Bodacious Black & Tan - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber pours a near-black color with a few highlights around the edges. Dense cap of brown head. Ok retention and nice lacing.

Nose is more IPA than stout. Lots of pine and citrus, fruit aromas galore. Stout is there with a little bit of roast, but really this smells just like a Black IPA.

Taste is definitely a nice blend of hoppy IPA and roasted stout. Lots of hop flavor and bitterness. This pretty much is a Black IPA. Extreme departure from a traditional Black & Tan…which is ok, cause it is a pretty tasty beer. But being a big fan of a good B&T, this one was actually a bit of a disappointment. Fun to try, but I don’t think I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 02:50:52 | More by twiggamortis420

FosterJM

California

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

935th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
22oz

2011

Purchased at On the rocks, Lawrence, KS

App- Looks solely like a good stout to me. Thick dark brown with an almost black pour. BORIS really comes out in this one. A good 1-1/2 finger of light tan head. Great cling lines all over the glass.

Smell- Much more good stout notes similar to the app. This had a bit of thick coffee with some burnt roast notes. I get touches of grain and oatmeal. None of the 67% of IPA really shines.

Taste- Again I get much more of the BORIS on this one. Thick and coffee notes with a little bit of grain. On each sip of the 2nd pour a little bit more of thick malty citrus seeps into the flavor but not much.

Mouth- A low to medium body with a low medium carbonation. Thick oats and malty grapefruit residual flavors develop.

Drink- For the 1st of the style it wasn't half bad. Seemingly one sided but I guess if I have more I have a good base of which to judge which way this will go.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 17:49:06 | More by FosterJM

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Dark tan/black, creamy 1/2 head and some nice lacing.

Smell - Hops, dark fruits, roasted malts, some coffee, chocolate, plum, some sugars,molasses and licorice.

Taste - Hops right up front at the start. Roasted malts and molasses comes in with some plum, raisin and licorice. Nice hint of coffee, expresso, and some chocolate. The hop and coffee really bitter this so the added molasses flavor is needed to sweet this up.

Mouthfeel - You get the bitter hop hit at first, then coated with bitter coffee but not overwhelming at all. Touge gets hops, malts, coffee, chocolate, and bittered. Palette gets some sweet fruits and coffee at the end. Aftertaste is bitter and thick but not long lasting and too strong.

Overall - I liked this alot. Its fun to drink since its two beers in one, I was plesantly surprized at the hop character it had, but it still had enough stout to it. Tasty and easy to drink, ill have this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:13:07 | More by wvsabbath

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

appearance: More black than tan (to be expected). Moderately handsome brew.
smell: Hmm, hops for sure despite the lesser allocation relative to the stout.
taste: As expected, hops and roasty stout. great balance.
overall: Nice tasty experience. Not sure i'll be back for much more but definitely the best black and tan i've ever had. Then again, not gonna mix HopSlam and FBS to try and best it.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 22:10:48 | More by cindyjeffsmith

JayS2629

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours almost black with red tints a creamy head, nice lacing, and good retention.

The aroma is of black coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, and citrus tang.

The front is of dark chocolate and coffee,caramel, and roasted malts which melt away for a dry, crisp, citrus finish of grapefruit and orange rind. Nicely balanced.

A bit thin, but overall smooth and easy to drink.

Very interesting balance and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 18:22:05 | More by JayS2629

cosmicevan

New York

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stumbled across this in a box earlier. Pretty sure it isn't the freshest. I vaguely remember picking this one up a while ago.

A - fairly dark with a reddish tint and a super thin head that vanished almostlinstantly hardly leaving a trace.

S - mostly roasted malt with a touch of ipa hopping in the background. Dark licorice, coffe icecream.

T - hey, that's not bad. Pretty decent blend, but leads with the stout, although mine is likely 'aged' - this would probably be best fresh.

M - somewhat thin and a tad watery.

