Raven - Thornbridge Brewery

beerdrifter

Germany

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Deep dark brown-black pour with just a touch of red. Huge three finger caramel-colored head with good retention and decent lacing. The nose is hugely aromatic and one of the best smelling Black IPA's I've had. Tons of roasty malt and piney hops with hints of grapefruit, tobacco, espresso, and chocolate. The taste is over the top and spot on to what a Black IPA should be. Perfect balance between the piney, citrusy, juicy hops and the chocolaty roasted malts. The Nelson Sauvin hops really shine and make this big, bold beer even bigger. Hints of grapefruit, pine, mocha, and espresso with just a touch of vinous notes. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and chewy with a bit of creaminess and a great tangy, bitter hop finish. And with a 6.6 ABV, I could drink this all night long! Black IPA's are currently my favorite style, and this is either one or two on my list. Never thought Sublimely could be challenged, but Thornbridge has done it once again!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 17:06:57 | More by beerdrifter

Chrily

Norway

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

05-16-2013 12:29:12 | More by Chrily

SimonTja

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-11-2013 19:21:21 | More by SimonTja

Mattias

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

04-27-2013 20:32:21 | More by Mattias

John_Henry

Japan

4.19/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a lovely dark colour with a solid light brown head that is retained well leaving good lacing. The hops come threw on the nose, but not half as much as on the pallet. I'd guess NZ hops which have a great tang to them without being too bitter.

Listed as a black IPA, which is a great style, this could however equally be listed as a hoppy porter. Either way a great bear well worth hunting out.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:13:14 | More by John_Henry

Hultkrantz

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

04-05-2013 01:55:06 | More by Hultkrantz

jooj8

Slovenia

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

03-05-2013 19:16:56 | More by jooj8

innominat

Ireland

3/5  rDev -26.1%

03-04-2013 14:09:06 | More by innominat

chefduff2

New York

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

02-10-2013 03:52:58 | More by chefduff2

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

01-31-2013 18:40:23 | More by Bouleboubier

Iztok

Slovenia

4/5  rDev -1.5%

01-30-2013 22:12:52 | More by Iztok

Tone

Missouri

3.99/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, brown color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of hops, slight sweet malt, hint of citrus (grapefruit?), and hint of caramel malt. Fits the style of an American Black Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hops, pine, citrus, floral hops, hint of grass, and hint of roasted malt. Overall, good appearance, blend, body, and complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 20:52:20 | More by Tone

RandyKemka

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

01-11-2013 22:06:03 | More by RandyKemka

Goobastic

New York

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

01-11-2013 22:03:43 | More by Goobastic

sendbeer

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

12-25-2012 21:44:01 | More by sendbeer

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

12-04-2012 15:37:01 | More by CwrwAmByth

rolive

4.75/5  rDev +17%

12-03-2012 00:32:40 | More by rolive

eriktoyra

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown liquid with thick and creamy off-white head. The head lasts long.

S: The smell is dominated by an intense citrus tone, almost like it is fabricated. Citrus detergents in fact. I can also find leather, flowery hops, Earl Grey tea and dark roasted malts.

T: It tastes Earl Grey tea, flowery hops and lots of citrus. There is also some leather and coffee towards the middle and bitter grapefruit peel at the end.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation.

O: The citrus tones in this one is very, very dominant. Worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 19:15:59 | More by eriktoyra

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.36/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

With an UK-brewed black IPA history seems to be reverting itself except that Americans are colonizing England this time.

Decants dark brown with garnet hue topped by stable light-tan head with lots of
sticky lacing on the sides.

Pungent citrusy and resinous hop-aroma is backed by dark malt character i.e. biscuity, caramel and chocolate qualities. Besides citrus-yielding Sorachi and Centennial hops a distinctive black gooseberry aroma of Nelson Sauvin can be picked up, with all three hop-varieties being advertised on the label.

Mouthfeel is smooth like that of a porter while grapefruity-resinous hop flavor mingles with roast till the dry finish featuring both hop bitterness and tanninic notes of roasted malt.

Light-medium bodied with moderate yet fine carbonation.

Overall, a very good fruity-roasted-resinous Cascadian Ale that tends to remain closer to an IPA rather than to a Porter or Stout and that's precisely as it should be. (500 ml bottle into tulip, BB 2013-04-10)

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 20:30:33 | More by crnipeter

samEBC

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

10-01-2012 19:56:26 | More by samEBC

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

09-29-2012 18:31:54 | More by JAHMUR

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this thanks to an offering from Ty at Craft in Reno. Jet black, tan head, .8" in depth. Aroma was mild hops, miniscule roast, tobacco, ash.

Taste was a more bitter than usual English black ale, biscuity, high carbonation, probably leaned more grapefruit than pine in the flavor. Was actually pretty complex. High amount of toffee flavors. Nice tang smack to it. Seems to have a meld of old and new school hops. A relatively dry mouthfeel, something I don't normally associate with all the different and sometimes competing flavors to this beer. Any fruit flavors associated with this beyond grapefruit, seem to be overstated. I'm just not finding them.

Definitely a better than average black ale, this one really puts all the usual suspects from an ipa and a porter together. I think it works well, even if not really something I could drink a few of during a game on the telie.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 15:58:56 | More by Beerandraiderfan

bark

Sweden

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The clear liquid is black with a brown edge (100 EBC). The two finger head is pale brown. It sinks slowly leaving lots of lacing.

The smell is hoppy and quite bitter with some roasted notes and dry coffee. Alcohol is present, as is citric hints and a touch of resin.

The taste is both bitter and roasted. Hints of orange peels, grapefruit, plums and a touch of coconut. Roasted nuts, mild notes of coffee and dark chocolate. Medium to full body. The aftertaste got a lingering smooth bitterness, green fruits/berries, cream and a mild clean sweetness. The finish got notes of hops and coffee plus some warming alcohol.

The carbonation is mild to medium, the many bubbles smooth and small. The liquid is a bit dry.

I have had a few black IPAs the last years, but I felt that I just didn’t “get” the style as they basically were either were over-hopped stouts or IPAs with a pinch of black malt. The results were never balanced nor very interesting. But with this one, I begin to understand the concept. And a damn tasty beer, too.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 17:23:01 | More by bark

Lovely85

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

07-07-2012 02:08:34 | More by Lovely85

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev -1.5%

07-07-2012 02:07:14 | More by nickfl