Dark Hops - Beer Here

mattcrill

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Earthy, piney hop resins up front. A hint of dark roasted grains. Clean fermentation character.

Appearance: Black pour with brown leather edges. A thick and creamy off-white head.

Flavor: Wow! Punishing earthy and piney hop bitterness up front. A bit of grassiness and palate caving goodness rushes up after the initial hop bomb. A touch of malty sweetness like sweetened espresso quickly gets beaten back by all the piney hop resins. Balance is decidedly bitter. Finish is clean and bone dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation, a touch creamy, and some palate caving hop-derived astringency. A bit of alcohol heat blends and makes for a nice memory on the mid-tongue.

Overall impression: A hop bomb. The hop bitterness and flavor make this one a sipper and one to be savored. This was over the top (in a good way). Wish I could get this more often.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:19:08 | More by mattcrill

Dope

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No date that I could find, but probably aged a bit accidentally.

A: Pours a dark brown with a big frothy chocolate milk-colored head. Fades at a moderate pace but with excellent head retention. Decent lacing.

S: Big pine and resinous hops. Quite a bit of char, smoke and some molasses mixed in. A little meaty in fact.

T: Pine up front with some chocolate and char. Turns smoky in the middle and into the finish with again a touch of meat. Like charred, smoky BBQ'd beef.

M: Medium bodied and a bit chalky from the smoky char, especially in the finish.

O: Roasty but on the char/smoke side of things. Mildly hoppy, not huge like a black IPA but noticeable. Helps balance the roasted malt character. A bit simple, overall but still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:59:19 | More by Dope

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle.Oversized glass.Enjoyed on jul´11. Quite black color,dark mahogany to the light. Light brown,small bubbled,froth forms a copious, lasting,thick & dense crown.Foamy rings. Floral, toasted malt,piney hop aromas,fresh mint hues. Found flavors are moderate toasted malts,hops & underlying spices,hints of cocoa & candies.But increasing hoppy flavor win the match while ABV remains well hidden.Medium body, medium carbonation.Bitter slightly watery finish.Coffee notes & resiny sensation on the aftertaste. Pretty good drinkability.Flavorful & refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 16:16:59 | More by GONZALOYANNA

hardy008

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Dark black with a three finger mocha foamy head with excellent retention and lacing. The aroma has dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted malt, and piney hops. Has a very nice aroma.

The taste has dark roasted malt, cocoa, dark chocolate, a little bit of smokiness, and some piney hops. There is a nice combination of sweetness from the chocolate and cocoa, and bitterness from the dark roasted malt and hops. Very nicely balanced.

Medium bodied with average carbonation. Somewhat creamy, and the alcohol is well hidden. I am not sure if this beer has truly been retired or not. If it has been retired, that is too bad, because this is truly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 02:25:59 | More by hardy008

hwwty4

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to jtrockchalk for this one. While it has a place for a batch number, nothing is filled out. No idea on the age.

Poured a 16.9oz bottle into my Funkwerks globe. This beer pours a inky black with a massive 3 inch rich mahogany head that almost reminds me of a beer on nitro. Crazy. Tons of soapy lacing end up on the sides of the glass as it disappears from my glass. This is a really beautiful beer. The aroma is fairly prevalent even when its sitting 2 feet away from my nose. Rich, astringent coffee wafts to my nose from my side table. Bitter grapefruit pith mixed with dark chocolates. Underneath is just a layer of fusel booze. Honestly, if the booze wasn't so prevalent i would notch it up a couple points. Really deflates some of the aroma. The flavor is heavy on the malts. The astringent coffee is definitely the most predominant flavor. Dark chocolate with just a hint of dark fruits. Then comes the hops. Grapefruit with just a bit of light grass. I don't know if the hop flavor has diminished or the malt backbone just dominates it. Its fairly strong in the nose, but just kind of dissipates in the flavor profile. Also I think some of the bitterness gets lost on the dark chocolate/coffee malts. The mouthfeel is light and creamy finishing with just a touch of dryness. Overall its a tasty beer. It really straddles the lines of a hoppy big stout and a black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 00:22:59 | More by hwwty4

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle obtained from Friar Tuck's in Savoy, IL.
No bottled on date or best before.
Poured into a tulip glass.

Beer pours a >2cm head into the glass, dark tan in color, composed of tiny bubbles that create a very soft, pillowy appearance. Head descends leaving lots of lace in its wake, which is also refreshed with swirling before each sip. 0.5cm head remains throughout entire drinking session. Body is an opaque black color with brown highlights. Overall, an exceptional looking beer.

