-six but I could get a full sixer and not be bored with this one. Very well put together, very nicely done. Will surely keep an eye out for Otter Creek in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 01:08:59 | More by bpw28

y2jrock60

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark black, very stout like, with an off white head that laces nicely.

S- A very light pine aroma that fades into malted roast.

T- Starts off very sweet then pine hop bitterness comes which fades into a nice roasted malt flavor. Very well balanced with a nice mixture of flavors that complement each other.

M- Medium-Heavy bodied with a fair amount of carbonation.

D- Could probably drink three of these before becoming overwhelmed by the hops like most IPAs.

Even though a Black IPA is an oxymoron, I still like this beer. It's very well balanced with a number a flavor profiles that complement each other. It contains the right amount of hops to be considered an IPA, but not too many which would take away from the roasted malt profile. I've seen a number of reviewers saying the roasted malt in this beer left a burnt taste in there mouth. This didn't occur to me, maybe they changed their recipe recently. I would definitely recommend this to someone who is craving a roasted malt beer and IPA at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 00:29:24 | More by y2jrock60

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a dark, dark, dark black; light does not escape this beer. A three finger tan, soapy head pillows down quite unevenly. It looks like the soap suds dying in a pot soaking in the sink.

Has an intense pine aroma, like a Christmas tree. Hop resin, peat, butterscotch liqueur and roasted malt are all present.

Black coffee, scotch, juniper, and molasses combine for a very flavorful beer. Despite all the intense hop aroma, however, this beer does not have much of a bitter bite. Rather, it is pretty smooth in its finish.

Medium bodied, this is a softer feeling beer than I was expecting, particularly given its smell.

Overall, I must admit to being pleasantly surprised. I thought the label art to be rather cheesy, and inferred that the brewing process was similary shortcutted. Instead, I find this to be an aromatic, tasty beer, which I would definitley have again. Still, thought, they've got to change this label, it looks like it was created with on-line clip art.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 02:37:05 | More by TheHoppiest

mttfrog13

New York

4.58/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

a = Black. You can't even see through this when put up to a light. Nice yellow/tan tint to the foam.

smell = earthy, malty, with a hoppy background note to the smell

taste = Tastes just like it smells but with a hint of fruitiness that I couldn't make out in the smell. This isn't a traditional "IPA" in the amount of hoppieness to the flavor. It is amazingly well balanced to be such a dark beer. Starts with an earthy maltiness and goes to a full flavor full of spices and a bit of fuitiness as it fills your mouth, and ends with the floral/hoppy notes at the end.

mouthfeel = smooth yet full bodied

overall = my favorite beer. If you drank this blind folded, you wouldn't know it was a black beer. This beer is the perfect example of how people generally move from lighter to darker beers as their palette becomes knowledgeable. To be honest, this is my first and only beer of this style (american black ale), and there may be others out there by different breweries that I would actually like more.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:33:58 | More by mttfrog13