Black Moon IPA - Rock Art Brewery

nickd717

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared thanks to Arbitrator.

Pours dark brown in color with slight reddish hues and a well-formed tan head with good lacing that clings to the ticking glass.

The aroma is big awesome citrus, orange especially. Almost like an IPA with just the slightest hint of roast.

The roast and chocolate come out much bigger on the flavor. Dry and charcoaly with a big citrus hop presence and slight caramel malt.

Very nice dry mouthfeel - almost gives you cottonmouth. Medium-bodied.

Really solid Black IPA overall. Surprisingly good and easy to drink for the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 06:14:27 | More by nickd717

Arbitrator

California

4.63/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chilled bomber into a glass. Thanks Kristin!

A: Pours a dark brown body, appearing nearly opaque in the glass except for some edge translucence. The head is a creamy, light mocha cap that retains well and leaves beautiful, broken, big-bubbled film on top of the beer. Nice collar and lace. It actually reminds me of a well-poured nitro stout; just a great appearance.

S: Mmm. Dark chocolate and oranges. I used to feel that those flavors clash, but well-done black IPAs have convinced me otherwise. This is no exception; it has a masterful balance of citrus and dark malts, with secondary hop notes of pine and a slight herbal nose.

T: Chocolate-forward, with a touch of roast. When cold, it tastes like a hoppy stout, but as it warms and the pine flavors emerge, it captures that middle ground that I expect from a black IPA. A nice melange of chocolate, citrus, pine hops. A small presence of anise teases it toward the traditional stout side, but there's an herbal counterbalance that tugs it right back. It really straddles the fence nicely, this one.

M: Medium-full bodied, with a well-disguised alcohol content. Lots of flavor, a malty finish that leaves just the smallest warming presence on its way down. It has some lingering bitterness that would normally be a flaw, but it brings with it some malt to produce a dark chocolate effect.

D: I had no expectations from this beer, and I came away massively impressed. Recommended. It goes down with a surprising ease that belies its massive alcohol content and (damn it) bomber packaging. Why do 10% beers need to come in 22oz formats?

Anyway, sorry, Cascade region: you've been served.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 04:27:44 | More by Arbitrator

VTbeerbroad

Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I got this beer the first day it was available at the Co-Op. I have not been a big fan of Rock Art in the past, but I must say that this was delicious.

It pours pretty much like oil. Thick and black, with a big hearty head and plenty of lacing. It smells like s'mores cooking over a bonfire in the woods in October. Chocolatey, piney, malty, hoppy goodness with a lingering kind of fruity finish.

I wish I could afford to drink this every day, because I know it's gonna be a long cold winter.
Good work, people.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 22:41:22 | More by VTbeerbroad

Billolick

New York

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice new collaboration brew between Rock Art and Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier. No freshness date/brewing date to be had.

Pours darkest of brown, dark tan head, lofty and retaining its height well. Leaves an extensive assortment of sheeting and lace.

Nose is bursting with pine sap, charred malts and fruity/hoppy/malty goodness.

Tastes fresh and flavorful. 10% nowhere to be found. Quality strong brew written all over this one. Warming, complex and oozing care and quality in brewing.

More dark and burnt malts shining through, then the hops reenter and assault the palate. Flavors are rich, dense and intense. really enjoyed this one as a late night sipper/night capper. Well done Rock Art, probably the best beer I've had from them. Quality brewery, quality Coop that I had the pleasure to visit recently. The collaboration has produced an impressive and well worth seeking out brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 02:06:55 | More by Billolick

iheartmanatees

Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a collaboration between Rock Art and Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier.

A healthy pour of Black Moon produced a tan colored, thick and creamy head. The beer was pretty much black.

Smelled of dark chocolate, piney hops, and faint alcohol.

Taste was full of dark roasted malts, plentiful piney hops, and a touch of alcohol in back.

Body was full for a black IPA.

This is a wonderful beer that will keep you warm on a crisp fall evening. Black Moon is my favorite Rock Art to date.

-I am also new to the reviews-

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 23:53:29 | More by iheartmanatees

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark mahogany brown, almost black, with a moderate beige head that has good stick.

Aroma of cascade citrus, marmalade, pine, and hints of sweet char and dark roast.

Flavors between IPA and a Brown Porter on steroids. Nice caramel, roast barley, and dark fruit meet with citrus, pine, and herbal earthy hops. IBUs are listed as 65 and could honestly use a bit more to balance the high ABV and malt flarors.

Medium bodied and quite drinkable. The hefty 10% ABV isn't noticed until the end of the first pint.

Just happened to be in VT on vacation and surprised to see this was not in the database...must be brand new and very fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 22:51:09 | More by AlexJ