O - overall not a bad beer, but one that I prob wouldn't make my go to. I am a much bigger fan of the different parts of this brew and would probably be more inclined to make my own mix. BORIS is no joke and pretty heavy, I might prefer a bit less BORIS in the mix.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 01:54:07 | More by cosmicevan

CaptCleveland

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber picked up from Hoppin' Frog brewery earlier today.
12 oz pour into pint glass.
Thin tan head sits atop opaque, black liquid. Minimal Belgian lacing. No particulate.
Initial aroma of coffee, caramel, earthy/grass and nuts. Faint hoppy citrus towards the end.
Smooth, creamy, medium body, with the roasted malt nicely balanced by the IPA hops. The alcohol is well hidden.
Decent combination of their IPA and Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 01:33:14 | More by CaptCleveland

erosier

Connecticut

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

L: Pours a deep black color with a short and thin tan colored head that leaves a little lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Smells of sweet roasted and deeper roasted malts with hints of chocolate and caramel and a hint of hops at the end of it.
T: Tastes of sweet roasted malts, deeper more burnt malts, hints of chocolate, caramel, a touch of coffee and then a nice crisp hoppy finish.
M: Crisper than expecting, perfect amount of carbonation, medium bodied, a little warmer than expecting too.
D: Overall this was a very drinkable black and tan, a nice mix of flavor and feel make it worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 10:50:58 | More by erosier

brystmar

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: black with a finger of tan head. How fitting! Mild to moderate lace adorns my glass.

S: silky & smooth chocolate malts dominate the nose. Floral hops are there too, but I'd say the mix is more 3:1 on stout :: IPA here (as opposed to the actual 2:1 IPA :: stout).

T: malts, hops, & sweetness join together for a nice initial blend. The stouty malts shine through more than anticipated (but pleasantly so) before finishing dry and hoppy with just the right amount of bitterness. Smooth and enjoyable.

M: big, full body; perfectly carbonated. To quote nearly every previous review I've written: give me a nitro version and I'm in heaven.

O: a nice blend of hops and roasted malts. I don't enjoy bitter beers (most IPAs), so I had some reservations about this brew. Hoppin' Frog shines once again with another solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 03:29:02 | More by brystmar

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: Molasses color, nearly black. with a deep red hue in thinner spots. The caramel IPA color comes out in the edge of the glass. A frothy tan head leaves generous lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: The stout controls the nose. Roasted malt, giving coffee and chocolate notes, along with citrus hoppiness.

Taste: Sweet chocolate, roasted malt and coffee to start. The coffee bitterness turns citrusy, with grapefruit and orange providing a mild hoppy flavor. The transition is ok, but the flavor really does not have enough zing to it.

Mouthfeel: This has a mostly stout mouthfeel. Fuller than medium, with tight carbonation. Slightly sticky.

Overall: Neither flavor is really that great, but the balance between stout and IPA is appropriate.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 02:01:44 | More by KickInTheChalice

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Pours a ruby tinged brown with a two finger creamy off-white head that recedes slowly leaving a little bit of residual lacing.

S. A lot like a Black IPA. Floral hops with some caramel sweetness and roasted bitterness.

T. Lots of floral hop character as well as obvious residual bitterness from a 60 min. hop addition. There's a bit of fruity sweetness as well, but it's not really a balance - very hop heavy.

M. Medium body with creamy carbonation that keeps the hops from overwhelming the palate.

D. I'm starting to get into Black IPAs more. I hadn't really thought about why someone thought of the style, but it seems like it might have been created to recreate the sensations of a black and tan.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 01:48:04 | More by BeerAndBourbon

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found my notebook I thought I lost! Reviewed from notes - tasted 3/3/2010. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Hoppin' Frog pint glass...

A - Pours just about completely black and opaque. A big frothy eggshell white/tan head forms about 2 fingers thick. Retention is quite nice.

S - Big floral hop aroma right up front. Fruity notes come with the floral notes and then the roasted malts come into play. But here, the hops really seem to take charge of the nose.

T - Hmmm. Interesting flavors mixing together. Roasted malts and some slight chocolate mixed with citrus and fruity hops. Not the best mixing I've ever had. The bitterness and sourness/citrus don't really feel like they are mixing too well together.

M - Smooth and silky mouthfeel but the roastiness and the hoppiness don't really get along too well on the palate. Carbonation is higher than expected.

O - While I appreciate what this beer is, I think the two beers mixed together are better served in their own bottles. Nice to try, but not my favorite offering from this great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 19:15:23 | More by KAP1356

WillCarrera

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a huge four fingers of creamy tan head that leaves excellent lacing.