Smelling this beer is "fun," almost like a game: sometimes it smells of rich milk chocolate and bitter roasted malt, other times I pick up pleasant pine and floral hops. This was probably much hoppier when fresh, but still, a very nice "hoppy black ale" indeed.

Taste opens on tip of tongue with malt sweetness and citrus zest. Roasted malt with slight coffee bitterness, and dark chocolate flavors arrives mid-palate. Hops quickly blend in, giving off tastes of pine forest, citrus zest, and a bit of spiciness. I also pick up hints of tobacco. The blend of roasted malt and hop flavors is quite good.

Mouthfeel is creamy from the smoothness of the body, alcohol is detectable only in the nostrils. Beer is medium to medium-light bodied, with a dry finish, slightly sticky from sweetness. Body could be a bit heavier and benefit from this.

Overall, I enjoyed drinking this beer and wish it was more readily available. A very good interpretation of the black ale style.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 06:22:20 | More by falloutsnow

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle 8,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in a tulip wine glass.
Bottled on 27/05/2010

Normally I would not review a black IPA that is this old, but the bottle says best before 2013 - I hope the brewer knows what he is talking about!

Appearance: Beautiful pour, pitch black in the glass with only the faintest of red on the edges when held to a strong back light - this is certainly the darkest black IPA I have had to date. A rough pour generates a large tan coloured head that lasts pretty well and leaves some good lace.

Smell: Good lord, there is actually still a lot of hops in the nose! This must have been a hop beast when it was fresh.
Roasted, chocolaty malt is accompanied by candied citrus peel, grapefruit zest, some pine resin and a touch of sweet grass. As the beer warms, sweet, dark toffee and a touch of dark fruit are noted.

Taste: As with the nose, the flavour contains a surprising amount of hops given this bottles age. The initial flavour is dominated by sweet chocolate malt, a light roasted character and some coffee. The hop character is made up primarily of citrus zest, some grapefruit and pine resin.
The finish is pleasantly bitter and lightly drying.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good level of smooth carbonation. Incredibly easy to drink, I could gulp this down all day!

Overall: Dark hops is a very impressive beer - I cannot believe this bottle was almost 18 months old! I will most certainly buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 21:31:56 | More by Thehuntmaster

beerdrifter

Germany

4.38/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at the beer store at the De Molen Brewery. Deep black pour with a beautiful dark brown two finger head with decent retention and lacing. Dark roasted malts dominate the nose with lots of chocolate as well. Also getting hints of coffee, cocoa, smoke and herbal piney hops. The taste follows the nose pretty closely with the dark, roasty malts at the forefront and the hops emerging nicely as it warms. Dark chocolate, coffee, and pine round out the flavors for a really nicely balanced Black IPA. Smooth and creamy and thick and chewy at the same time with a really nice resiny, bitter hop bite on the finish. American Black Ales, or as I prefer, Black IPA's, are quickly becoming my favorite style of craft beer and this is a damn fine example of one. I'm two-for-two with Beer Here and can't wait for my next taste!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 15:00:40 | More by beerdrifter

dgilks

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Exceptially dark brown colour with a foamy, lasting tan head.

Coffee!!! Big coffee aroma with a mild herbal note.

Fresh coffee hits up front with a bit of soft malt. The earthy hops come through later. There's also a touch of chocolate and bitterness.

Medium light body with moderate high carbonation. Crisp but soft.

Flavourful but not enough fruity hop character for a Black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 03:59:58 | More by dgilks

mdaschaf

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from notes.

A: Pours a deep brown, with a very small tan colored head. Very little lacing to speak of.

S: The aroma almost has a break in it, the hoppy/grass/citrus is up front and then there is almost nothing and then some roasted malt and a bit of coffee on the back end.

T: Very similar to the aroma both in flavor and in the way the beer is presented. The hops are all up front, light grass and citrus with the back end dominated by roasted malt, chocolate and coffee.

M: Medium bodied and on the lower end of carbonation, leaves it with a nice creamy mouthfeel.

O: Not my favorite black IPA. I typically prefer the black and IPA portions to be blended more than they are here.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 19:15:04 | More by mdaschaf

spicelab

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle with thanks to Chris@Slowbeer

Darkest possible brown, slightly bronze when poured against the light. Rich coffee-coloured head, about 1.5 fingers, falls slowly until a resilient film remains.

Very fresh mint and pine, equally matched by roasty and pungent coffee, dark chocolate and bready malts. Some fruity and citrus hop notes can't quite compete with the malts but create intrigue. Just an outstanding interplay between hops and malt that fuses into something truly distinctive.

