Furry Black India Pale Ale - North Peak Brewing Company

Lauthaha

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a short/fat 12 ounce bottle into a beer mug for primal enjoyment.

Appearance: Pours a very murky honest brown, with a nearly-opaque tint. Head is amazing; frothy, thick, heavy lacing; cappucino-foam-like quality to it. Very nice.

Smell: Hops. The smell is mostly piney, with maybe just a touch of citrus suggestion. Malt character is caramelly crisp here, just a touch of sweetness which is in perfect proportion for an IPA.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Almost overwhelming taste here. The head enters with the beer, and all tastes attack at once. Sweetness from the malt coats the tongue with a velvety softness, while the hops poke through in the manner of velcro. Carbonation level is medium, and the rinse is very bitter, lots of hop aftertaste. A great drink!

Drinkability: One or two ought to do you, but I could easily make this a regular. Nice to know that my state is producing something of value now that cars are out! :-P

I am really impressed by this brew. Black IPAs are new to me (I hadn't heard of them until a week or so ago) but it's a style I enjoy deeply. This is a nearly-perfect beer in all categories.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 02:24:26 | More by Lauthaha

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -25.7%

01-08-2013 04:06:29 | More by iemailjack

rolandboy

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

11-26-2012 04:20:45 | More by rolandboy

redleg64

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1%

09-03-2012 03:11:06 | More by redleg64

sennin

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass, bottled on February 14, 2012.

A: Wow this beer has a BIG head and it forces you to pour incredibly slowly. Even after that the head is retained throughout the entire session. Crazy stuff. It is also very cool that the head resembles the top layer of a freshly brewed espresso. It's pretty unique for the style (at least in my experience).

S: Big hop presence in the smell, mixed with chocolate, coffee, and something that smells a little bit like vanilla bean. Very pleasant.

T: First taste is hops and something like charred pine needles- a tad smoky. Later evolves into some brown sugar like flavors and charred sugar. Coffee and Chocolate is present throughout the entire tasting. Alcohol is nearly non-existent considering the percentage. Impressively hidden.

M: Wraps around the tongue very well, pretty silky smooth. Later dries out on tongue- powdery. The chocolate, coffee, and hop flavors stay on the tongue after swallowing.

An impressive Black IPA from North Peak. I look forward to trying a great deal more of their brews. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 06:17:28 | More by sennin

danwho

California

4/5  rDev -1%

07-09-2012 01:19:42 | More by danwho

srv33

3.08/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Dark pour, inch light brown head, good lacing. Scents of Juniper are prominent, with copper, and a hint of coffee. Taste has notes of coffee, bitter toffee, and a heavy iron/copper/mineral taste, very full american black ale. I thought I detected a little grapefruit, bites quite a bit on first sip though mellows out on the tongue. This brew did not do it for me, I am receptive to the style but I felt this brew had too heavy of a mineral taste that I felt overpowered whatever subleties existed.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 04:00:48 | More by srv33

duceswild

Maryland

4/5  rDev -1%

06-26-2012 02:54:31 | More by duceswild

KFrank729

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

06-18-2012 20:35:04 | More by KFrank729

Supergenious

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

06-13-2012 22:32:48 | More by Supergenious

CSQ1111

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1%

06-11-2012 18:00:01 | More by CSQ1111

Avant_Garage

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

06-09-2012 23:35:34 | More by Avant_Garage

IlPostino

Michigan

5/5  rDev +23.8%

06-04-2012 02:08:03 | More by IlPostino

JLWelch27

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-26-2012 07:12:50 | More by JLWelch27

dmorley21

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

05-15-2012 01:20:29 | More by dmorley21

Benny3000

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1%

04-12-2012 17:42:59 | More by Benny3000

WuAnquo1

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-08-2012 17:42:34 | More by WuAnquo1

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 2/14/2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with awesome retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some nice spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange, herbal, pine, toasted malt, biscuit, earth, and dark fruits. Some pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of grapefruit, pine, biscuit, caramel, herbal, roasted malt, light coffee, floral, and earthiness. Nice sized bitterness on the finish, with lingering notes of caramel, citrus, pine, roasted malt, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. There is a nice malt backbone to balance things out as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable black IPA. Nice malt balance and very smooth to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:50:50 | More by superspak

Brenden

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black is this IPA, dense with a brown hue shining at the edges in direct light. A creamy tan head sits between 1 and 2 fingers tall and develops a rocky denseness before settling. The head that remains drops lacing in thick rings before going patchy. On first appearance, this will be a good one.
The nose is simultaneously roasty and piny. There's an earthy note there too. At the very end is a whiff of alcohol.
Pine smacks the palate and co-mingles woth the roast rather than dominating it. There's a note of toffee sweetness underneath and coffee grounds come out as well. Hops bitterness also goes a bit floral.
A good medium body, neither too heavy or too light, supports a smoothness that's creamy rolling off a constant crispness. It goes quite dry in the finish without being chalky.
Furry may be a new standard-bearer for the style. These guys are good.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 02:12:26 | More by Brenden

stevedem

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1%

03-23-2012 03:09:47 | More by stevedem

SaintJonah

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1%

03-22-2012 18:08:53 | More by SaintJonah

BMMillsy

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

03-22-2012 14:58:39 | More by BMMillsy

mcorwin

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1%

03-16-2012 02:10:30 | More by mcorwin

Shmantha

4/5  rDev -1%

03-15-2012 06:45:37 | More by Shmantha

rangerred

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.5oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance is pitch black with a two finger rocky tan head that stays forever.

Lots of pine hits you right in the face along with orange and a little bit of coffee.

The flavor is tons of orange up front which kind of surprised me. Almost like orange juice. More citrus follows and a touch of pine. There is just a hint of roasted malt but not as much as I would have expected. A strong bitterness rushes in and drowns out any remaining malt flavors but you can tell malt is there. A nice dry, almost ashy finish.

Overall this is another impressive beer from North Peak. An awesome black ale and one I would love to have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:11:19 | More by rangerred