S: Wow, definitely hops. Dominant aroma is a floral hop aroma with big juicy fruit notes. Roasted malt is also apparent in the background but is relatively subdued compared to the hops. Definitely smells like a blend of IPA and stout, I've never had a beer that really smelled like this before, very different.

T: From the outset it's a blend of stout and IPA flavors. Big citrus flavor from the hops, I'm thinking oranges. Malts provide chocolate and roasted flavors. The finish is dry with a strange roasted character, relatively astringent, as I'm progressing through the bomber the finish keeps getting sharper.

M: Medium body, creamy mouthfeel.

O: Pretty good, definitely interesting and different but probably not something I could drink all the time.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 08:43:36 | More by WillCarrera

Naugros

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

If this had been a straight up stout I would have given the appearance a 4, but the fact that this beer is twice as much IPA than stout and it still looks every bit like a stout, I had to give it a higher grade. Why? Well yes, I'm partial to stouts, but let's face it...stouts look nicer in the glass than an IPA. Also, the head retention is great on this one. When it does fall down (it took writing this paragraph more than once for that to occur) it stays at about 1/2" for quite a while and leaves behind some pretty lacing.

Holy Cow! This beer retains the best part of both stout and IPA in the nose. Roasts and chocolates really hit as BORIS makes its presence felt. To Heaven IPA is also in there, although in a lesser vein. You can easily differentiate between the bitterness thrown from the roasted malts and the bitterness thrown off from the hops.

And this is why we don't put assertive hops in stouts...they don't get along very well. It tastes as if someone squeezed a blood orange (citrus, bitter and sour) into my nonic of stout and now I'm looking around to find who I need to punch in the face for ruining my beer. Okay, "ruin" is pretty strong verbiage but there is a war going on between the roast and chocolate of the malts from the stout and the citrus (and herbal) bitterness of the hops from the IPA. Ever have one of those really fancy-ass alcoholic truffles from one of those over-priced hoity-toity chocolate shops? You know, the ones that make you think that people only say that they're great because they're embarrassed to admit they just spent $6 on one freaking piece of chocolate? It tastes like that. You get the different elements but you're wondering what evil mad scientist would put the two together and then make you put it in your mouth.

Again, I'm being a bit harsh...it's not all that horrible it's just not something I'm ever going to try again. A black and tan is a stout and a pale lager or ale. Neither has a strong hop presence...an IPA does. I do wonder if this would have been better if poured in a brew pub, floating the BORIS on top of the To Heaven.

The mouthfeel also benefits from the stout as it is really silky with a touch of graininess in the finish.

Even though I wasn't fond of this experience, I finished the beer concentrating on the BORIS portion in the glass. This wasn't that hard as BORIS was the bigger player despite being outnumbered two to one. It makes me wish I had a bottle of BORIS now.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 01:24:09 | More by Naugros

madvermin

California

3.38/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks again to Jesse13713 for sending me this beer. Loved the first Hoppin' Frog beer he sent, so I'm excited for this.

Pours opaque, jet black. Looks like the 33% stout was enough to kill all the color of the 67% IPA. Head is off-white, large and frothy. Great retention and good lacing too. The head looks like an IPA head which is cool. Great looking beer.

Roasted oaty nose to start, but tropical fruit does lurk in the background; it isn't too strong though. Wish there was more hoppiness in this, as I expect a blend of styles in all categories from a blended beer like this. Toasted malt is a bit nutty which helps offset the disappointing lack of hops. The nose as a whole though is very laid-back and weak.

Phew, thankfully taste has a lot more to offer. This is a very strongly flavored, punch-you-in-the-mouth beer; starts with some charred malt + resiny hops - can't say I've had this kind of combination before. Smoothy, slightly acidic oatmeal comes in next along with a citrus burst, which both go hand in hand. Finish is a hoppy bitterness and a burnt flavor that just might be a little too strong. Unique blend of tastes that I can appreciate, if not love.

Mouthfeel is similarly an exercise in extremes. The oatmeal earthy character and acidity is really nice, and goes well with citrusy hops in the middle, but the excessive burnt flavors don't combine great with the hoppy dry bitterness. Body is smooth, fluid, and crisp at least. Drinkability suffers due to the excess in everything, but the beer isn't tough to down over time. This is a tough style to judge, but this beer is probably a good representative of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 00:59:09 | More by madvermin

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this bottle up at City-Wide in South Bend, IN. Served in a wine glass.

