Black IPA - Brasserie Dunham

NForr

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Innis & Gunn tulip. Black thick pour with a huge three finger head. Aromas of floral hops, lots of it. Spicy. Roasted smells follow - coco, coffee.

The hops punches the palate with tons of bitterness; then an accompanying roasted malt taste. Some mocha flavors. Slight sweetness, also some fruit elements. I Really like this one, ...its only the second of the style that I've tasted and this is much better then the previous. The balance between the higher hop presence and the roasted attributes are perfect. This really feels like and stout and an IPA, combined. The mouthfeel is fantastic, carrying a chewy, full body that very smooth. Drinkability is high, I feel like
I could have plenty if these.

I believe this one is pretty new. This eastern townships brewery recently change their image, and the beers that they are producing. This is the first I've tried since the reboot and I'm pretty impressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:43:19 | More by NForr

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: A dense black body with a thick 3 finger light tan head. Bit of a cascading effect and the foam just drapes itself. As it empties, rings all the way down.

Smell: Fresh mango & melon right of the bat mixed with some milky coffee & mild roastedness. Hops are stronger but the dark malt holds its own, barely. Juicy fruit.

Taste: Roasted malt, bitter coffee hits first. The finish is quite citric. Raw grapefruit, like licking the inside of a grapefruit emptied of its fruit after taking a gulp of coffee. Lip smacking hops grab hold and never let go though as it warms, there comes a stronger coffee presence as well as some chocolate malt.

Mouthfeel: Bitter throughout though remains balanced and never over the top. Carbonation tad high but this throttles you from start to finish.

Overall: By my description, you might think this is a beast but its not. What it is is an intense, flavorful and drinkable black ale even thought the hops are stronger. My favorite bottled IPA in Quebec hands down and one of my favorites overall in the province.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 11:31:36 | More by papat444

flipper2gv

Quebec (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown/black color with nice voluminous and tan head. Good lacing. Fully translucent.

S: You get equal part stout and IPA. Nice amount of coffee, caramel, chocolate and toffee aromas followed by nice pine resins, tangerines and grapefruit zest. Nice smoke.

T: Follows the nose perfectly. The smoke is stronger though, very porter-ish but awesomely so. Again, blend of caramel, coffee, chocolate, toffee, pine resins, tangerines and grapefruit zest. Nice hop bite (rated at 95 IBU, it shows but not too aggressively so).

M: Nice medium feel with medium to low amount of carbonation.

O: One of the best tasting beer below 6% I ever had in my life. Tons of taste, superbly balanced, extremely easy to drink. Couldn't ask for more from the only brewery in all of Quebec that offers a Black IPA in bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 01:55:03 | More by flipper2gv

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

351mL bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours a black color with dark brown hues. Beautiful rocky head with a good retention and leaving a great lacing.

S - Excellent smell. Roasted, smoky malt is very noticeable up front but the IPA side catches up quickly with complex aromas. I pick out pine, grass, and resin. A nice malty sweetness lays down at the back.

T - Real malt boldness with chocolate and coffee. A hint of black liquorice makes the transition to hoppy flavors. Absolutely deliciously balanced!

M - Smooth, medium to full body, with an excellent carbonation.

O - Bold, robust, complex, that's a great surprise that combines a lot of hop without neglecting roasted malt flavours!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 14:52:51 | More by duracell

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle poured into tulip 9/8/12

A nearly black with dark cola edges, large light brown head is pretty dark and hangs on for quite a while and leaves lots of random lace, looks sexy

S tangerine, pineapple and grapefruit mix well with pine and the dark malts, coco and char come out as it warms, again very nice

T the tropical notes are a little toned down compared too the nose with more charred wood, pine and rind.

M has a nice bitter snap too it, creamy from the bubbles with a piny char aftertaste that lingers and just a little sticky on the lips

O bang on BIPA, nice balance of the dark malts and big ass hops. I could drink this one for a while without getting board and being below 6% I could have a few without falling over

thanks papat444 for sending me the bottle it was a great choice, I'd drink this on a regular basis if I could get it here

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 03:47:45 | More by wordemupg

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle

A - Dense black body, with thick light-mocha head. Lovely.

S - Heavy on the centennial. Some malt warmth to back it up.

T - Very nice. Good balance of malt/hop, medium carbonation gives way to the the centennial/chinook mix. Lingering bitter aftertaste that might turn off some, but I find pleasant. It is a black IPA.

