Bashah - BrewDog

salvo

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours coal brown/black with hints of deep crimson when held to the light under a deep brown head. Roast grain, herbs, flowers, and a faint whiff of here, kitty kitty.

Mouthfeel is almost too thick: beyond double-IPA, past porter and into the realm of imperial stout, stand-a-spoon-up thick. But just short of being too much. I get chocolate milk on the flavor. Rich, thick, velvety smooth chocolate milk with all the oh-so-bad-for-you emulsifiers. Finishes surprisingly dry, but full of herbs and astringency. Faint licorice. Herbal to earthy hops.

Enjoyable, but not one I'd really want to try to have a second. Good night-ender. Big, bold, assertive: a fitting crescendo to an evening's tasting.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:39:18 | More by salvo

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brewdog & Stone : Bashah

Pours a dark brown with a khaki colored head. In the flavor, roasted malt, chocolate, a hint of hops and a little oily. There is a slight la Choy like soy note, though it mixes fairly well with the coffee like malts, and dusty cocoa flavor. On the maltier side of the American black ale style, with a small piney hop presence. A little bit of heat is noticed too. Full bodied feel, quite smooth. Overall, a decent black ale, not a bad collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:32:13 | More by Stinkypuss

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a deep clear black color ale with a medium size dark brown foamy head with average retention. Aroma of roasted malt is more powerful and dry then expected. Taste is dominated by dry roasted malt notes with light subtle coffee notes. Body is somewhat light with OK carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I can’t say I was truly impressed by that one – hops profile was more subdued then expected and dry roasted malt was overly dominant.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 15:59:57 | More by Phyl21ca

BeerNemesis

New York

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bashah | 355 ml. | 8.6% ABV | 2010

Brewer: BrewDog
Style: American Black Ale
Glass: pint

Appearance:
Dull black, like a stout, with a foamy ecru cap, and splashes of lacing.

Aroma:
Roasted malts, a hint of floral hops.

Taste:
Hmm... how to describe this. It feels like a stout, but tastes like an IPA. The roasted malts are just shy of being chocolatey, while the ample hops are oily, and taste very much like grapefruit.

Mouthfeel:
Slick and thick, but with some razzle-dazzle from the high carbonation.

Harmony:
Perhaps it's characteristic of the style in general—which would more appropriately be called a "Black IPA"—but I feel Bashah awkwardly combines extreme "hoppiness" with a clumsy malt profile, which lacks the depth or character of some of the better stouts. The hops are quite nice (I especially enjoy how real the grapefruit taste is), however they too lack the floral delicacy and range I've tasted in some of the better IPAs. It feels like Bashah has dumbed down the more nuanced qualities of both stouts and IPAs, instead choosing to exist in a sort of noncommittal middle ground.

Would I get it again?:
No

Bottled: December 12, 2010
Served: August 8, 2011

Price = $7.50 at The New Beer Distributors

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 22:11:13 | More by BeerNemesis

spitInTheOcean

Michigan

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

this beer is BLACK. black as coal and completely opaque. this is a black hole in a glass. big brown head. perfect lacing. there is literally a ring around my glass at every sip i took.

smells like hops and roasted malts. piney, citrusy, grassy hop notes, all over a deep undercurrent of roasted malts.

tastes like hops and roasted malts. taste up front is sweet and gives way to the bitterness of the hops, the bitterness of the roasted malts, and the warmth of the alcohol. the hop and malt flavor are huge, but balanced perfectly. that taste of coffee that has been siting in the pot for two days also comes through in the finish complimenting the sweetness of the malts and botanicals of the hops very well. flavors of roasted malts linger long after the finish.

viscous, and thick bodied. soft carbonation.

i remember reading when this style of beer first came out that it was made by steeping black patent in the the water at room temp before the was brought up to temp to mash, thereby extracting the color and none of the flavor, and a normal ipa was then made. this is definitely not what was done with this beer. this is good. do not walk away from a chance to drink this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 04:13:00 | More by spitInTheOcean

Meerkey

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Generous, dense beige head. Impenetrable black.