Pours very dark, bordering on black with a good tan head. Nice retention and a bit of lacing is it goes down. The nose brings forward lots of roasted malt along with some mild piney hops. Touch of earthiness in the background. The flavor consists mostly of roasted malt with some mild bitterness coming through in the finish. A bit of an alcohol presence on the swallow as well. Pretty drinkable; probably the best bottled black & tan that I've had and worthy of the #1 slot here on BA.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 11:44:40 | More by Thorpe429

THECPJ

Delaware

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes:

Appearance: black with 2 finger mocha colored head

Smell: some hops, and sweet roasted malts

taste: bittering hops, roast

Mouthfeel: mild carbonation, smooth

Drinkability: a nice and complex black and tan. enjoyed.

Cheers,

The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 21:07:29 | More by THECPJ

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up fresh from the brewery itself earlier today.

Appearance - Three fingers of whipped, frothy head sits atop an opaque black beer. Fairly impressive lacing. The head has a nice chocolaty brown color to it. Average carbonation is present, as looking closely; you can see slight air bubbles rising to the surface.

Smell - Hints of both stout-like and IPA smells; as the name hints at. Slight bitter hops on the nose with coffee beans lingering in the background. A very faint chocolate as well. Slightly malty with hints of caramel.

Taste - A smooth, chocolaty start with a bitter IPA finish. The hops on the finish are the perfect amount of bitter and are absolutely delicious. Slightly malty and smokey. There are large hints of chocolate in the gulp-feel at certain times.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability - Very smooth and delicious. The 33% B.O.R.I.S Oatmeal-Imperial stout presents itself boldly at times and it seems like it is actually a higher percentage than stated. The bitterness on this beer is perfectly balanced and the best 'bitter' taste I've ever experienced. I have not had very many black and tans before, but this one was by far the best.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 18:31:52 | More by Jesse13713

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From notes:

Pours pitch black and almost completely opaque with faint mahogany edges when held to a light source and a two finger frothy, coffee colored head. Good retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves splotches of lacing behind.

Roasted chocolate malt aroma with hints of toast, caramel and hazelnut as well as some earthy, floral and citrus hops.

Medium bodied that is pretty hop forward with hints of earthy pine and sweet citrus flavor. Slightly bitter and floral but balanced by roasted chocolate malt, licorice, hazelnut and toffee. This beer is aggressively hopped and seems more like a black IPA up front with hops that linger throughout into a dry finish. Slightly smokey toward the end of the palate with hints of licorice and roasted malt. Slightly sweet dry finish. Weird!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 05:08:21 | More by corby112

scottfrie

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into North Coast Old Rasputin nonic pint glass. Big thanks to the generous BA who sent me this as an extra (sorry I can't remember who you are).

A: Pours an extremely dark brown, almost black with a big, thick, dark brown head that slowly faded into a thick oily head that left sticky lacing down the glass. Great head retention.
S: I can definitely smell the IPA this is made with, but there are some roasted stout undertones balancing it out as well. Hoppy and roasted.
T: Tastes like a black and tan. I get hoppy notes from the IPA and a sort of chewy roasted marshmallow flavor from the stout. Overall the flavors are a bit astringent and sharp though. I'm not sure what it is. Finish reminds me of marshmallows toasted over a fire, and the aftertaste is a combination of leafy, roasted and bitter.
M: Like I said, the mouthfeel is a tad off, sharp and tingly rather. Carbonation is ample and prickly over the medium-slick body.
D: Not a bad beer overall but not something I'd like to drink everyday. I think half of the reason people like black and tans is for the ascetic appearance of the two beers being layered. This just tastes like a hoppy stout. A great and unique stab at the "style" though. I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 04:56:08 | More by scottfrie

Brabander

Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer at the Kulminator when i was there last friday. One of the American BA's offered this one.

Very dark fluid with no head at all. A bit coffeelike and also the hops floating trough your mouth.

