O'Dark:30 Cascadian Dark Ale - Oakshire Brewing

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

draft at Collins Pub on a visit with Old Man Collins, straight off the airplane and post-Salumi

a: served in a standard pint glass, approaching black in color with a solid mocha head

s: woody coffee and dry cocoa roasts mesh well with a moderate citrusy hop nose, seems to hit all the right notes to start things off

m: carbonation around moderate, dry and lively on the palate while at the same time off-loading lots of flavor

t: nice range of dark roasted flavors - dry cocoa, coffee, wood - balanced well with an assertion of citrus and pine hops, deeply flavored but not overbearing, a nice bitterness hits midway and lingers long with deep roast

o: a favorite of the cda’s I’ve had the pleasure to try, full of character and well crafted

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2013 03:14:10 | More by blackie

srhoadsy

Florida

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served chilled in a fluted tulip.

Pours an extremely dark brown with ruby highlights and an inch plus light tan head that quickly recedes leaving an even surface layer with moderate to heavy lacing.

Strong floral and pine aromas with some smoke in the background.

Very bitter with an immediate ashy, smoky character, more than the aroma indicates. Follows with strong pine and grassy flavors.

Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a lingering aftertaste.

Overall I liked this beer. It was like a smoked IPA, smokier in flavor than most CDAs I've had. Not for everbody, but very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:57:16 | More by srhoadsy

Hoptometrist

Oregon

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

Served from a growler into a becker glass

A- Poured very dark with some red hues shining through. It has a very compact off-white head made of tons of medium sized bubbles. The head on this beer is unlike anything I ever ever seen.

S- Huge floral, leafy, and earthy hop character and roasted malt. Some fruity notes

T- Dominant roasted and burnt malt character up front and overall an incredibly bitter beer.Some floral, leafy, and very light tropical fruit hop character. Most of the hop character is the middle to the finish.

M-Very dry, pretty high carbonation, medium body

O- Much more hop character in the aroma than in taste but tons of bitterness. One of the most bitter beers I have had recently.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2013 02:31:42 | More by Hoptometrist

Brad007

Vermont

3.31/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown with a huge brown head into my glass. It's dark but not TOO dark.

Muted hop character matches the style. Just a touch of citrus and pine in the nose. I was expecting more here.

Flavor is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Chewy malt with citrusy/piney hop resin in the middle.

Lingering hop bitterness makes up the mouthfeel. I know it's not the best way to word things but I expected something snappier.

Worth a try. Honestly, you can do much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:15:16 | More by Brad007

BradMacMullin

Massachusetts

3.41/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at Brix Tavern in Portland. It wasa great dark pitch black look, with little carbonation. Tasted malty with a lot of roasted flavors. Expecting a small bit of hops, but I got very little. This left me wanting more. The black IPA always has me wanting more. This was a lukewarm beer, not terrible, but not worth having again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 01:17:28 | More by BradMacMullin

harrymel

Washington

3.14/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled: unk

Black with a solid fine quilt of light tan foam. Smells of resin, pine, molasses, coffee and some cocoa. Maybe a touch of soil as well. Taste is burnt malts, bitter hops, some resin, some cat piss, a dab of weed and some hay. Medium bodied with lighter carb than anticipated, with a dry finish (pretty par for the style). This is nothing special - seems in line with the style in the PNW for the black ones.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:37:55 | More by harrymel

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap into a standard pint at my moms restaurant after work.

A: opaque black with a little light getting in at the bottom shows a pretty solid brown. A decent cap of almond head (because I pour an excellent pint) a nice ring of foam remains and it is leaving some lacing.

S: very much an IPA, lots of northwest hops on the nose. The black malt adds a bit of a burnt bitter smell too. Bit of citrus but mostly grassy floral hops.

T: hardly any malt flavor except a bit of black malt burniness. Good amount of grassy floral hops. Not as much citrus (which was light on the nose too). It follows nose exactly.

M: pretty light actually I would say on the heavy end of light. the carbonation is pretty slight almost undercarbonated actually.