S: Coffee, chocolate, some alcohol. Sweet - molasses? Bitter hops; citrus. Fruit.

T: Quite bitter and hoppy. Coffee grounds and chocolate malts. With some lighter, almost floral notes. Tastes so different than the smell.

M: Heavy on the tongue. Smooth and creamy.

O: Interesting. I do like how it tastes, but it's weird. I don't know if I'll have another.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 03:32:05 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a BrewDog cervoise glass. Batch 352. Bottled on 19 December 2010.

A: About a finger of head tops a black, opaque beer. No glimmering in the light. Good lacing.

S: Fragrant fruits and beautiful hops. YUM. Chocolate. Hints of yeast, more Old Ale than Belgian IPA.Touches of citrus. Damn!

T: Interesting. A bit of coffee flavour makes up the majority of the bitterness. Chocolatey malts fill the maintaste, and the aftertaste is mostly chalky and mundane, but with a brief splash of grapefruit. Ole Ale impressions are confirmed. Definitely not what I expected from a "Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale." If anything, it's most akin to a Black IPA, but I'm not getting an Belgian character or Double IPA accents.

M: Moderately heavy, with enough pizazz to keep me interested.

O: Not really my thing, and maybe even slightly disappointing. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't have another. Not recommended. I don't have a clue what style this is, and I don't think they do either. I sense a bit more Stone influence than BrewDog.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 03:28:57 | More by AgentMunky

ehammond1

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

Stone Brew Co.
Escondido, CA

Beautiful black with a thin off-white head. Messy lacing down the glass.

Lots of roasted malt and some piney hop aroma.

Relatively bitter along with a lot of roasted malt. I don't get any hint of Belgian style yeast. Some pine/citrus flavors but they're definitely muted. Well balanced.

Medium mouthfeel. Ample carbonation.

A solid black IPA/strong ale, but nothing more. If you're looking for a tangy Belgian yeast bite, this will disappoint. That being said, it's a very well balanced, incredibly drinkable, black IPA/strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 17:15:05 | More by ehammond1

feylure

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 25/12/2010 (Xmas of 2010!)

I love Stone, and I love Brew Dog. Let's hope I love them both together.

Appears dark. Like, death dark. I can't even see thru it held neat a light. Also, there doesn't appear to be too much carbonation.

Smells thick, full, sweet and roasty with a slight spice note.

Taste is intense. Sweet up-front which then leads to it being drowned by an array of roast + hop that's characteristic of a black IPA. Also, there's an intense spiciness to it as well that I quite enjoy. Lingering tail is the roast flavor and it feels like it comes right off my tongue like simmering water in a bare skillet.

Overall, this is a great brew, and I would see myself getting it again if it were made by Stone in California so as not to be charged the imported rates of being made in Scotland. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 03:19:55 | More by feylure

cnally

Indiana

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

A lot of dough to pay for such a teeny tiny little bottle. To keep it in perspective, this retails for four dollars less than a 24-pack of domestic swill. So, by definition, this should be 25.7 times better than Coors Original.

The appearance is appropriately black, with a tan head that does a mini clinging act. Pretty but expected.

The aroma is definitely built from the blackened grains used in the mash--but also has a little moldy aspect. Jeez, it is like it has been on the shelf too long or something.

The flavor is appropriately bitter, burnt, ashy, and oaky. Like taking a big bite of walnut wood and oak. And then chewing it. It's exactly like you might think a Black Ale tastes.

The mouthfeel is appropriately frothy and full, a heavier drink but slick enough to be drinkable.

