Otter Creek Black IPA - Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

Brewsky29

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours out black with an inch of tan head.

Smell is of roasted malts.

The taste is good more roasted malts and some bitterness in there.

It is smooth light carbonation.

Overall nice beer not as good as other black ipa's. The taste is a little off for the style more stout or porter like. Still a good beer though.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 00:44:22 | More by Brewsky29

TheRougeBastard

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Having a small yet growing appreciation for the Black IPA's, I came across the Otter Creek Brewing (OCB) edition while "making" a six-pack for the weekend. First taste was actually a little rough as the hops actually flew out of the bottle and assaulted my poor taste buds. Drinking straight from the bottle, about a quarter of the way in, the taste softened a bit (or my tongue was numbed) either way, the OCB was evolving into a very drinkable beverage. Not quite sure what the aftertaste reminds me of but it is pleasant and does not leave the harsh wash some IPAs do. I imagine it would go well with a peppered cheese snack if you’re into that kind of thing. Overall, an above-average entry and one I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy again!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:14:14 | More by TheRougeBastard

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewery. I found this beer to be inferior to the Alpine Black IPA; none of the servers could tell me what the difference was besides “probably different hops.” That seems accurate but this current iteration also had an odd mouthfeel; slightly thick and syrupy, with lowish carbonation that left the beer feeling slightly oily and lacking crispness.

Looks the part; black body; small tan head that settled quickly, patchy lacing. Aroma is quite roasty and bitter, with coffee notes and lots of floral hops. Taste follows the nose; aggressive roasted bitterness, coffee, floral and to a lesser extent, piney hop flavors.

I felt like this beer showed the less appealing side of the “Black” IPA; overly bitter, almost burnt tasting, with slightly harsh hops, and the mouthfeel that was a little off. Pretty middling, unfortunately. I was definitely a fan of the Alpine Black and something went amiss here (perhaps a bad batch?).

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2012 13:38:29 | More by tobelerone

Bung

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. An excellent looking beverage out of the bottle, basic black with a near 2 finger tan head.

Aroma, pretty evenly balanced roast and pine/floral hops.

Taste, pine and citrus up front, roast malt. Not overly bitter. Kind of a citrus roast coffee finish. Bitter roast lingers a bit.

Just to the right if light bodied. Drinks easy enough. I'd call this a pretty good middle of the road for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 01:30:59 | More by Bung

tdm168

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - black with a half an inch of brown, soft head that fades quickly

S - faint lemon peel and citrus over roasted malt aromas

T - faint chocolate, roasted malts, a hint of coffee, citrusy hops with a faintly bitter finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a decent Black IPA. It's malt forward but there's an obviously heavy hop presence. The hops are a bit at odds with the malt however. The malt is bitter and roasty and the hops are citrusy. A bit of balance would be nice. I wouldn't turn this down. but I won't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 01:05:03 | More by tdm168

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Pours a black color with slight reddish hue. Thick foamy brown head and lasts the entire drink. Smells of roasted malts and hops; slight citrus.
Smooth mouthfeel. Not very heavy or bitter.
Taste is of roasted malts and slight hops. Taste like a mix between a porter, brown, and pale ale.
Its not bad at all, but I'm not jumping out of my seat.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:10:09 | More by DrinkSlurm

brewtus

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- pours jet black with a single finger light tan head that doesn't stick around much

S- smell is hoppy,piney, smokey, some sweet dark fruits.

T/m- starts with a dry smokey flavor that opens up to a little bit of hop bitterness. It tastes pretty dry. There's a nice coffee taste to it too.

O- this was enjoyable but bit super complex you decide whether that's good or bad but I liked it. Definately worth a try, but not the BIPA I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:29:31 | More by brewtus

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into tulip.

A - Pitch black in color with a 2" tan head.

S - Pine, citrus hops mixed with sweet roasted malt.

T - Lots of sweet malt up front, followed by a subtle piney hop flavor. Ends with a pleasant roasty, almost coffee-esque flavor.

M - Smooth, medium bodied, dry finish. Some bitterness from the hops but not much.

D - The hoppy nose was rather deceiving, as the roasted malt was dominant all the way through. But it's still an enjoyable brew, and highly drinkable. I haven't tried many black IPAs but this one leaves a good impression of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:54:57 | More by mooseo

irvan

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a six-pack at Tri-Boro Beverage in Astoria.

