The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone - More Brown Than Black IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark brown, and the head is really nice, a toasty browned-white thing, like a marshmallow that just briefly meets the flame. Lasts for the duration and leaves a lot of thick lace on the glass.

Super-potent nose, although the strength of the hops is so bright and clean that it nearly snuffs out all that dark malt. It's pretty much 100%, from what my nose can gather. Gives you the feeling that it's cleaning your brain spotless. Seriously, it's that bright.

Thankfully some grains come into the taste, even if they're burnt-tasting, full of char, giving off some smoke and all that. But that's the kind of beer this is supposed to be. And for all the super-green herbal/citrus peel hops that are just about glowing here, they play nice and mingle well with the malt. With a little warming and opening up, a raisin/plum kind of flavor enters into the mix. Astringent hop greenness/bitterness remains longest in the slightly coating finish. It's almost like sucking on a cannabis bud, although I wouldn't know (too busy setting those buds on fire).

Texturally it's smooth and slick, medium-bodied with a pleasant and gentle carbonation tingle/tickle.

Not familiar with The Alchemist, unfortunately, but knowing well the character of other brews by Ninkasi and Stone, I wouldn't expect a black (okay, brown) IPA from them that would be anything less intense than this. While it's not even the best of the American Black Ale style, it's definitely a very, very good one.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 23:30:48 | More by Metalmonk

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