I get it. And by my comments you can understand that this is "appropriately" a Black Ale. It fits right down the middle of the definition, and it serves its style well. However, this is one of the first beers I will dock because of price. I pay a lot of money for beer. I pay good money for good beer. And I don't care. It comes with the territory. But when you are selling nothing more than a decent beer (import or not, don't make the shipping costs an issue) for $12.99 per 11.2 oz bottle (I didn't pay that, but still it retails that much here) you had better make an outstanding product. Or here is a better option: Stay stateside.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 04:50:53 | More by cnally

DCon

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a 11.2 FL oz bottle of this from Payless Liquors in Fischers, IN for $4.99. Poured from the Black Bottle with a Stone Gargoyle clawing the BREW DOG sign into a Pint Glass and has batch 352 & bottled on 12/19/10 on the back.

Aroma- Starts with strong roasted malts and yeasty character. Seems dry hopped and has a Strong Ale sort of finish on the nose. An IPA mixed with a Stout?

Appearance- Darkest brown color body that is hazy. Has a less than half finger head that is bubbly and stays bubbly for the entire drink. High Carbonation (bubbles evident) and leaves sudsy lace.

Flavor- Very rich and roasty from the start. Has a bit of spice which came from the yeast and a grainy finish. Very sugary, sweety and has a honey like finish. I could drink many more of these! Terrific!

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied, Thick, Rich, High Carbonation once again, and has a bit of a warming sensation from the alcohol. Has nice coffee flavor on the back of the tongue once finished.

Overall Impression- I say this is a perfect Black IPA! Shows great complexity and flavor throughout the drink and still drinkable. I knew this Collaboration ale would be impressive! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 04:34:49 | More by DCon

SMortiL987

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark black-brown with touches of orange and red at the top of the glass when held up to the light. Muddy coloredheld that dimminished quickly after the pour leaving a ring around the edge of the glass wall. What little head left there is clings to the glass and slowly slides down as the glass is tilted.

S: Chocolate, roastiness, coffee, dark fruits, smoked peat, grain husk, a little spice. Very little hop aroma, especially coming from Stone.

T: A bit of sweet chocolate up front, then there's the Stone hops! The smoked peat and hops bitterness blend in together followed by a bit of alcohol warmth. Vanilla, raisins are swirled in there. Little bit of minerals at the end. Chocolate and hops, with smoke continue to dominate the palate long after it's swallowed.

M: Medium-thick with light carbonation. Coats the tongue leaving a persistent after taste, yet a bit astringent at the same time.

O: Nice beer, complex in flavor. A lot of different things going on at once with the taste. Worth picking up and trying as this is a one time gig between arguably two of the most innovative breweries out there. However, you could probably only do one per sitting and I'd say as your finishing beer (the hops & peat pretty much do your taste buds in). If you can find it and are willing to pay for it, get it. You may never have another chance to do so.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 07:03:39 | More by SMortiL987

Klym

California

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours like a darker version of coke with a brownish miscolored head that looks like a dirty washcloth (not an appealing description but I think an accurate one). Not sure what to expect by the look but I'm intrigued!

S: Chocolate, banana, raisin, and bread all come out of this as though they're all baking in the same oven. Smells good.

T: Hops and chocolate, almost like hop infused chocolate itself, a little banana, a little raisin, and some char in the after taste.

M: Smooth and full bodied for the style. It almost leaves a melting residue in the mouth after each sip which honestly makes it feel like you're melting the chocolate and releasing the flavors- delicious!

O: I picked this up for the sheer reason that I try almost anything brew dog makes when I feel I can afford it because I always know I'll get a different experience, and because I respect stone's brews so much of the time. I was surprised with how good this was and I really admired it for taking different flavors that usually divide beers (i.e. chocolate/roasty flavors vs sweet/dark fruit flavors) and bringing them together for a really tasty concoction. An unusual style done unusually well, I would absolutely recommend giving this a try and maybe another try after that.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 18:44:03 | More by Klym

fsvan

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 12/19/2010. Consumed July 4, 2011. Cool bottle label with the Stone demon guy behind the BrewDog logo. According to BA this is an American Black Ale. According to the bottle this is "The Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale by BrewDog and Stone Brewing." OK. Thanks to titosupertramp for schlepping this guy back from a road trip for me.

