Black Lightning - DuClaw Brewing Company

ckollias

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Almost pitch black in color with a hint of amber highlights around the edge. Thick dark brown 3-finger head after a violent poor that quickly dissipates and leaves a gorgeous trail all the way down the glass and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Strong hoppy IPA aroma and hints of roasted malts in the background fill the nose.

T: Smooth rich hoppy flavor. Hints of pine and toasted malts cross the palate.

M: Medium body and carbonation

O: I normally have Duclaw beers on tap – but tried this bad boy in a bottle and wasn’t disappointed. Great smell and flavor – excellent balance between the hops and malt.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 00:25:54 | More by ckollias

beer2day

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Near opaque black pour with barely 1-finger of cream head, highlighted ever so lightly with hints of mocha. No retention and medium lace.

Chocolate, black patent, roast and light citrus hops define the nose. Getting a little cola as well. Very nice.

Light up front, roast malt and chocolate come in strong and dominate the finish. Citrus hop bitters underneath the chocolate. Very nice again.

Feel is right on for the style. Just heavy enough for the rich flavor, but keeping to style.

I'll look for this again on my next trip to VA.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 01:52:30 | More by beer2day

kylehay2004

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Single finger tan head with excellent lacing on a clear deep dark brown amber body. Excellent aroma with lots of hops providing flor earthy and citrus notes. Mild but present roast aroma. Nice representation by both hops and roasted malts. Very well balanced for the style. Hops provide more of a grassy and earthy flavor. Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. This style is always hit or miss for me but this is one of the few that really integrate both roast and hops well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 01:16:57 | More by kylehay2004

vandemonian

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

DuClaw Black Lightning is a delicious black IPA with hop and coffee characteristics.

A: Black colour and a 5 mm head that fades pretty quickly. 4

S: Roasty, earthy malt with some pleasant hop characteristics. 4.5

T: Roasty malt and sharp hops into an earthy coffee finish. The finish is dry and very slightly bitter. Delicious. 4.5

M: Silky. 4.5

O: 4

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 02:51:14 | More by vandemonian

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A poured with a small head of dark tan foam on an opaque black body. The head settles quickly and leaves good lace.

S chocolate nutty caramel and fruity, green hops

T thick, dark bread up front with some dark chocolate and pine in the middle. Finishes with more citrusy hops chocolate and some lingering, charred roast character.

M a thick body moderate carbonation and a dry finish

D very nice with a rich malt character in addition to its pungent hops.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 01:13:41 | More by nickfl

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours an opaque black with a 1/2 inch of light brown head. Head recedes at a moderate pace. Minor wisps of lacing are left on the glass.

S: Nose is roasted malts, coffee and citrus hops.

T: Taste starts with big roasted malts, some minor charred notes that hang in the back. Bitter baker's chocolate and coffee hit in the middle before moving in to a more prominent burnt malt flavoring that is accented by nice grapefruit, citrus hops.

M: Lighter side of medium body, medium to higher carbonation, crisp and clean at first with a touch sticky finish.

O: Goes down easy, very tasty, not too filling, nice kick, very good representation of style. More and more Black IPA's are just hitting the spot for me. I had never heard of Du Claw before, but this is a fantastic offering for those who enjoy Black IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 15:41:58 | More by Jayli

tugdriver7

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

DuClaw is bottling now. They'd done large bottles, but they've got 3 varieties in 6 packs now. Black coated, lightweight screwtops that really keep things fresh.

Still getting used to the "black IPA" craze, but this one was definitely the best so far. Deep, rich black with mahogany highlights from the bottle. Tan leather-colored creamy head that laced the glass nicely. Rich smoky malt in the nose with a stout-like smokiness and a roasted sweet malt flavor in the first sip, balanced nicely with a bitter hops bite that stops short of "spicy" or "fruity." Very nicely balanced, making it easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 23:48:51 | More by tugdriver7

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the brewpub at Arundel Mills.

A: Dark, dark reddish brown, almost black, with about a one-finger, extremely foamy mocha head that kept a substantial amount of retention throughout.

S: Very faint, but I did get a few puffs of roast and coffee-like bitterness. I though this was supposed to be a Black IPA?

T: Definitely not a black IPA. Very roasty, with extremely bitter and bleached out sweetness. I would describe this as a "coffee" porter brewed with unsweetened baker's chocolate rather than coffee.

M: Very thick and creamy, yet exceptionally dry! The carbonation was good for this style. Surprisingly very impressive in this area.

O: Once again, the over-the-top bitterness hampered my judgment of this one a bit, but it was still damn tasty!