Roasty and sweet malts assert their superiority, sweet black coffee in spades. But somehow the fresh mint and pine character isn't dulled at all.

Very even, syrupy mouthfeel, with medium carbonation and a demure bitterness. A touch of prickle on the mid.

Best ABA / black IPA I've had to date. I've tended to find roasted malts overshadow hop character in this style, but the kind of menthol-esque freshness from the hops used in this don't seem to suffer. Beer Here have pulled off something special with this finely calibrated creation.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 06:55:06 | More by spicelab

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured out as a deep black color. The head was big and brown had to wait to pour out the rest. The lacing on the glass was very nice. The smell of the beer was a mix of chocolate and hops. The taste was a really nice balance of citrusy hops and heavy roasted malts. The mouthfeel was heavy and slick. Overall it's a really nice black IPA. Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 00:24:45 | More by Knapp85

JordonHoltzman

New York

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

cool bottle, pours a pure black with a brown mocha head that is a finger thick but frothy.
smells mostly of a coffee based russian stout. some sweet pineyness from the hops too.
a good balance of coffee/chocolate of the stout with hoppyness in the background. rich in flavor, but not nothing overpowers the other.
mouthfeel is somewhat creamy with a great carbonation level for the beer it is. no aftertaste.
very enjoyable beer. not as thick and heavy as a true RIS, which makes this more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 19:42:13 | More by JordonHoltzman

UCLABrewN84

California

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque black with a 2 inch dark khaki head that fades to a small cap. There is some yeast or sediment floating around in the glass - kind of gross. Nice rings of lace on the drink down. Smells of dark roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and pine hops. Smells very much like a porter or stout. Taste is of roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder, dark malts, and a pine hop finish. There is a mild bitterness on the palate after each sip more from the coffee/cocoa powder tastes than the hops. Mouthfeel is very good with a carbonation level that makes for a crisp and smooth drink. Overall, this is a good but surprising beer. This smells and tastes much more like a hoppy stout or porter than other beers in this category. I would definitely go for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 03:51:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

emmasdad

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to schmittymack for sharing this one with us yesterday afternoon. This one was about a year old, and most of the hops had dropped out, leaving a much more stout like beer. Poured a nice black color, with a smallish light brown head. Aromas of roast, dark fruit and coffee. On the palate, medium bodied, with flavors of roasted malt, coffee and dark fruit.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 04:50:00 | More by emmasdad

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at Ol Baren. From notes.

A - Pours with a one finger mocha head. Pitch black with no visible carbonation.

S - Very roasty and very hoppy. I could not really pick up more than that. Smells good and they are combined well.

T - More hop than malt in the flavour. Chocolate and pine mix together in a way I would never have been interested in trying. It is also quite fruity. Very clean finish. Tasty.

M - Sort of prickly in the finish after a medium body and medium carbonation. I liked the mouth on this with that prickly finish.

D - Quite high. A great black IPA for sure. Combines the two elements properly, balancing their strengths and letting them play off each other.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 18:13:19 | More by tbeckett

jizfiasco

New Jersey

2.33/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

In all honesty I liked the label on this beer so I looked up the rating. Saw it was rated very well so I wanted to give it a try. My local store had this but the bottles where dusty so I put off trying it for a while. I went to a different store a few weeks ago and they mark their bottles vintage that have past their prime and with no date on the beer I thought it would be safe to try it. Poured into a snifter nice black color with a mocha head. Smells like roasted coffee beans with a bit of smoke and some cream. No smell of any spice or pine. Taste was not at all what I expected or read. Tasted like coffee and roasted malts like a very one dimensional stout. I am thinking this brew is old and I don't think I can get a fresh one. Not a hop in the whole bottle. I can't believe, could they have all disintegrated. Maybe Stone Sublimely has spoiled me but this beer I had cannot be called a hoppy black ale at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 18:37:39 | More by jizfiasco

brentk56

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours like a stout, with a massive head that sits atop the black colored liquid; retention and lacing are both first class

Smell: Roasty, up front, but the hops are well-represented in the aroma, too; woody and slightly medicinal

Taste: The roast appears first, but it doesn't take long for the grassy hops to dominate; in fact the "black" flavors don't reappear until the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I have liked many beers of this style and I really like this brewery's Pumpernickel Porter, but the hop bill on this one isn't working too well for me - I prefer citrus to grass

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 01:31:55 | More by brentk56

IronMickey

Arkansas

4.72/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: amazing looking beer. pure black with a massive, dark khaki (like the darkest shade of desert fatigues), foamy head-- look like you could set the bottle cap on it.