A- Black. Not the blackest beer ever, but very dark. Slight red hues when tilted toward the light, but essentially black. Big head that dissipated quickly leaving a lot of sticky foam on the glass in its wake.

S- The smell made itself apparent immediately after opening. Methinks this will not be a timid beer. A good amount of dark fruit. Some roasted malts. A little bite from the 8.5% abv. Some slight Belgianish notes. A very interesting smell that defies easy categorization, as the bottle description implies.

T- Not surprisingly from the label and smell, the taste is not easily pigeonholed into a certain style. Some Belgian-inspired dark fruit notes, a bit of chocolate sweetness, some bite from the hops (which are probably tamed due to this guy being 7 months old.) The bite of the hops is reminiscent of other hoppy Stone brews, and my guess would be that the hop schedule was largely their doing.

M- This is surprisingly light considering the ABV, color, and smell. It's on the heavy side of medium, but I anticipated more.

O- This is a very interesting beer, and one what deserves a shot. I don't know that I'd buy this very often given the shot, but I'm sure as hell glad I got to try it. It is a prime example of brewing outside to confines of style limitations, in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 22:29:08 | More by fsvan

ICCULIS

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a 11.2oz bottle of this on a whim. I tend to like Brew Dog and love Stone - why not!

Bottled: 12/19/10

A = mostly black in color. creamy brown head of about 1 finger.

S = Roasted Coffee and Chocolate dominate the nose here for me.

T = Nothing too dominate in the taste. Belgian yeast is present but certainly not overwhelming. I really enjoyed the flavor here. Hints of peat which I didn't notice in the nose

M = Medium Body and incredibly smooth.

O = I really enjoyed this! Total surprise from a beer I've never heard of from two breweries I completely respect.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 13:48:15 | More by ICCULIS

richkrull

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark black color with a darker tan head on it.

Smell is malty with some hops coming through. Not as much as you'd expect. Some stout-like aroma coming through.

Taste is bitter coffee. Not a great flavor. This is my first black IPA but not what I expected. Some hops in the finish but the coffee flavor is overpowering it.

Mouthfeel is very thick. Pretty heavy for an IPA but it's alright.

Overall it's ok but not one of my favorites at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 04:17:23 | More by richkrull

kevosbob

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The big boys come out to play with this bold idea for a collaboration ale. Stone Brewing Company and BrewDog, a brewery from Scotland, team up to make the bold new beer, Bashah. This sensation of flavors is an 8.6% alcohol by volume, black Belgian style double India pale ale. This beer may not be to everyone’s liking but it deserves credit for being a unique idea for a one-of-a-kind beer.

This beer pours jet black and has a moderate dark head as well. It initially reminds me of a stout crossed with pale ale features. The smell of this beer is not strong but does have a nice cross between hoppy, fruity, roasty, and slight hints of chocolate and coffee. The head retention is nice and dissipates evenly after a few minutes.

Tasting this beer the mouth becomes enveloped with a multitude of flavors from both of the collaborated beers. The malts envelope your taste buds as chocolate, coffee, vanilla and molasses flavors and the sugars add to the taste sensation as notes of dark cherries, raisins, and berries. The hops gives a nice, not overpowering, green finish and then leaves you with an enjoyable smokey/burbon lingering finish. With so many strong flavors it is interesting to note that the alcohol is hidden nicely within the balance.

I enjoyed this beer but in no way is it an easy drinking beer. It’s worth tasting if you like collaboration beers or beers that push style guidelines. The cherry/bourbon quality with a thick malty/hoppy character makes this a interesting yet balanced beer. I recommend tasting this beer if you get the chance, but it’s not worth searching day and night for.

