(512) Black IPA - (512) Brewing Company

elNopalero

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This appears a dark cola color with a thin layer of foam. It has a light hop aroma, present but not dominant, reminiscent of grapefruit citrus zest. There’s a big, upfront bitterness which comes off as a welcome surprise as well as an upfront roast which dies down into a long malt finish. The hops are grassy and grapefruity, and there’s enough dark roast notes as a contrast. Simply delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2012 22:35:30 | More by elNopalero

jeremy2027

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1. On tap at The Major League Grill in Beaumont, TX

2. Black, Dark Black Awesomeness

3. Coffee, chocolate, Piney hops

4. Rich dark chocolate and coffee that finishes with an awesome hop flavor and aroma.

5. Mouth coating like a great chewy dark brew should.

6. This was my first Black IPA and I am hooked. It was a trip on the senses. You see this beautiful dark beer and first you get the roasted coffee and chocolate then you are hit with piney hoppness that finishes smooth and making you want more. Great beer 512 now send some in bottles to Beaumont.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 00:40:28 | More by jeremy2027

nickhiller

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: black coffee black, big creamy tan colored head, thick swirls of lacing.

S: cat pee (sorry, it's true), stale smoke (it's not that bad though, just my honest first thoughts) fruity hops in the background.

T: cream soda, chocolate milk, Earl Grey or black tea, lots of sweet roasted malts and coffee beans.

M: medium-bodied, creamy and smooth, dry finish.

O: this one took me by surprise, much better than I was expecting. The only big drawback was the nose--it really smelled a little bit like a dirty cat-lady home--but the rest of the attributes saved it. I really like the style and I'm sort of on the fence regarding 512, but this was delicious. I highly recommend a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 12:58:48 | More by nickhiller

jbphoto88

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

512 BIPA has the look of a porter, it pours an espresso brown almost black with a tan fluffy head. Rich in color when held up to the light with red highlights and a deep brown. What a pretty brew.

The smell is slight but what is there is right in line with what should be there. Roasted grains and plump hops give this a sweet smell but hints at a strong bite.

The taste doesn't disappoint as all the flavor and more carries over from the nose. Roasted grains that flow from a light coffee to chocolate and sweetened cereal are flanked by hop bite and touch of citrus. A lovely balance that compliments each other so well.

Mouthfeel rocks the house! It's smooth on the tongue and has a lovely sizzle f carbonation and hop bite that pinches the sides of your tongue. Great flavors that last into the finish this is a beer I can... and do order again and again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2011 19:07:42 | More by jbphoto88

SWMeyer4141

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance-Black w/ no light seeking through at all. 1 finger of foamy head that leaves some incredible lacing.

Smell-When the bartender put this beer in front of me I immediately smelt hops. Floral Hops along with some roasted malts and chocolate. Hints of grapefruit seeking through as well.

Taste-For as much as there is going on in this beer, this beer is very balanced. Upfront you get roasty malts, followed by some big time floral hops and a very clean finish with some sweet chocolate and some slight citrus. This all works really well together. The hops makes it know that they are there, but don't overwhelm you. Very nice drink.

Mouthfeel-Medium bodied, not too much carbonation and well balanced.

Overall-Excellent beer. I get the best of both worlds in this beer with the floral hops and with the roasty/chocolate. I hope 512 starts bottling.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2011 13:02:51 | More by SWMeyer4141

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Ginger Man in Fort Worth, TX. Beer was poured in a pint glass, and this brew pours like a stout. Jet black with a one inch, milk chocolate colored head that settles into a film. Good lacing on the glass as you drink. The nose is heavy in dark fruit sweetness, coffee, and a slight hoppiness. The smells are very sweet and rich. The beer has a hoppier taste then the smell previews. The beer is smooth bodied, with a dry crispness on the tail end. Hoppy dryness throughout. Roast and coffee highlights throughout with a hoppy and toasty aftertaste and slightly bitter finish. The beer gets heavier with the dark sweetness and bitterness as it warms. Delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 03:37:26 | More by GarthDanielson

Fenris244

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Opal Devine's served in Chimay chalice, I keep getting Chimay chalices for my beer from them... I think they're on to me...

Jet black with a thin light tan head, great retention and some thick lacing

Odd smell, chocolate, roasted malts and hops? Strange indeed, the roasted malt aroma takes a backseat to the chocolate and hops pleasant but odd smell.

Damn, toffee, chocolate and hops all over. The toffee hits first with some chocolatey flavors coming in next and a wave a hops comes in just before the finish and lingers well into it. The coffee flavor shows up but is well dispersed throughout.

Pretty light in body with a smoothness I wasn't expecting, carbonation was adequate.

Overall a pretty good intro for the style, was kinda intimidated by the black IPA thing but was pleasantly surprised by the flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 04:28:37 | More by Fenris244

Mora2000

Texas

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

On tap at the Plano Gingerman.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a large tan head that sticks around until the beer is finished. The aroma is very nice. I get a nice mix of lightly roasted malts along with some pine and light citrus from the hops. The aroma is very balanced.