O: I like this beer. The black malt adds something that I think IPA are missing in general and the hop flavor is a palate whomper like some IPA are. But it is nothing to write home about.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 01:53:36 | More by N3rdM3t4l

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

It smelled like a regular ipa and it tasted a bit flat, the ipa needed more flavor and it leaves a bitter flavor at the end. It looked very promising in the look but was average for a black ipa. it tasted just like regular ipa i had higher expectations for a black ipa expected more hops and taste even for it to be maltier and creamier.
overall i would say pass on this beer

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 18:28:02 | More by chicagoanbeerone

beertunes

Washington

2.7/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in straight pint glass. Poured an almost solid black color, with less than a half-inch of creamy head that had the typical nitrogen retention and lacing.

The aroma featured mostly the roasted notes that so many brewers make the mistake of letting dominate the profile in this style. There was a bit of tangy hop scent hiding behind the roast. The flavors were very subdued upfront, featured some hops in the middle and strong roasted notes in the back end. There was a sharp bitterness that lingered for a while on the back of the tongue. If this hadn't been a nitro pour, I suspect that those bitter aspects would have made this beer very unenjoyable.

The body was smooth, even and balanced, pretty typical for nitro beer. That bitter, burnt even, roasted finish really hurt the drinkability a lot. Overall, a slightly below average of the style (which, admittedly, is not one of my favorites). Probably worth trying if you see it, but not worth going out of your way for.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-06-2012 01:52:27 | More by beertunes

flagmantho

Washington

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: very dark brown hue with a fair amount of ruby when held up to the light. Head pours 3 thick fingers of frothy tan foam; inconvenient but good-looking.

Smell: light roastiness with a sweet malt highlighting a spicy, vegetal hoppiness. It actually comes together quite well, in my opinion.

Taste: light roastiness with an interesting collection of hop flavors. Starting with citrus, it morphs into a light spiciness and then into a bitey, bitter finish. I rather like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body without a good carbonation or creaminess. Not bad, but I feel like this beer's bubbles all came out in foam and didn't stick around to make for a pleasing feel.

Overall: a good looking and tasting beer, it's not exactly a thirst quencher. I would have this again, but I don't think I would make it my go-to beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 22:44:25 | More by flagmantho

GordonofSeattle

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: pleasantly dark

S: Roasty, nothing to write home about

T: I think this is a fine example of a Dark Ale. It tastes a little yeasty... but still overall it is is pleasant

M: Clean a little yeasty

Favorite beers (for comparison, after all taste preferences are subjective): Elysian's Daedalus Irish Stout, Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Allagash's White Ale, New Belgium's 1554, Full Sail's Wassail, etc. Beers I don't like: IPAs (with few exceptions)

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:08:37 | More by GordonofSeattle

GreenCard

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark brown-black, slightly hazy, thick layer of spongey tan foam with good retention

Aroma: notes of chocolate cake, passionfruit, guava, and grapefruit

Flavor: chewy maltiness with a somewhat raspy roast bitterness; hop flavor and bitterness swings in immediately after the roast to dry it out considerably for a semi-dry finish with lingering roast

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, zesty carbonation, some astringency

Other comments: Definitely a good Cascadian Dark Ale, but not my favorite of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 23:21:51 | More by GreenCard

TheFlern

Idaho

4.48/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an almost pitch black with a tan head. Good retention and lacing.

Smell: Coffee, chocolate malts. Hops meld well with the malt.

Taste: Follows the nose but with more hops.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth from the malts and rounded out nicely by the hop bitterness which creates a great mouthfeel. Good amount of carbonation.

Overall: This is a must check out spring seasonal from Oakshire. This is my first brew that I have tried by these excellent brewers and if this is any indication then I cannot wait for the next!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 00:23:34 | More by TheFlern

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.2/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 from Brewforia for $6ish... shared with inflatablechair.... Sam seemed to think a tad bitter, but still well done.