My Beer Rating: 3.3

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 13:38:31 | More by kevosbob

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was on tap at the Tap & Table a while ago and I stopped in and grabbed a glasss. It was probably one of the first Black IPA's I have ever tried. This beer came out as a pitch black liquid with a really nice looking thick brown head. The lacing was very nice as well. The smell of the beer was hoppy and roasted all at the same time. The taste of the beer was roasted upfront and semi-sweet which followed right into a hoppy bitter finish. The mouthfeel wasn't overly thick at all. Overall though I found this beer to be pretty damn good all around.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 22:17:41 | More by Knapp85

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich dark black color with a finger of frothy tannish head. The head fades fairly quickly down to a think ring around the glass leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - The aroma is a nice mix of roasted malts and earthy hops. There is also a bit of alcohol mixed in as well.

T - Starts off right away with a nice mix of roasted malt and earthy hops. Through the middle the bitterness grows alongside a bit of vanilla that mixes in. The finish is a nice balance of hops and roasted flavors with just a touch of booze that lingers nicely.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer feel really smooth. The finish has a bit of a dry kick that mixes really well with the roasted and slightly sweet flavors.

D - Very drinkable. The balance of roasted flavor and hops here is really great. This is especially true as the beer finishes.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 05:45:21 | More by ngeunit1

Treebs

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz. bottle into pint glass.

A: Pours a light black with a light tan head that quickly disappears. A nice film stays across the top of this brew.

S: This is quite the interesting combination of smells. I smell some roasty malts with a hoppy coupling. There are some woody characteristics as well.

T: At first I pick up dry malts and some barley almost like a very light stout. This transforms into a little sweet and bitter hop backbone that floats throughout the drink.

M: Medium bodied with a very oily feeling. Light carbonation as well. Goes down ok and it's pretty deceptive from the sight.

O: This was an interesting brew. Some good flavor profile but I don't think it works as a beer I would come to again and again. It's ok.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 22:46:04 | More by Treebs

MetsFanVI

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

It poured a very dark, almost black color but with very little to no head. I usually expect Belgian-style beers to be quite carbonated (due to the bottle conditioning) so I started pouring carefully. But when there were no bubbles I tilted glass back upright and just went right down the middle. Even then I still got a very small head, about 1/8″. There is almost no lacing.

After it was poured, I tried like hell to get some aroma out of it. I don’t know if I’m stuffed up or what but I got almost no aroma, other than beer, and even then it is faint. Not a good sign for something that claims to be a double IPA, let alone something from Stone. I would expect a face full of hops here.

The initial taste is actually quite good. You get a some bright hop flavor at the front, which gives way to a more roasted taste in the middle. As the beer finishes, you swear you’re drinking a porter, with a pronounced coffee aftertaste. There is little to no “Belgian” in the flavor. I like a beer that has different flavors like this.

As the beer warms up though, it really starts to shine. The hops become a little more pronounced and what I assume to be a Belgian yeast strain starts to come out more. The flavors become more intense but also more blended. (Does that make sense? It does to me.) At this point the 8.6% abv starts to make its presence known as well. The aroma becomes a bit stronger too. But then, as it continues to warm, nearing room temperature, the flavors start to soften and become even more muted than at the beginning. Or maybe my taste buds are starting to become desensitized. Either way the middle third was the sweet spot on this one.

The mouthfeel of the bashah is not that of your typical double IPA. It’s not nearly as viscous or resiny. That’s not to say the beer is bad, just not typical. Again, there is little to no carbonation present.

According to the label, the beer was bottled on 12/25/10. But that doesn’t sound quite right as all the web research I could find had this being brewed in August 2009. Moreover, nothing I could find online says anything it being aged at the brewery or being brewed on more than one occasion. Additionally, it was made with 7500 kg of hops, as you can see in the “recipe” BrewDog posted. But the hops just aren’t there. This all leads me to think the date on the label is wrong. Assuming I’m right, the age on the bottle would explain how hops have mellowed. Another interesting tidbit is the bottle is 11.2 fluid oz. I was cheated out of .8 oz of beer! Must be a Euro thing.