The flavor is also very nice. I get quite a bit of caramel and roasted malt with some strong pine hop notes. The bitterness is about medium. The beer finishes very dry and is easy to drink.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2011 01:19:36 | More by Mora2000

pitasoup

Tennessee

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

thanks to jenray for the growler.

a: opaque black - fine off white finger of head that lingers

s: pungent american hops - grapefruit and pine. finishes with hint of something bland and mealy, my only association with this is generic white cake, but that's quite on point. apologies for the lack of vocabulary, but this isn't an unpleasant lingering smell

t: grapefruit bitterness. possibly nugget? (had some NN very recently so it's fresh on my mind.) A touch of coffee and smoked malts (similar to dfh chicory.) The finish leaves an interesting play between hop bitterness and dark-malt bitterness.

m: medium body with a lingering finish. very porter like. no roasted barley stickiness but there is a slick mouthfeel. didn't taste oats or smell diacetyl though.

o: i'm still not convinced i like the cda/bipa style, but this is a very good beer. I wouldn't hesitate to order it, and will probably have more than one pour from the growler tonight.

Serving type: growler

04-01-2011 03:13:48 | More by pitasoup

champ103

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Queen Vic in Houston.

A: Pours a dark black color, almost opaque. A two finger tan head forms with good retention. Plenty of sticky lace.
S: Resiny hops up front. Soapy and oily. Herbal, grassy, and citrus aromas come out next. Dark fruits and a light sweet malt aroma lingers.
T: Follows the nose. Resiny, soapy, and oily. Citrus and grassy hops are dominate. After the hops fade this is really sweet. Finishes with a large grapefruit bitterness.
M/D: This has a medium to full body. Good carbonation. Though this is overly thick, syrupy, and oily. Not hard to drink a pint of, but a one and done for me.

For me, this is pretty typical of this "style." If this is your thing, than this is a good one. Though I don't really get it. A dark beer that is overly hoppy. Nothing special and a little over the top.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2011 00:43:37 | More by champ103

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Flying Saucer, Ft.Worth. Pub shaker

A - Pours a nice dark brown to black. Very nice head retention, tan brown, small bubbles. Ringed lacing the whole way

S - More of a hoppy nose, pine, grass and lemon. Minor pepper. Roast was not as predominant as you would expect.

T - Decent balance between the nutty roast and the herbal hops. There wasn't too much depth of flavour in this beer, more of a roasty Pale Ale.

M - Medium to thinning. ABV was hidden very well.

O - A decent product for a black IPA, I think they could have gone a little bolder and really hopped it up, however, it was easy enough to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 20:28:09 | More by OakedCanuck

snax

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed for the first time at the (512) Brewing Spring Party 3/19/2011

A - dark black, tan to light brown head, good head stand
S - slight hint of roasted chicory, full hop nose
T - bittersweet/dark chocolate notes
M - well-balanced with surprising lack of tannic bitterness
Overall - Although a bit subdued for an IPA, makes for a great IPA session beer for fans of light-moderate malt backbone with hop fullness in the flavor and aroma.

Comments:
Organic 2-Row base malt accented by additions of Crystal 60 and Weyermann Carafa III malts contributes to the charred black color and notes of roasted coffee and chicory. Typical tannic bitterness absent. Hop additions include Apollo, Horizon, and Nugget.

70 IBU.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 20:53:28 | More by snax

LittleDon

Texas

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

A pint at the Whip-In, Austin.

Black, hard to tell how opaque, but great head retention and lace. Not as hoppy as a typical modern IPA, much greater roasted malt profile. Think of it as a hopped porter rather than a dark IPA. The front is more malt than hops, but the roasting comes off as on the lighter side. Hops show up in the middle and end, particularly at and after the finish, where you get bittersweet chocolate characteristics. Carbonation profile is also interesting in that is shows up and builds starting at the middle rather than the start.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 00:18:47 | More by LittleDon

UTCengOwl

Texas

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

Had this on tap at the Draught House. The website says it's a seasonal... but not what season. Any suggestions on how to list it?

Anyway, this was served in a pint glass. Dark body with brown hues when light would pass through. Decent head retention. Pretty standard for the style and company.

The nose was hops. I'm more of a fruity hops guy, so the floral and earthy character of this beer wasn't the best for me... but I understood where it was coming from.

The taste was also mostly hops. Still earthy and floral. However, they were well balanced. The roastiness came through in a subtle way and complemented the earthy notes. The taste was decent and the beer grew on me as I sipped away. This was highly drinkable and up to the high standards of (512). A good effort in bringing another solid IPA flavor to Texas... even if the blackness seems somewhat gimmicky.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2011 06:11:58 | More by UTCengOwl