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 18:58:39 | More by Chaney

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with a black body and a tan, one finger head...the head fell quickly to a thin cap and left only light lacing

S - Roasty aromas fill the glass...some smoke and charcoal notes can also be picked up...piney hops are in the background

T - The roast is the star of the show in the beginning...first sip brings a full on assault of dark roasted malts...they provide some chocolate notes towards the finish...the middle of the beer has a milky smoothness to it...the hops are not shy as they provide a lingering bitterness at the finish

M - Medium bodied...smooth and creamy...bitter hops and a bitter roastiness

O - I found this Black IPA to be rather enjoyable...roast up front, hops in the finish...pretty balanced...only complaint was the dead looking pour it produced

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 14:20:41 | More by thain709

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pitch black, almost stout like with a mocha colored head.

S- Roasted malts, chocolate malts, some chocolate an a hint of coffee.

T- Roasted malt from start to finish with chocolate and a dash of piney hops towards the end.

M- Creamy and roasty, but crisp too.

O- Good black IPA, nice mix of roasted malts and hops.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 17:35:51 | More by stephenjmoore

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked tis up at State Line a couple of weeks back.

A-Dark, opaque, dark brown to black, huge frothy mocha head quickly dissipates.

S-A bit musty, moderate roast, a whiff of dark chocolate.

T-Nice. Good roast character without going overboard in the bitterness. Hop character is a bit lacking, which is the only shortcoming in the flavor.

M-Medium bodied, dry.

O-A nice black ale. Above average for the style in my opinion.

HV

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 01:25:58 | More by sholland119

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Variety pack from Bryn Mawr beverage.

Poured into a tulip glass, about 1 inch head that remains while drinking.

Scent of coffee and slight mocha, with some breadiness.

This is a good black IPA, it has the characteristics on point with the hops and dryness. However it almost has more of a stout feel to the body to some degree as it's not quite as dry as I would like. But it is very balanced and is a smooth drink.
I can not complain whatsoever.

The mouthfeel is definitely full bodied as the flavor remains well after.

A good effort by Duclaw.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:46:46 | More by GiantMidget

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Jet black, 1 finger off white head, not much lacing going on.

S - Suprisingly hoppy, espresso, roasty.

T - Coffee bean, strong piney hops, dark chocolate, roasty malt.

M - Alot of carbonation, a pepsi cola-like burn/tingle, great dark chocolate aftertaste with coffee beans lingering.

D - I could only drink 2, it fills you up, very heavy, decent beer from DuClaw, Devil's Milk is still their best brew though!

P.S. - The ABV on the bottle is 6.4%

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 19:34:48 | More by Rickythejeweler

JohnnyS17

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an extremely dark black, no light is getting through this puppy! It is accompanied by a gorgeous, foamy, deep-tan head. The retention is great and there is nice lacing throughout the tasting.

The aroma smells like an un-enhanced black cup of java with hints of dark, bitter chocolate. I sense hints of barley and maybe a subtle hops aroma hiding behind the stronger scents. Those hops that were hiding in the aroma, come out a lot more in the taste. Also, the bitter chocolate is a more prevalent taste than the coffee. It finishes with a nice burnt roast flavor.

The body is a medium/full body. It is very smooth with lingering carbonation. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. The deeper I got into it, the more my taste buds warmed up to it. Quite an enjoyable beer that acts as a calming agent. Give me another!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 19:06:44 | More by JohnnyS17

notchucknorris

California

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a deep brown/nearly black color with a monster tan head that lasts a long time.

S: Roasted malt, some faint earth, a touch of bready yeast and some faint earthy hops. A little bit of aftershave too.

T: Not really a whole lot going on. Some faint watered-down coffee, some roasted malt, a hint of espresso and some earthy hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 01:43:05 | More by notchucknorris

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from tap into pint glass at duclaw in Bowie pours a deep brown with an amber hue with some off whit head. Not much black here. Smells of dark roast but is crisp and very mild. Taste of slightly roasted malts and crisp water and hop. Its all very subtle but enjoyable. Its a bit too mild for me but has some nice drinkability. Solid brew but not mind blowing.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 00:48:19 | More by DrinkSlurm

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

a dark brown pour with 2 fingers of tan head.. seems to be slightly overcarbonated. smells of roasted grains, chocolate, toffee, grassy hops. again in the flavor, grassy hops up front, followed by slight oxidized taste, chocolate, dark roasted grains, very earthy flavors. almost like a hoppy black bitter coffee. very high carbonation which doesn't really work well with the medium body and dark flavors. not that impressed by this one. like all the other duclaw beers i received, i think this one was past its prime. i emailed them about bottling dates, and they said they are currently working on putting freshness dates on their bottles, as well as distributing to nj within the next year so hopefully i'll be able to taste these fresh soon enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 08:14:20 | More by facundoCNB

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Ruby red edges with a pitch black body. Nice white creamy head.

S: Chocolate, cream and some citrus.

T: Chocolate, cream, citrus and herbal notes.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: Nice however the mix of chocolate and citrus seem to clash a little bit. Doesn't mix easily.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 01:46:58 | More by JerseyKirk

oline73

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap at the brewpub during the release event.