Overall, this is a good beer, but not a great beer. It just seems to be trying to be too many things. Is it a Belgo-IPA? Is it a DIPA? Is it a Black IPA? Either way, it doesn’t do any of it all that well. The Black IPA or Cascadian Dark American Ale or American Black Ale or whatever the hell you want to call it style is very trendy right now. But it’s a style that doesn’t seem to deliver very often in my opinion. They don’t generally have any balance. It’s either all toasted malt or just it just takes like an IPA. The idea of Black IPA really intrigues me. But the execution is often lacking. This would be an example of such a beer coming up short. Again, that’s not to say it’s a bad beer. It just misses what I think is its intended mark.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 13:43:56 | More by MetsFanVI

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance -- Pours a deep, dark nutty brown with a sudsy beige head.

Smell -- Smoke, dark chocolate, and a slim shadow of grapefruit-esque aromatic hops.

Taste -- Roast malt, dark cocoa, mild woodsmoke, and treacle. The hops are still kicking, but clearly not what it once was. Some citrus and a modicum of pine resin bitterness. If thought of as a strong ale, it's nicely balanced at this point.

Mouthfeel -- Medium body with moderate spritzy carbonation. It's pleasant.

Overall -- Not bad. At this point the hops have more-or-less fallen out, putting this more into Strong Ale territory. Nice malting, moderate complexity, but you'd be forgiven if you passed on it. My advice: if it's on sale, buy a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 02:20:06 | More by yeahnatenelson

inthebeeraisle

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this many times when it was first released in Portland. Both on-tap and in the bottle. Came across it at a local bottleshop & wanted to revisit. 11.2 oz bottle poured into my Portland's Cheers to Belgian Beers glass. Batch 352, bottled on 12/25/10. Merry Christmas.

A: A really dark color. Just a hint of brown when held up to the light. A finger of tan head that died down in a short time period.

S: A hoppy, alcohol, dark malt smell. Notes of coffee.

T: Definately got plenty of fresh tasting hop flavor with a thick caramel malt backbone. A touch of dark chocolate & alcohol coming through too.

M: A thinner mouthfeel upfront with a syrupy characteristic to finish it off. Not any more bitter then I want it to be, and not any less either.

O: Two breweries I have a lot of respect for working together in harmony. My favorite collaboration brew I've ever had tastes just as good as I remember the 6th (or maybe 12th) time around.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 05:26:49 | More by inthebeeraisle

Rippeddisc

Hawaii

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.25.10 bottling date

A - Nice 1+finger thick sticky head...almost black in color.

S - Doesnt seem too complex. Get the standard dark roasted malts. Hint of the alcohol.

T/M - Woah, bit of a sneaky one. Big toasty/burnt flavors, then bigger hop bite in the back...roastedness lingers. No belgian hint though.

O - Think this works as a black IPA...though would prefer more depth. Of course being belgian style i expected a bit more collab in the flavor profile (Green Flash BIPA)

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 05:33:54 | More by Rippeddisc

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at The Cask Republic in New Haven, Conn.

A: Very dark brown, nearly black with a thin, creamy head of tan foam which leaves a bubbly, slick coating and some soapy lace.

S: A cross between a Belgian IPA and an English porter; lots of malt fruitiness, spicy, funky yeasts and a bitter, herbal, earthy hop aroma. Smells deep and inviting with a hint of effervescence.

T: Roasted, chewy caramel malts blend with a fruity mix of malts and hop resins. Lots of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, raisin, hints of banana, pine, cloves and lactose. Bits of tobacco leaf mix with the spicy, Begian-tasting candi sugar and yeast with a lingering, bittersweet hop resin in the aftertaste.

M: Full-bodied, sort of slick and yet bubbly and spicy on the palate. Does a good job of lifting away malt sweetness but alcohol burns a tad.

O: I think this Black IPA has been Belgian'ed and the 8.6% ABV adds complex boozy flavors on top of an already indulgent, albeit chaotic, flavor profile. I like the cross pollination of smoked porter characteristics with a spicy, peppery IPA, but this would wreck the palate and head by the end of a night. Certainly worth a try, though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 05:04:57 | More by Gambrinus1184