Pours a DEEP dark brown.... nice highlights on the stem of my little CC goblet.. tannish head... okay retention and cap.. spotty lacing.

Good citrus on the nose with some pronounced roasty malt... above average for the style, but I want more from brewers in the PNW :-)

Flavor has more of everything and is pretty inviting... a long lingering hoppiness on the finish... and the malts never die.

Medium body.... carbonation is fine.... I dig the hops... they seem a bit oily and bind everything together nicely.

Pretty well done... No flaws... just could use more "cleanliness" and a bit of division between the flavors.... Minor bitches, but I will buy this again in a heartbeat.

3.5/4/4.5/4/4

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 07:56:07 | More by JohnGalt1

Docer

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (3.5)
- Super dark brown brew.. can see a thing through it but some ruby brown at the edges of the glass in the light. The beer didn't seem to pour a large head, but an off-white to greyish while finger formed and quickly turned into a spotty ring with a rice paper thing later over the brew.

Smell: (3.5)
- Nice roasted bitter grain, coffee bitterness, light chocolate, and light sweet grain. Coffee seems to play a nice roll here.. like a nice cold pressed coffee. Some light herbal and bitter grassy hops barely hit the nose.

Taste: (4.0)
- Great roasted bitter grains with a nice light coffee touch, and some fantastic chocolate notes. The great thing about this beers flavor is the balance. Some nice earthy bitter hops give it some flare and leaves the palate with a little zesty and piney touch. Not bad at all.

Mouth Feel: (3.5)
- A rather light to medium bodied brew which lends a little dryness in the mouth. Slight chewy touch, but overall a bit watery with a chalky finish.

Overall: (3.5)
- This is one of the better CDA's available around the Northwest. It seems to be a big hit at it's seasonal release around town complimenting various special tappings and parties. It's solid, well balanced, and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 05:44:54 | More by Docer

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with red highlights. Half finger fine light tan head with nice lacing.

Interesting aroma of dark malt, molasses and intense cannabis herbal hops.

Flavor is also different and appealing. Dark and roasted malts and intense herbal hops finishing with herbal hops and a long pleasant roasty spicy hop finish. Medium bodied. A nice blend of strong porter elements with IPA intensity hops. Nice flavor progression. This one really works for me. A definite repeat performance.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 04:50:28 | More by LiquidAmber

suncrust

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

First had- 22oz bomber poured to a tulip.

A: Poured a black hue with a rocky, khaki, one finger head. The head has some interesting grayish/purple tints giving a little bit of a velvety character. Not much lacing on the glass.

S: Dark hop resin blends into a sweet molasses and mild, smoked apple fruitiness. Slight dark bread follows a planty, piney hop kick, rosebud, and some brewers yeast. A touch of sour grapefruit in the tail end.

T: Big floral hop profile. Hops are aggressively bitter and almost immediately unbalance the smoother, sweeter dark malts. Buried roast textures live under the resiny hops, along with some candied caramel and dark breads. Slightly artificial in the taste. Finishes with subtle crisp smoke, grapefruit, sugary milk elements and a sharp hop bite.

MF: A lighter body chock-full of floral hops create a bit of a mouth puckering experience. Very harsh mouthfeel. Bitterness lingers dryly, carbonation is borderline light to medium. You almost had to keep drinking it to keep your mouth from drying out.

Drank a bit like a overly hoppy chocolate milk or something. Pretty huge floral hops overall. Not an awful CDA- ultimately lacked body, richness, and on the harsher side for the hop profile. Don't get me wrong, I love overloaded hops in my beer, but this felt a little like a mess. Some age might mellow it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 01:39:23 | More by suncrust

MaltsOfGlory

Oregon

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First review:
Pours a nice small head, goes quickly though. Good lacing throughout the glass. The beer is pitch black. Smell is sooo interesting, I've never had a black IPA before. The smell is cocoa-y and malty, a little chocolate perhaps, and hoppy at the same time, yet not overpowering on any smell. The taste is just the same, it is a perfect balance between super hops and super malts and subtle flavors in between. I wouldn't really call this a black IPA, I would call it a porter-IPA infusion, too bad there is no such thing. Drinkability is through the roof considering this is an IPA. Pretty dang good beer.