Appearance: Pours with a 1.5 finger tan head with very large bubbles. A layer remains throughout the pour. The color is almost black with a very little bit of light coming through at the edges.

Smell: Definitely the best part of this beer. Mildly sweet citrus hops dominate, but the roast is there. Overall the really nice smelling hops come through.

Taste: Again, the hops win here as well. Very bitter citrus peel hops coat the tongue, the roast is dominated and seems to fight with the bitterness a bit.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a lot of small bubbles. I would call the finish uber dry.

Drinkability: Overall, I think this is a good beer. It would be nice if there was a little bit more roast, but I'd definitely have more.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2011 01:40:02 | More by oline73

Florida9

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Black color. Forms a ridiculously large, bubbly, over-carbonated, tan-colored head on a minimal pour. Some light lacing.

S: Aroma is full of dark roasted malts, carbonation, deeply roasted coffee, and char with just a hint of citrusy hops in the mix.

T: Taste is much of the same with a heavy dose of deeply roasted (borderline burnt) malts, char, dark chocolate, and some citrus hops on the finish. Finish is dry with a light, but persistent char flavor.

M: On the heavier side of medium. Mild to moderate bitterness though some of the bitterness is from the roasted malts. Over-carbonation is annoying distraction for this beer.

O: A decent beer with good potential. I liked the use of deeply roasted malts on this one, but the over carbonation really ruined it for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 00:42:36 | More by Florida9

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 05/07/11 notes. Got a bottle of this at RFD in Washington, DC. Poured into a pint glass.

a - Pours a very dark brown color, with two inches of tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, chocolate, citrus hops, and toasted malts.

t - Tastes of coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, and citrus hops. Also some toasted malts, and a tiny bit of bitterness in the taste.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a pretty good Black IPA from Duclaw. Lots of roasted notes in the nose and taste, as well as some coffee in the taste. Would give another shot.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 15:29:05 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Arundel Mills location on 11/10/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours black (although some ruby does come out along the bottom), with a ½ finger of mocha head. This has a bit of a lightly burnt look to it. Retention is decent here, with some rich edges and more of a wispier look across the center, leaving back a foamy cascade of light spotty froth. The aroma has a sticky blend of chocolate and caramel up front, which is followed by a dark and bitter smelling mix of roast and green citrus. A touch of leafy and herbal tones work their way in here as well.

The taste pretty much mirrors the aroma, with a sharp and green feeling citric bitterness (along with some intertwining herbal character) that is balanced by a thickish feeling blend of chocolate, toffee, and dark crunchy roast that flows across the back. The hops, roast, and sweetness all even out nicely here as this warm, as this finishes dry and bitter with some notes of lingering roast. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and firm feeling up front before giving way to more of a smooth crispness as this moves out. Alcohol is nicely hid.

After a terrible experience with this beer in the bottle, this was a much MUCH more enjoyable experience this time around. I found this to be quite flavorful but it did lean a little too much to the Porterish sides of things. This was still mighty tasty though and I’m glad to see a new staple beer of this quality on the taps @ DuClaw.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 20:31:34 | More by Kegatron

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.66/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is poured a nearly pitch black color with a one finger tan colored head floating atop the brew after pouring. The head fades over a moderate amount of time to leave a nice level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is on the sweeter side overall with a decent presence of chocolate mixed with a caramel and molasses smell. With these aromas are some lighter notes of darker fruits and some nut.

Taste – The taste begins with a sweeter roasted malt flavor with some dark fruit and molasses sugar. As the flavor advances some tastes of chocolate and pine hop come to the tongue. The hop is never too strong with the pine soon being replaced by a citrus hop flavor. This citrus hop is joined by some flavors of coffee and heavily roasted/burnt taste to leave a sweet and moderately roasty flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is average in its thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather average. Not bad for the roasted and slightly hopped flavors of the brew, but also nothing too exceptional.

Overall – A tasty darker, but very drinkable and lightly hopped brew. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:59:30 | More by Darkmagus82

Josephkeene

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at A.Mills duclaw.

Poured into a pint glass small coco brown lacing with a light head.

The smell is of chocolate with a little pine.

Tasting first comes with abundant chocolate and a nice piney finish.

Really well made black ipa!!

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2011 16:27:02 | More by Josephkeene

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On draft at DuClaw in Bowie, MD.

The beer is dark brown, approaching blackness, with a dense khaki head that coats the glass in lacing. A fabulous appearance. The aroma offers hops, roast, pine, chocolate. Nice flavor, though a bit understated for my liking. Both hop and roast characters are lacking in intensity. Residual chocolate and pine notes. Smooth feel with moderately low carbonation. Easy to enjoy a pint, though nothing implores me to order a second serving. Overall, decent beer that has potential for improvement. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2012 03:34:30 | More by Huhzubendah