M - Not too thin, on the denser side. Quite nice.

O - Great beer, well put together. I wish this were available more readily.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 21:19:07 | More by Beelzebeer

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.04/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

341ml bottle, another awesome trade from papat444. Merci, mon ami!

This beer pours a solid black, with very, very slight basal tan highlights, and three fingers of puffy, bubbly, tightly foamy beige head, which leaves some violent sea storm lace around the glass as it slowly sinks out of sight.

It smells of lightly roasted caramel malt, chalky cocoa, muddled tropical fruit, a tiny treacle sweetness, and some soft forest floor pine notes. The taste is fairly bitter grapefruit, tangerine, and pithy apple, toasted bready caramel malt, subtle dark chocolate, a twinge of simmering coffee, and charred pine forest (the good kind).

The carbonation is on the quiet, contemplative side, the body a decent medium weight, and tentatively smooth, the stout-borne essence taking a hit on the chin from the swirling hop edginess. It finishes off-dry, the roasted caramel malt, and ever-darkening chocolate contending well with the lingering bitter, fruity hops.

A balanced, well-rounded, and ultimately enjoyable ABA. Sometimes when things are simply good, there just ain't that much more to say. Or maybe the bottle was just gone too quickly. At any rate, try this if you can.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:40:49 | More by biboergosum

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Much thanks to BlogueDeBieres for this bottle

A - Pours like any black IPA should. A healthy tan head, a dark body. By looks, it's a dark porter or a stout. That is correct. Great lacing.

S - some roasted malt character which involves smoked meats, and a light and crisp hop profile which highlights citrusy aromas.

T - And just like it should, there is little to no evidence of its blackness on the tongue. It's crisp and citrusy, a bit dry and bitter, and a tough of roast. It's a nice tasting thing

M - Smooth and medium-bodied. Quite nice

O - this is a fine example of this style. It's a pretty good beer. I have enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:57:27 | More by ColdPoncho

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you papat444!

Appearance. Pours pretty darn black with two fingers of thick, dense and creamy tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

Smell. Nice citrusy hops, coffee, some sweet molasses and a bit of bitter dark chocolate and dark roasted malts.

Taste. Huge bitter citrus rinds and juice, mainly grapefruit. There's some bitter dark chocolate and coffee and a little bit of lightly smokey dark malts. Nice bitter, oily citrus rind and coffee finish

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium+ carbonation, slightly oily feeling.

Overall. Some big flavours in this one. A great, full flavoured black ipa.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:09:45 | More by Rutager

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours nearly pitch black, solid thumb of mocha head, solid retention and nice chunky lacing.

S - Nice cocoa and floral citrus hop presence, burnt toast and leafy greens on the finish.

T - Flavours are surprisingly strong with the floral hop profile dominating, nice cocoa and chocolate coming through on the finish. Incredibly well balanced and super easy drinking. A fantastic example of the style.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and surprisingly wet given the bitterness.

O - This brew is incredibly well balanced and would definitely be a go-to if this were available in my neck of the woods. Loads of flavour, well worth trying out and I'm super glad it was recommended via the BA forums!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 00:09:11 | More by andrenaline

Kacid

California

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: poured from a bottle into a short pint glass; no brewed on date

Appearance: nice dark, toffee coffee black color, creamy milk chocolate colored head with medium creamy lacing. The head dissipated rather quickly but the lacing is thick and remained stuck to the glass

Nose: Slightly medicinal; smokey, chocolate. Some weird funky
smell that I can't identify; however there is a strong fresh malty backbone, as if biting into a big mouthfull of freshly mashed chocolate malt (this may be the funky smell I could not identify earlier) – this is the predominant smell in the nose and offers a floral character to the beer

Flavour: coffee, chocolate, smoke, hops grassyness, acceptable balanced bitterness – hits you like dark chocolate. Could use more hops but the level is sufficiently acceptable to label as a black ipa. The alcohol pokes through a bit more than in other black ipas – especially considering the low alcohol (5.7 abv) when compared to other black ipas. Taste is floral (rather than citrusy) hops;
floral bitterness in the back of the tongue as well that doesnt bite as hard as the initial bitterness felt more at the fore-tongue
sweet dark chocolate with hints of dark berries