Re-review (Now that a review beers while I drink them):
I will try not to differ too much from my original review, but I must give it a fair new review, so I prolly will find myself going through most of the usual motions. I originally gave this beer a B+ and all 4's, we'll see what it does for me now. Very aggressive pour into my standard pint glass only yields about a one inch head. The head is slightly off white, mostly big bubbles, some small ones underneath though. Overall just very bubbly on the head, not much creaminess or any other notable factors. The head is sticking around for a good amount of time though, considering I didn't get much to start off with, it's also leaving good lacing. The body is absolutely pitch black, nothing getting through this beer at all, not really any hints of brown or red either. Overall a standard-good look, we will see how the lacing follows me to the bottom of the glass, but right now I'm a little hung up on the disappointing head. Overall not a bad look though. Smells like a pretty standard black IPA to me, very cocoa like, dark malts, nice hop character, very roasty. Overall a really nice smell, nothing to complain about, not knocking me off my socks, but very very solid, and lots of nice aromas. The first thing I notice on the taste is alcohol, which is a little disappointing for it being 6.3% ABV, but sometimes that is enough to make it's way through to the palate. On the next sips this beer smooths out a lot though. I remember this beer being quite different, and I only reviewed it for the first time a few months back. I'm wondering if this beer has been on the shelves for a while because it's almost out of season, no best by date though so I will never know! It doesn't taste bad by any means, just very different from what I remember. The taste really dies down on the hops in comparison with the smell, very small hop note on the taste, it's for sure there, but not how it should be for a black IPA. The cocoa and the malts are still there. I honestly don't mind this change in the flavor though, it's not a great black IPA, because it really doesn't follow the style all too well, but it is a nice beer. Usually I will penalize a beer for not following the style, but it works with this beer, it's a very smooth beer. Yeah it should for sure have some more kick to it, but I'm ok with this right now, it's a soothing, smooth beer. Overall, different flavor, but not bad. The mouthfeel is the best part, so smooth, it reminds me of a Guinness. The carbonation is very low, but it works with the beer. The body isn't really thin or big, it's just...smooth. Drinkability is very nice, it's smooth and goes down pretty well for 6.3% ABV. Overall I really don't think that this beer deserves the same grade that I gave it last time, because it's not a knock your socks off black IPA, but it's working for me tonight, and I stand by all the grades I gave it.

I thought the taste of this beer would improve as I drank it, it didn't. The beer still works for me, but it really only barely gets a 4 for taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 10:24:27 | More by MaltsOfGlory

woosterbill

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into a Weyerbacher tulip. Thanks to Chris for sharing this, my first beer from this brewery.

A: Black body, clear reddish-brown highlights. Thin white head that results in a ring and leave some spotty lace. I love the light/dark head/body contrast - it really suits the style.

S: Roasty coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, and citrus hops. Not as hoppy as I might have imagined, but enjoyable.

T: Thin coffee, resinous hops, and some dark chocolate. Big, bitter, citrusy finish. Fun.

M: Light body, high carbonation. Soft and lively.

O: Tasty brew. It does a great job combining roasted maltiness with moderately intense hoppiness, without either component outweighing the other. Nothing spectacular, but an eminently solid ABA.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 13:29:38 | More by woosterbill

robbrandes

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

taster poured from a 22oz bomber @ Elegance. Thanks Carl!

reviewed from notes.

pours almost black with a reasonable head of slightly tanned bubbles. nose is an interesting mix of almost-IPA but a big smack of darker malts. taste is very dry, bordering on bitter. some chocolate notes, pretty big hop profile. a little less carbonation would help this feel less 'forced'.

good, not great, beer. love to try it on tap w/nitro.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 05:31:49 | More by robbrandes

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark burnt-caramel brown, neaing black in the glass, with a two-finger light tan head of effervescent bubbles with a creamy heft to it. Slowly fades and leaves pretty impressive lacing down the glass.