A - Nice brown two-finger head, subsided quickly, small-bubble lace. Very deep brown, almost black

S - Strong caramel, coffee, almost porter-like, subtle hop aroma

T - The porter flavors come through strong, with lingering roasted dark malt, toasted grains, a bit of caramel. Pleasant, balanced, but definitely would not label this an IPA. Some bitterness, but not as much as expected.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, a little chewy

O - Enjoyable enough, pleasing balance, but more a lighter-bodied porter than anything else. Would buy again if I was in the mood for a darker session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 00:00:35 | More by irvan

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Otter Creek : Black IPA

Pours a dark brown, blackish color. Off white mocha foam forms and leaves a sheet of lace. Aroma of herbal hops, pine and coffee. In the taste, bitter, earthy hops, unsweetened coffee, charcoal, and caramel. Bitterness is at an IPA level, with a nice one-two punch of hops and malt. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and moderately carbonated. Overall, a prety nice black IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 04:44:55 | More by Stinkypuss

sayyad

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Overall: I thought this was a very well balanced, toasty and pleasant beginner IPA. None of the characteristic features were overly accentuated.

Appearance: Greyish brown head with a thin small-bubble lace. Pitch black color.

Smell: Toasted grains, a little bit of sweet malt, and piney hops. Overall pleasant but light smell.

Taste: Toasty nuts and grains really come through. The classic IPA bitterness is very indistinct and hence provides an opportunity for improvement.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation and thickness of the liquid is well balanced. This feature is a plus for drinkability. The lack of bitterness would make this IPA along with its texture a good match for a lighter flavored food pairing than the usual IPA recommendations.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:47:19 | More by sayyad

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-dark brown black color with a nice big tan head and great lacing

S-roasted malt with some hoppy aroma and slight herbal notes

T-dark roasted malt, coffee, charcoal, mild hop bitterness and finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-a decent drinking beer, but needs better balance asmalt dominates more than I would like

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 23:46:52 | More by MDDMD

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Not to be confused with their "Alpine Black IPA," which is now retired.

Into a pint glass:

A: black body with a quick dissipating tan/off white less than a half finger head, lacing graces the pint glass with some rings around it with a bit of spottiness as it goes down

S: hops up front, coffee coming through fairly strong in a roasty sort of way, light smokiness coming through once it starts warming

T: bittersweet through the hops and coffee, some pine in the back of it, and balanced

M: medium with nothing harsh on the tongue, balanced, dry and bitter aftertaste and finish

O: this is good for its style and great to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:06:20 | More by kangarooAdam59

chinchill

South Carolina

3.74/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle; code may indicate Sept. 2012 bottling.
A: Pours clear, very deep and dark mahogany in color, looking almost black in the glass. There’s a very short-lived tan head that reduces to some very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. A bit of spotty lacing is left on the glass. Some sediment in the bottom of the bottle (mostly added to the pour).

Aroma: Very dark roasted malts and fruity/earthy hops fight for dominance. Hints of chocolate, charcoal, peat, and citrus fruit: Complex but, like most black IPAs, lacks integration and finesse.

T: Loads of dark and very dark roasted malts with a trace of smoke. Hints of dark chocolate, pine, grapefruit, caramel malt, and bitter chocolate. Mild bitterness ramps up a bit, but is well controlled, in the finish. A rather pleasant smokey-earthy-grapefruit aftertastes lingers on and on, with hops and dark malts in good balance.

M: Medium+ body and carbonation. Clean with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: A tasty black IPA featuring more darkly roasted malts, yet with only a limited and quite acceptable burnt quality. Rich and moderately complex, this is a very big beer for 6% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 21:58:24 | More by chinchill

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.74/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured chilled in ribbed ale glass

A: solid black; one-finger head; avg carb action
S: sweet molasses, oak; pepper; borders on porter aroma
T: semisweet chocolate, roasted barley; nicely hopped to give it complexity; booze is hidden well

Not a bad black IPA

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:41:46 | More by Arithmeticus

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up in Totowa last week as this was the only Otter Creek offering in stock that I hadn't tried yet. While this wasn't memorable, it was a decent example of the style and probably the most easygoing Black Ale/Black IPA that I've rated, as this almost reminded me of an Irish Dry Stout.

Of course, the pour was dark to this to the point of just a few shades away from being black. The head was tan, somewhat large, and quick to dissipate. Not a lot of lacing here and the nose was of a smoky, burnt feeling with some pepperjack cheese thrown in for good measure. The roasted aspect took hold in the taste, backed up with lots of malt and a creamy mouthfeel. The aftertaste was somewhat weak with just a bit of earthy and metallic hops and stickiness to it, but nothing too heavy or strong or boozy.

This had a slight kick to it but nothing that would knock anyone over. Even though I only bought one bottle, I could probably down a few of these at once, since this was quite drinkable. I like beers of this style to be a bit more bold since this is a groundbreaking category of sorts but anyone who has never tried something of this nature before would be well versed to start with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 20:32:18 | More by JerzDevl2000

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass- pours a dark black with a two finger mocha head. Beautiful lacing and nice retention.

Smell: dark malts, maybe a little coffee, and a nice little scent of hops.