S: nose packs a hop wallop but is extremely complex. I keep taking deep whiffs-- each time I get more. plums, chocolate, some wood. just a great, interesting smell. very inviting.

T: the taste holds up its end of the bargain. terrific hop character but that is certainly underscored by a host of undertones that makes for an intriguing pull. chocolate, fruit, wood, biscuits, toffee. for a beer I was expecting to be dominated by its hops, the folks at BeerHere did a great job of making it far more interesting.

M: great, really enjoyable carbonation. it's thick, but not syrupy. the carbonation makes its thickness more textured. good stuff.

D: this stuff is great-- one of the better beers I've had. I had solid expectations but nothing like what delivered. needless to say, extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 22:04:50 | More by IronMickey

July2Nov

Hawaii

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: So the color is Black, black and black! No light is coming through to the darkside. Nice full finger-width of tan frothy head that goes down to a respectable 1/2 inch. It's a beauty to behold.

Smell: Getting some (mostly) buttery malts and a tad bit of hops. Slight metallic smell in there too.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Creamy in it's mouthfeel right off the bat. Smooth and glides very easily. Getting some burnt/roasted chalky nutty malt flavor at first. The hops are tucked away toward the middle and shine at the end of the beer. The aftertaste is mild with just the slightest bit of warm/numbing alcohol shining at you.
Also, there tends to be a coffee like flavor at the very beginning.

Overall: My god the creaminess of the body of this one is outstanding and is really surprising. The 8.50% abv is very deceptive by the easy drinking nature of this beer (could be a good thing). Very impressed by my first beer from the "Beer Here" company and I'm beginning to become a huge fan of Hoppy black ales. Find it and try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 05:11:44 | More by July2Nov

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is what I wanted from a black ale.
Looks like a beutiful glass of black pleasure with good head and lacing retention.
Smells malty and hoppy with neither one overpowering the other.
Tastes embodied by an exquisite mix of malt, roast, and just enough hops to give a lingering tickle.
Decent carbonation for a very smooth drink.
I will be looking for this one on my own, as the current was a gift.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 19:01:51 | More by Beer4Baltimore

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours opaque, very dark, nearly black brown body topped by thick tan head with excellent retention that sticks to the walls and never fades off. Aroma is a mixture of IPA and porter-like qualities with citrusy, earthy and spicy hops intermingling with caramel, roast and rich chocolaty overtones from dark malts. Fruity esters are none. Thicker than medium, viscous, almost stout-like body with fine, soft carbonation and smooth, creamy texture. A solid backbone of sweet and roasted malts supports citrusy, earthy and spicy hops, whose bitterness never gets harsh and together with tanninic notes from roasted malts provide dry finish. Aftertaste is somewhat spicy and exhibits both hoppy bitterness and roastiness. It seems a minor quantity of black malt has been used in this one as the roasty tones are quite prominent, verging on ashy/burnt. (Batch 509, into tulip.)

In short: A bitter-sweet-roasted hybrid of an IPA & porter/stout with the Noble & West Coast hop character.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 14:54:50 | More by crnipeter

TheJollyHop

California

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip.

Solid mocha, brown head on top of a completely black body.

Herbal hops on the nose, reminiscent of dank herb, wet leaves, stale coffee, dark chocolate; slightly woody.

Chocolate covered orange rind, lemon; citrus fruit upfront. Stale coffee middle lending a slightly woody taste, leading to a chocolate and pine finish laced with spearmint; balanced and flavorful without being astringently bitter. Faintest detection of alcohol heat at the swallow.

This beer excels with its creamy mouthfeel, smooth medium carbonation and body; very drinkable.

Complex and herbaceous take on the American Black Ale style.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 21:54:40 | More by TheJollyHop

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Farmer's Cabinet, 3/19/11.

A-Pours an opaque brown with a thin amount of off white head and good sticky lacing.

S-Leathery with a bit of smoke, some sweet chocolate and roasted malt.

T-Sweet malt and some good coffee roastiness, then bittersweet chocolate and a good bitter finish. Delicious.

M-Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O-Really tasty. Happy I got to try it.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 19:03:31 | More by sholland119

Tone

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 1/3 inch head of an off-tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of alcohol, sweet malt, slight wood, and slight citrus hops. Fits the style of an American Black Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, sweet malt, slight roasted malt, slight dry hop, alcohol, and slight wood. Overall, good appearance, aroma, blend, and body.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 18:20:42 | More by Tone