Aroma is mild but pleasant. Some earthy malt, hints of dark roast. A touch of smoke and old wet leather. Herbal hops, a touch of citrus, and some green, wet leaves and a hint of maple syrup. Not sure I'm loving it.

Taste is rich and vibrant with a great balance between roasty, earthy and almost-chalky malt and fresh, herbal and green hops. Hints of citrus hops peek through, and a green hop bitterness finishes and trails.

Mouth is moderate body with ample fervent carbonation that really pushes this toward the edge of airy. I wish it was a bit heavier... but its not bad. A solid astringent lingering bitterness in the finish works nicely.

All in all, one of the better CDA/BlackIPA/whatever you prefer to call 'em. It does the job, although doesn't really shine as brightly as I really want it to. But all in all, another respectable offering from Oakshire.

Serving type: growler

06-05-2011 01:59:10 | More by djeucalyptus

velosuds

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From a 22 oz. bomber into a clear pint glass. No freshness dating apparent. Paid $4.99 at Capital Market in Salem, OR.

A-pours a reddish brown, hardly dark enough to be a black ale. Modest one finger head recedes too quickly leaving only scant lacing.

S-Aroma is malt dominant; roasty and grainy. Hops, Cascade in particular, are present but too faint. Piney and resinous, just more, or that right time, are needed.

T-Roasted, almost smoky character more reminiscent of the porter and stout styles is the prominent flavor profile. I think they over did the Specialty Dark Malt. At 70 IBUs it is sufficiently hopped to be an IPA (a black one), but not IPA enough in the flavor or aroma. Hops are in the background, which is too bad. Cascade hops are very popular and deserve a better utilization.

M-Medium dry body is very smooth and well balanced. Carbonation level is very good.

O-Overall this is somewhat disappointing. I was hoping for a black IPA take on their Watershed IPA - a black colored Watershed with a more subtle roasty character would be a treat.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 00:57:50 | More by velosuds

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A - Poured into a pint glass. Black, O'Dark:30 black. A very dirty white inch of head. Looks great.

S - Malty and lots of pine.

T - Astringent, bitter and slight malt sweetness at the end. Unbalanced and off-tasting.

M - Crisp, low carbonation and light body.

O - The taste was a put off, but everything else was great. Unfortunately a good appearance and smell cannot overcome this like the other way around can.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 06:00:25 | More by Fatehunter

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into shaker. From notes

A - Pours a very dark brown to black. Notable brown edging against light. Tan head. Medium lacing present

S - Hoppy bitter smell, more grassy I found than citric. Background coffee roast

T - I found this to be a bit of a mess. Very average. Definite roast predominantly coffee and some bittersweet chocolate. A grassy hop bitterness with minor oranges. Kinda smoky too.

M - Thin, tacky and somewhat unbalanced.

D - A very average CDA. Not overly hard to drink though.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 20:54:00 | More by OakedCanuck

MasterSki

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Chad for sharing this one. Served in a New Belgium tulip. Apparently this was bottled Friday and hand-delivered by Matt Van Wyck.

A - Pours with a half-finger of off-white foam that settles to a thin film and leaves behind spotty lacing. The body is an opaque near-black color.

S - Big orange zest and floral hop notes mingle with vanilla and baker's chocolate. Not very roasty in the nose, which is something I prefer.

T - The taste has more roast and less of the ripe citrus, although the orange flavor is still present. There's also some slight chalkiness mid-palate before finishing with solid hop bitterness. Probably a 3.75 here.

M - Smooth medium body, with pleasant, active carbonation. Finishes lightly sticky with some obvious oily hop resins. No obvious alcohol.

D - I thought this was a pretty good Cascadian Dark, although I can see the hop aroma and flavor dropping out pretty quickly. I'd gladly have it again if I knew it was fresh like this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 20:31:38 | More by MasterSki