Black Iron - Milwaukee Brewing Company

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.78/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 10/21/12

Dark, inky brown; pretty close to black in the glass. Ample two finger head dissipates slowly. Swaths and trails of lace remain (quite a lot of lace at by the end of the glass).

Aroma-wise, this is straightforward: pine, roasted dark grains and bakers chocolate. Earthy notions drift about. The taste has modest pine hops, though there is a lot of rough coffee and dark cocoa bitterness. There isn't a lack of roast or dryness here. The taste starts off ok, but the finish has an odd metallic/vegetal combo; kind of dirty, too. The body is thin and easily overrun by the vigorous, prickly carbonation.

Overall impression: Black Iron failed to impress me. Sure, there are worse beers out there, but this is kind of boring. It's not so bad as to dump the glass, and I reckon I enjoy it more with warmth.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 05:09:29 | More by Ryan011235

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Maybe it's just me, but this beer sounds like it would be an entertaining blaxploitation film... Anyway, this stuff pours a deep black-brown topped by a couple o' fingers of cream foam. The nose comprises bright pine needles and grapefruit zest floating within a sea of darkly-roasted malts and coffee. The taste brings in more of the same, with the pine seemingly dropping out...until it returns all dramatic and whatnot near the finish. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, this beer turned out to be one of the better black IPAs I've had in a long time. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 23:37:29 | More by TMoney2591

WoodBrew

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a deep brown almost opaque with frothy foam that laced. The smell carries pine and grapefruit with roasty malts and touch of espresso. The taste is very similar to the smell with the roast dominating more than the hops. The body is a light medium, with a smooth carbonation and a generally decent body. Overall, this beer turned out to be one of the a good black IPAs. I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 16:30:51 | More by WoodBrew

ceeman

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Looks exactly like you would expect an IBA to look, black with an off-white head. Nice taste that manages a solid roasted aftertaste to balance the strong hop flavor, The only complaint is with the mouth feel, it comes off a little on the watery side and could use a little more of a malt backbone. It's no New Glarus Black Top, but it's still a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:09:35 | More by ceeman