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

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

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

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

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

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

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