It is a mix of 67 percent IPA and the rest is stout. Daring combination!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 21:09:20 | More by Brabander

Cyberkedi

Georgia

5/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Aroma is strongly hoppy, with a background of smoky, oily mocha and hints of charred wood and brown sugar. It pours a lovely dark-chocolate brown with a VERY thick light tan head that hands around for a bit and leaves some substantial lacing. Flavor has the hoppiness and grapefruit hint of a good IPA, and the roast quality coffee, unsweet chocolate and molasses tones of a good stout. The disparate flavors do not fight, but complement each other very nicely. It has hints of both hoppy bitterness and molasses sweetness that are nicely balanced. Texture is smooth and tingly, leaving behind both subtle hop bitterness and a whisper of sweetness, as well as a fairly persistent fizz. The stout and IPA elements are all very good, and the mixture of 2/3 IPA and 1/3 stout makes them balance very well. I love both stouts and IPAs, and this beer has the best of both worlds. Bodacious indeed!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 02:53:35 | More by Cyberkedi

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So the black and tans I've had were made with Guinness or some porter and Bass Ale. The clear distinction between the two made this beer stand out. Now the mixing of the two is interesting, but I still like the separate levels with black on top and tan down below. Oh well....

Pours a dark ruby almost black topped with a nice, medium-dense, off-tan head.

Yup, quite a blend of IPA and Stout here in the aroma. Dark malts and chocolate, some coffee and toffee. Fights hard with the pine, wet grass aromas from the hops. This reminds me of a campfire in mid-summer roasting some s'mores...without the smoke.

And the taste follows the nose. Roasted malt and slightly burnt caramel are on one side and the pine, earth and some mild citrus are on the other in battle for flavor dominance. In the end, none of them win and the balance is quite nice.

Although, the strong bite at the finish pretty much wipes out any residual roasty malt-ness. Overall a very nice beer. Perhaps this is a black IPA?

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 05:30:07 | More by Mebuzzard

nickd717

California

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber from Wegman's in Princeton in 2009 (catching up on ticking notes).

Dark brown in color with a medium brown creamy head and decent lacing.

Aroma of roast, coffee, and piney hops.

Flavor is chocolate, coffee, sweet and roasted malt, piney hops, and slight fruit.

Full body with a rather smooth palate and a nice long finish.

Probably the best pre-mixed black & tan I've had, but the mix is not really as good as the sum of its parts in my opinion. Still good though.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 00:07:59 | More by nickd717

Spider889

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I finally am getting around to this review. I lost my notes from the first bottle I had, which was by far the best. I've since had this several more times. Listed as a Black and Tan, two threads Hoppin' to Heaven IPA, one thread B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout. 65 IBU's.

Appearance: Black, thick pour, with little head unless you do a fairly tall and vigorous pour. When done thusly, you get a one finger head of dark dark frothy chocolate and mahogany. Decent lace and a small ring of bubbles ring the beer all the way down.

Smell: Hops! Bold, fresh piney hops. Grassy and floral, the hops dominate the smell. There's a faint sweet maltiness married with light roasted coffee, but you have to work pretty hard for it. (With a less fresh version you get much more stout in the nose).

Taste: Bold, bitter hops prickle the tongue immediately. This is followed by a malty dryness and some nice roasted character. There's bitter chocolate and toasted bread notes.

Mouthfeel: Moderately carbonated, smooth but prickly and bitter. Finishes very dry and you definitely can taste the alcohol.

Drinkability: I keep coming back to this one. It's never been the same as my first Black and Tan from eariler this year, but I think I've worked out why...

My first HF Black and Tan was bought at a local beer/wine shop and I have a large suspicion that this may have sat on the shelves for a decent amount of time (several months at least). I can't say for certain because HF does not date their bottles. But the first bomber I had was very dark and roasted - it tasted like a hoppy B.O.R.I.S. which was sublime.

My second tasting was a day after I bought some bottles direct from the brewery, so I knew they were fresh. That bottle was super hoppy, and I got very very little of the B.O.R.I.S. character.

This third bomber was also bought on the same day from the brewery, but I've held onto it for a month and a half to try and let the hops mellow a little. It's worked, but still wasn't long enough to return the beer to what I fell in love with.

Final notes: However you drink this, it's a great beer, and likely the best Black and Tan that's commercially brewed you'll ever find. If you like a super hoppy and bitter beer, drink it fresh and it's a perfect Black IPA flavor-wise. If you prefer to get more of the B.O.R.I.S. flavors, then age this beer a few months to mellow the hops enough that they don't quash all the wonderful stoutness. This is how I prefer this beer...

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 02:20:03 | More by Spider889