Tastes to me like a hoppy porter not a "black IPA". Roasted dark malt, a little chocolate, and a nice dose of piney hops but not quite enough to really make it an IPA.

Mouthfeel is good- medium body, kinda thick, moderate carbonation. Definitely would get again- but again tastes more like a porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 02:32:38 | More by Hopdaemon39

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz beer was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a huge mocha head that reduced to a thin layer and left some nice lacing on the glass. It is a pitch black color with no clarity or bubbles seen coming up through the glass.

Smell: roasted, chocolate, and Smokey malts. Some piney and citrus hops in there too.

Taste: Same as above. The malts are the dominant flavor on the palate with the hops bringing up the rear. Some lingering bitterness in the end from the ash, smoke, and hops.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, medium carbonation, and a little bitterness.

Overall: Pretty nice black ale. Will look for more of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 18:07:11 | More by Flounder57

neenerzig

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a very dark brown/black color. The tan head is about an inch thick when poured, before settling to a nice surface coating about 1/4 inch thick and a nice thick ring lining the inside of the glass. Good head retention with decent lace. Aromas of sweet roasted malt and floral, earthy hops. The taste is the same, a good sweet, caramel malt presence upfront, followed by nice earthy and floral hop undertones. The beer really balances as it sits and warms up. No one flavor dominates, which could be considered a flaw since with IPAs and off shoots of IPAs the hoppy, more bitter flavors should, to some degree, have some dominance over the sweeter more malt based flavors. A good beer otherwise. Has a nice smooth, frothy, creamy, slightly crisp moutffeel that really coats the palate. Easy to drink in a good way. A good beer all around, but certainly not the best representation of what this style is suppossed to be.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 04:17:26 | More by neenerzig

Guden

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Jet black with no light shining through. An off white creamy head fades into some big bubbles.

S- Lots of strong smells: charred wood, licorice, alcohol, medicinal/tape, and a bit of caramel.

T- Not nearly as complex as the nose, but the medicinal off flavor also doesn't carry over. Starts off with a bit of hops and caramel, which gives way to woody bitterness and a touch of roasted coffee flavor.

M- A medium bodied with some carbonation, not quite IPA characteristics but I like this in a black IPA.

O- This is a touch roastier and a touch lower in hop aroma and flavor than I would have liked but all around this is a nice black IPA. A style I enjoy and one of the better ones in the style that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 00:07:45 | More by Guden

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a black color with a half finger head nice lacing.

S: Roasted malts, smoke, slightly sweet and a little hoppy. A little subdued.

T: Smokey and slightly hoppy. A little coffee flavor hidden in there as well.

M: Medium bodied with decent carbonation. Pretty smooth.

O: Not bad at all. It's a little less complex than the Black IPA's I really like, but I'm very glad I tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 00:52:19 | More by nUgZ

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Dead black IPA. One of the darkest IPAs we've reviewed. Decent head. Hoppy IPA aroma. Hoppy, chocolate, toasted caramel notes in taste. Mix a porter and an IPA. If you love IPA and wish it was darker this is the beer for you. Really strikes as a dark pale ale or IPA. Would go great with a cannoli or a sweet dessert. Would definitely not work historically, however is a great dark variety.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 06:06:38 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Mr Goodbar in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Off White Thick Head, Great Lacing

S: Milk Chocolate, Mild Floral, Mild Coffee

T: Black Bread, Mild Chocolate, Mild Coffee

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Dry, Mildly Bitter,

Overall, a decent Black IPA with a nice smoothe mildly bitter aftertaste, drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2012 04:16:18 | More by merc7186

HopNelius

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served out of 12oz bottle and into Irish pint glass.
Appearance- jet black, medium carbonation, small head, some lacing.
Smell- dark malt, notes of burnt coffee and grapefruit.
Taste- notes of coffee followed by stronger notes of grapefruit. Hops and malt are well balanced.
Overall- solid beer, not the best black ipa but worth a taste. I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:18:37 | More by HopNelius

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ba Review #160
Served On: 04/29/2012
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 6.0%
Date/ Code: 3116101411

This was from a 24-bottle case I bought at Self Serve Beverage in York, PA - on sale for $19.99!

Look: The pour was black color with a nice creamy tan head. The sticky lacing was evident almost immediately. The head stuck around for the duration.

Smell: Aroma was a roasted herbal note with hops being predominant. Some juniper mixed with a slight toffee scent.

Taste: First was an almost dairy quality mixed with a gradual hop bouquet. The middle had a nice earthy bitterness that certainly justified the IPA component. The finish consisted of juniper berries and more bitterness.

In conclusion this is a solid Black Ale. There were many similarities to the 2011 Sierra Nevada Beer Camp#16 Juniper Black Ale which was almost a 4.0 rating in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 20:26:27 | More by CraftBeerTastic