Overall: More often than not, especially with this type of beer style, which tries to immitate american floral or citric hoppiness, I must make an american comparison; Tastes like a lighter, less hoppy and less complex stone “sublimely self righteous.” I would say that for a Canadian or heck any production of a black IPA this is rather outstanding; it could use some improvement but it does a damn good job of capitalizing on this new style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 22:19:45 | More by Kacid

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a black color ale with a nice brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of deep roasted malt with notes of pretty powerful hops. Taste is a nice mix between some roasted malt with dry undertones and some black chocolate notes which are well balance against a bitter hoppy finish. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Another winner from this brewer who just keeps on surprising me.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 20:00:07 | More by Phyl21ca

Caudalie

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Spiegelau beer tasting glass, from 341 bottle. 95 IBU
centennial and chinook hops
Marris Oter and crystal malts

A: Deep black colour, with nice brown foamy head

S: Nice balance between the resin character from the hops, and the chocolate, beef broth and coffee aromas from the grains. Pretty intense

T: full bodied, intense, with a really bold chocolate dominant flavor on the attack. Then, it goes on the hop side, with a nice finale. Pretty long. Brutally bitter, in a nice way. Pretty dry, in a nice way too.

O: A nice beer, pretty intense, but with low alcool. This is still pretty heavy, but might be the best black IPA bottled in Quebec I'ev tried yet...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 06:40:24 | More by Caudalie

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Easily the best characteristic of this one. Very dark brown with thick and rich tan head with massive retention and lacing. Not sure if this is to style but it looks great.

S: Flowery hops, some pine and citrus. Well balanced hop profile. Nice bit of roast there too.

T: Quite impressed by this beer. Very tasty and balanced. Nice malty middle and pine dominate hop finish.

Mouthfeel: A bit thick and sticky for my tastes. Would be more refreshing if it left you dryer and cleaner.

Overall: This is a pretty good beer, and comparable to Flying Monkeys back IPA which I'd recommend as well. It would be interesting to do a side by side tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:02:37 | More by uno99

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with lots of thick foamy head. Roasted malt , and chocolate aroma. Big roasted taste, with decent citrus finish. Competent for the style. Above average mouthfeel and drinkability.Good roast, with some smoke.Not the best black IPA but something good and surprising.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 03:50:05 | More by northyorksammy

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.81/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: It has a nice almost jet black color to it. It has a nice thick creamy tan head that dies down slowly and leaves very nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of grassy and earthy hops with some coffee and roasted malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a that grassy, earthy bitterness but also a coffee bitterness along with some sweet roasted malts. Quite bitter and as I just read on the bottle, 95 IBUs.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel. Nice lingering bitterness.

Drinkability: It's a smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas. Not my favorite style but still a good Black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 21:16:24 | More by SebD

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle from Brouehaha for around 3$

Appearance - Dark brown colour with a large size frothy light brown head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops, malts, coffee, chocolate, and something odd/earthy/smokey. It ends with a malty/smokey/hoppy aftertaste.

Overall - Lots of crazy tastes going on here. I'm a big fan of the style an I have had a few of Dunhams other beers and this one has the same hop flavour as their other beers do. Unfortunately it doesn't work with the chocolate and roasted malt notes.

** had this again Dec 24 2012, much better - maybe I had a bad bottle previously. I've adjusted my previous rating.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 00:38:08 | More by spinrsx

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer is black and a vigorous pour results in a large tan head. Head is pretty solid and retention is very good.

Nice scent. Citrus hops with roasted malt. Some coffee and chocolate scents from the malt. Grapefruit from the hops. The juxtaposition is a bit rough and the two sides aren't super well integrated, but both are nice and overall it works.

Taste wise, however, the malt half is far too dominant. The roasted malt and coffee are quite strong, really obscuring the hops. The citrus is there but subdued. Would like to see more balance between the two.

High carbonation, medium bodied.

Overall, some nice flavours but not what I am looking for in a black IPA. Hops are just not prominent enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 01:47:28 | More by jrenihan

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is pretty rare style in Quebec... Glad I can try one.

The beer is black with lots of floaties. A little too much. Nice beige foamy head thrones on top of it. Dense and creamy looking head. Sticky too. The aroma is roasted malts with some chocolate or cacao. Some hops in the nose too. Piny. On the taste, its again roasted malts with a nice bitterness in the finish. Piny again. Some tropical fruits too. Medium body. Light carbonation. A nice black IPA

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 02:00:21 | More by ZorPrime