Hop Strike Black IPA - Tommyknocker Brewery

Reaper16

Alabama

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

served on-tap at Egan's, Tuscaloosa, AL, into a pint glass

Pours a sort of cola brown. It is pretty dark but retains a hint of brown throughout. The dark body obscures any light or carbonation from being visible. The head on this pour sits at around a finger and a quarter. Off-white foam that appears to have the consistency of he heads on most nitro-tap stouts; very pudding-like.

Good mix of aromas coming out of Hop Strike. You've got some nice grapefruit and pine from the hops but you've also got brown malts and lots of delicate-yet-spicy rye malt flavor. This is a balanced IPA, content to let the hops provide a bitter backbone for the rye.

Taste follows the nose. Hoppy up front like a solid IPA, but it quickly becomes something more than that. Light milk chocolate flavors and bread crusts and, especially, the distinct taste of malted rye play off of the grapefruit lupulin base. This isn't exactly complex but it is certainly tasty.

While Hop Strike looked like a nitro-tap beer the mouthfeel proves that looks can be deceiving. A good, solid balance between thin body and just-right carbonation level makes for an enjoyable mouthfeel. Drinkability is similarly good. Hop Strike is tasty enough to drink multiples of; only the ABV of 7% might encourage you to session something else.

I've never been impressed with a Tommyknocker beer. Until now, that is. Hop Strike is Tommyknocker's dedication to the state of Alabama and its grassroots organization Free The Hops. FTH worked so hard to rescind the beer restriction laws and continues to work at getting AL up to speed legally with the rest of the craft beer world. That Tommyknocker created their best beer in honor of FTH's work is very cool.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 07:40:16 | More by Reaper16

jopezu

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-19-2013 21:36:47 | More by jopezu

BYOFB

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-04-2013 18:46:16 | More by BYOFB

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.06/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into an oversized tulip. Best by 4.1.13

A - Big tight tan head holds on for a long while. Not opaque but very dark. Nice amount of lacing.

S - Packed full of pine hops. Mild floral and citrus notes. Malt chimes in as smooth chocolate and biscuit.

T - Has strong malt presence. Creamy chocolate malt leads into a more spicy hop flavor midway. Bitterness is middle of the road in strength. Leaves my mouth with a semi-dry feel and a lingering spicy/piney hop flavor. Hides almost all signs of alcohol.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation, semi-dry.

O - This beer is loaded with aroma and flavor. I tend to gravitate towards Black IPAs that focus a little more on hops but I did enjoy this interpretation. The chocolate malts lended greatly to the smooth feel of this beer and held a nice profile of flavor. Great feel and is quite deceptive in strength.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 02:15:49 | More by Jparker37

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

04-20-2013 13:57:50 | More by pcsnyder

DragonzBreath

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

04-14-2013 17:28:54 | More by DragonzBreath

Hophead420

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

04-13-2013 07:22:22 | More by Hophead420

bacasnax

Florida

3/5  rDev -20.6%

04-01-2013 23:56:40 | More by bacasnax

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.14/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

BB 1/13. consumed 3/13.

A: Dark ice tea pour appears a very dark brown in the vessel. The head is thin, milky, weakly holding, and khaki in color. Lacing is spotty, spacious, small and uneventful. The coloring appeared more dark brown then black with some dark melot edges from lighting.

S: Floral hops on the nose, orchard and dry celery tones with a strength that is a bit underwhelming per style.

T: Flavor faired a bit better, roasty pine, soft burnt woodiness, dry coffee, dry citrus and toasted rye leaves a bit of lingering peppercorns and caraway behind. Chocolate coffee roast and some burnt caramel sweetness sneaks in.

M: A bit above average for the mouthful, average rate of carbonation, body leans on the lighter side of medium while there was a bit of chewy oat texture.

O: Overall an average rate of drinkability, some level of hop respectability, though the complexity was rather lax and laid back. A C+ feels about right here.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 00:14:59 | More by beerthulhu

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.91/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

It'd be pretty odd to strike a vein of hop cones whilst pickaxing through a mine shaft, eh? Anyway, this stuff pours a dark garnet-brown topped by a finger of glowing off-cream foam. The nose comprises toasted malts, pine sap, light molasses, and sour grapefruit rind. There's a strangely acrid quality in there, despite the thick pall of roasty sweetness up front. The taste continues this harsh dichotomy, stark proof that disagreements far too often lead to battles, rather than orchestrated discussion. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a generally unattractive and clashy black IPA, the two things you wanna avoid when brewing the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 00:12:26 | More by TMoney2591

Caleb

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-27-2013 04:59:09 | More by Caleb

fuzzcherry

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

03-23-2013 05:58:42 | More by fuzzcherry

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

03-13-2013 06:45:21 | More by Zachtheporter

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-09-2013 22:15:38 | More by spycow

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

03-03-2013 16:01:35 | More by t0rin0

klkatz

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

good dark cola coffee black... nice. (4.5)

taste (3) is MALTY... guess I'd expect more Rye - is this an IPA (where's the bitter?) - though seems traditional IPAs aren't bitter, just the American ones...

aroma is malty, smokey... yummy. 3.5

overall - I'd save this for the cold nights of Monday Night Football... late season games in december...

gets a pretty good rating from me... would bye if I saw on the shelf... well done.

Idaho? No... You da ho!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:14:13 | More by klkatz

ssimpson89

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-02-2013 21:04:11 | More by ssimpson89

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Magic Hat glass that the owner of Fox & Parrot gave me.

A: Almost pitch black, big mocha head.

S: Almost like a black and tan. Big dark malt component, followed by some hops. Pedestrian.

T: Same as the nose, only the roast won out by a nose.

M: Carbonation was fine, lotsa lacing.

O: Meh. Not a fan of the style overall, but I'm warming up to it base on entries by Stone and Firestone Walker. I'll pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:14:16 | More by Chaney

ZinFanDave

Georgia

3/5  rDev -20.6%

02-23-2013 01:13:07 | More by ZinFanDave

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

02-22-2013 03:28:58 | More by cliff1066

JMBSH

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

02-18-2013 04:37:12 | More by JMBSH

tswater

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5.8%

02-16-2013 03:45:55 | More by tswater

TheMcTwaten

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -14%

02-02-2013 05:10:51 | More by TheMcTwaten

mcphish22

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5.8%

02-02-2013 03:30:46 | More by mcphish22

Kunstman

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +5.8%

01-26-2013 05:58:43 | More by Kunstman